I'm generally a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. I manage the data, the web servers, the email servers - I keep the machines oiled and running. Running this site requires a steady flow of content, and content is something I've been missing. So when given the opportunity to attend the Fort Worth Stock Show Youth Poultry Exhibition - I took it as an opportunity to collect some much-needed photos. I met some great kids and their amazing mentors along the way.
The day wasn't planned, not really. I knew that I wanted to get some video of the kids, but they don't know what they should say, so I had some default prompts to get them talking - What's your name? What kind of bird do you have? Are you participating in showmanship? Some were shy, some were excited, I think some were infatuated with the camera.
This little girl walked up to me at the end of the day as I was preparing to take my camera rig apart. I was just about to start disassembly when this little face came peaking over the edge of the table at me. I asked if she wanted her picture taken, and she didn't know. Her mom knew though, handing her a chicken and a ribbon she had just won. So I went to work. I asked a few questions trying to get her to smile - and then I said "Smile, no - smile bigger than that - no, bigger" - all the while she was giving me the "you're crazy" look. Then I told the punchline to my little joke and got this gem of a smile, I said "Not you, I was talking to the chicken." Dad jokes FTW!
So I Made a Friend
Early in the day, as I was roaming around in search of parents with their kids (so I could get permission to film), I met a young lady named Braelyn. She reluctantly answered my questions after her mom voluntold her to do the interview (thanks mom!) Maybe I asked her the right questions, or I wished her luck when she needed it, or maybe it was my crazy hair - who knows, she sought me out to give me updates throughout the day. After the judging concluded, she asked me to follow her back to her cages to pose with her bird and ribbons.
Kids Say the Darndest Things
One of my favorite moments in the whole show was an answer to a pretty standard question. The girl didn't want to be on camera, so I was interviewing her mom about how showing poultry benefits her kids. It was at the end when I asked the girl for the name of her Polish. I sincerely hope the name was her idea because it's awesome.
An Inspiring Day
It was great to see these kids focusing on their birds, preparation, grooming, and probably the best thing I saw - helping each other. I saw older kids helping younger kids prep their birds. The line for showmanship had kids coaching each other while they waited to speak to the judges. At the end of the day, there were groups of kids posing with their birds and ribbons - taking photos for and with each other. It was a clique - and they were all in it.
A moment I wouldn't expect to see out of many adults came during the awards ceremony. The show officials made a mistake calling the name and handing a ribbon to a girl whose bird didn't win. She received the award and then returned it, telling the official that it was a mistake. That's a level of integrity that I sincerely hope she retains throughout her life. I did not receive permission from her parent(s) to show her face, so this heavily cropped screencap is the best I can offer.
I feel privileged to have witnessed it.
