By Matt Browning
The passion for farming and being involved in 4-H started at a young age for Braelyn Durham of Clearwater and she has not looked back.
My passion for 4-H began when I was eight years old, when my mom bought my sister and I our first lambs for our country fair,” Durham said. “I instantly fell in love with showing and being in 4-H.”
There is so much that goes into the 4-H process. It takes hard work and dedication, as well as a commitment to what Durham says the “blood, sweat and tears” of taking care of an animal.
“You begin by picking out your animal from online sales, local farms, or from your own herd,” Durham said. “Once you have picked out your animal, you should get it settled and feeling at home. Animals will be stressed at first when moving to a new place; you have to sit with your animals as much as possible to get them used to you. Once your animal is no longer stressed, you should begin teaching it the things it needs to know to compete, such as setting up, bracing, stick training, whip training, halter breaking, and many more.”
While all of this responsibility might be daunting to most people, Durham has embraced the time consuming tasks of 4-H.
“As a kid it’s not easy to put everything aside to make sure your animals are getting worked, fed, and watered,” Durham said. “The skills you learn go way beyond just some project. The skills you learn are very beneficial to one’s future, you gain many great skills such as responsibility, dedication, perseverance, and many more.”
