Young and Weiand cap 4-H careers at Fair, look ahead to joining workforce

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Gavin Young, a 2024 Rochester grad, shows his Champion Market Heifer at the Fulton County 4-H Fair on July 9. It was one of eight different animals that Young showed during the fair that won awards. From left – Alex Young; Grant Young, Gavin’s brother; Gavin, Miss Fulton County Chesnee Miller.

Before Gavin Young heads to Georgia and Colin Weiand heads to Texas, the two former Rochester High School athletes participated in one last Fulton County 4-H Fair last week as 10-year members.

Raising both cattle and swine, Young won Champion Crossbred Steer, Champion Chi Breeding Heifer, Grand Champion County Bred and Born, Champion Spot Gilt, Champion Berk Gilt, Champion Crossbred Barrow, Champion Spot Barrow and Reserve Master Showman.

His gilt finished third overall, and his barrow won reserve grand honors.

Young has shown a variety of animals during his career, but becoming successful at showing cattle is the most difficult. He said he’s “still learning” about what is the right amount of feed for cattle.

When it comes to showing cattle, Young said that good appearances can lead to good results.

“The key to presenting cattle would be hair quality is very important,” Young said. “How much hair they have. With steer, there’s a bunch of hair. So that helps a presentation. So does showmanship – getting their feet in the right place and their head at the right level.”

Young said he showed six cattle and 17 pigs at the fair.

“I haven’t been to bed until 4 a.m. the last two weeks,” Young said.

In addition to 4-H, Young, a 2024 Rochester grad, also was a key player on the Zebra football team that went 7-3 and finished second in the Three Rivers Conference and a third baseman and pitcher on the Zebra baseball team that won the first regional title in school history.

“I’m very blessed with how it’s gone,” Young said. “Especially sports. I wish I would have done better today, but the sports, that’s a highlight for life, for sure.”

He said 4-H judges are more unpredictable than home plate umpires calling balls and strikes.

“Every judge is made different,” Young said. “We saw that (Tuesday during the Beef Show). Some have too much power for them. Some are too pretty, too ‘framey.’ … That makes a big difference, and it just depends on the type and kind each judge is looking for.”

Young said he will travel to Trenton, Ga., in January to attend the Southeast Lineman Training Center and participate in their Electrical Lineworker Program. Training lasts 15 weeks and ends in mid-April. He said Misty Cripe, his eighth grade science teacher, recommended it.

“I just always know I’ll have a job,” Young said. “That’s just the important part. It’s always interested me.”

Colin Weiand

Weiand, also a 2024 Rochester grad, was a football teammate of Young’s and also starred in wrestling. He was a semistate qualifier in both 2023 and 2024, missing going to state by one win each time.

He had the fourth overall ewe, the champion dorset ewe, the champion natural cutlet ewe and the reserve crossbred steer.

“We had a pretty good week,” Weiand said. “We’re pretty happy with it.”

Weiand said he has shown animals for multiple years, but this was his first year raising sheep for the fair.

“First of all, you’ve got to be able to pick them,” Weiand said. “So that’s where you’ve got to start, and it’s a long process in learning how to feed and feed things the right away to be able to be the right size and the right muscle tone to be able to compete.”

Some lambs need a pound of food per feeding; some need more. It’s up to Weiand to know what is the proper amount.

“It takes lots of experience and time,” Weiand said. “And just learning what different feeds do and knowing what an animal needs to be able to compete at a high level.”

Weiand said he started raising animals in either his seventh or eighth grad year. He said he started with one pig, just to try it out.

This year, he had five pigs, two sheep and a steer.

Like Young, he said raising animals is a 12-month-a-year job.

“It takes a process,” Weiand said. “It takes time to figure it out. And once you get in a routine, it’s not terrible, but it’s always changing, and it’s constantly different. Your head’s always going on what needs to be done next and what needs to be worked next or fed next.”

As for his future, Weiand said he will join the workforce. He got to know Garth Simpson through wrestling, and he said he has been working for him for the last month or two.

That could lead to a job opportunity in Texas.

“I’m looking at a couple different places that are crop places and spraying and stuff like that,” Weiand said. “But I’m looking at this winter possibly going to Texas to work show cattle. I got a job offer to go down there by Garth Simpson, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Weiand was asked if the job would be like doing 4-H for a living.

“Pretty much,” Weiand said. “Just getting paid for it.”