Ashley Ragsdale
Age: 13
Parents: Jamie Aylward and Mark Ragsdale
Hometown: Pryor, Okla.
School and 4-H Club: Pryor Junior High School, Pryor 4-H Club
What is your 4-H project?
“Right now I show Milking Shorthorns. My first cow was a Shorthorn, and she had a baby that is now bred. I plan to show her calf. I saved all my money to buy my first cow because I wanted to show so much. Showing is fun and you learn something new every day.”
How did you get started with 4-H?
“My cousins were in 4-H, and when I saw them showing, I wanted to do it too. I was about 9. When I first became involved in 4-H, I entered a fleece quilt and still do blankets every year because they’re something that you can use and keep forever, not like a plate of cookies.”
Favorite 4-H moment and awards: “I won Reserve Grand Champion in the Mayes County Fair. I also won a showmanship trophy made out of a glass block and a gray blanket with green lettering highlighting the Holstein breed.”
What do you like about showing?
“I like the competing part of showing because I also compete in sports and this is another competitive area for me. I love both. I had to miss soccer practice for a week to show as well as some sporting events and parties, but it doesn’t matter because I’d rather show than anything.”
What do you do to help out on the farm?
“We live in town, but I love to go to the farm where we keep my cows because I like all of the work that goes along with them. I wash and brush the animals to help tame them, and I walk them around to help them get accustomed to a show halter as well as the show ring experience.”
