Parker County Today January 2018 | Page 91

our youth: AG STARS Emilee Munchrath — Country Girl Has The ‘Write’ Stuff By MELISSA MOORMAN S with her family and friends. At school her favorite subject is English Language Arts and she enjoys writ- ing. She’s compet- ing in several UIL competitions in Ready Writing and Editorial Writing among others. She admits that she’s learned a lot from showing animals and competing. “I’m really learning leadership and being humble. I’ve really learned that I want to be a vet. I’ve been around animals all my life. I don’t want it to change so I want to go to school and be a vet. The main thing I’ve learned is to be humble and don’t take it for granted and be thank- ful,” she said. Emilee is gearing up for the Fort Worth Stock Show in January and admitted that “It’s my favorite show.” But it’s not for the reasons you would think. “I like the cinnamon rolls. I meet up with my friends and stuff and see all of the exhibits. I like Giddy Up Glamour. They have the best clothes in there,” she said. She’s also curious to see how her new calves perform. Emilee would encourage others to show cattle for many reasons. “It’s a really fun thing to do. There’s a lot you can learn through showing. I highly suggest cattle. You need to have fun doing it once you get out there. Ask your extension agent or advisor for their advice on getting started.” Emilee won 1st Place High Individual at the 2017 National Short- horn Show by participating in several contests: Showmanship, Team Fitting, Speech, Beef Cook-Off, Photography, Promotional Poster, and Beef Quiz Bowl. These are some of her prizes. ixth grader Emilee Munchrath is an old hand at show- ing her animals at shows throughout Texas, having begun her ag career at the tender age of three. She admits that her love of animals and spending time in the barn began much earlier when Emilee was only six months old. She’s been hooked ever since. Emilee’s mom is her agriculture teacher in Graford, having recently moved to that school district from Weatherford ISD. She’s very proud of Emilee’s accom- plishments. “As her teacher she has a hard work ethic, she’s driv- en to succeed,” she said. “The first thing she does when she finishes her schoolwork is go to the barn. She’s a natural showman. She’s sitting at the ring and picking up tips and tricks by watching. She takes ownership of her own results. She’s very competitive.” Emilee likes showing cattle best and has three new calves to show beginning this season at the January Palo Pinto Livestock show. She will then move on to Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston competing for the next three months. She started with cattle and according to Emilee, “They are like pets.” “One of my calves would let me lay on her and take a nap and she would not move. She would take a nap with me. Cora was a Maine-Anjou calf,” she continued. “I showed her everywhere at local and major stock shows all over Texas. She was probably the best one in the barn. She did really well. She won at Houston and San Antonio. She won champion heifer at the Parker County Livestock Show in 2016.” Emilee also shows sheep and rabbits along with her calves. She spends several hours a day with her animals in the barn after she comes home from school. Her routine includes rinsing the calves off daily, and then brushing them while using grooming products to make their coats look their best. She follows up once a week with soap and water, and after their bath, she leaves them tied up so she can take care of her other animals and get their feed ready for the evening and the next morning. “I usually spend all night at the barn. I just really like being in there,” said Emilee. She competed over the summer in a series of competi- tions at the National Junior Shorthorn Show and Youth Conference held in Tulsa. Because of her skills, she was honored as the Top Individual. When she’s not groom- ing, training or spending time in the barn, Emilee likes to barrel race on her horse Taz. “There are these little local barrel races that I like to do in Santo and Lipan. I like to do those,” she said. She also likes playing basketball and hanging out 89