Quebec 4-H has announced the members who will make up this year’s Quebec South West team that will travel to Toronto in November for the TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
This year’s selected showmen include Ashton Bryson, Connor Bryson, Félix Loiselle, Keith Quinn, Maeve McIntyre, Mathieu Proulx, Preston Mason, and Rylee L’Ecuyer. The team features members of both local 4-H clubs and the Association des Jeunes Ruraux du Quebec (AJRQ).
Quebec 4-H provincial coordinator Gillian MacDougall explained that the Southwest region was the most competitive this season and was the only region where a formal selection process was necessary to create the team. A panel of three judges was convened, and members were ranked according to their placings over the summer at different events.
The team includes a mix of experienced showmen and some TD Classic rookies who will be competing at the “big show” for the first time. MacDougall says this is important because participation at the Royal is a collective effort, with members working as a team to support and encourage one another in their individual competitions.
MacDougall emphasizes that while support between the team members is important, so is the extensive support from volunteers and families that contribute to logistics, record-keeping, transportation, and accommodations that make this opportunity possible. Financial support is also key. MacDougall says the team announcement was done earlier this year to provide members with more time to launch sponsorship campaigns and fundraise.
MacDougall says the Royal will allow team members to gain valuable experience competing at a high level while connecting with other 4-H youth. The fact that the exhibition takes place in downtown Toronto means members are also able to share their agricultural experiences with a wider urban audience.