Parker County Today November 2015 | Page 95

our youth: AG KIDS Clay Jones — Committing to Success BY CHRISTINA LOVELESS NOVEMBER 2015 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY You could say that in the world of youth livestock shows, Clay Jones is working to keep up with the other Joneses. It all began with his older sister Makinzie Jones, who started showing livestock when she was in the third grade then. Clay Jones began showing nearly five years ago with the Peaster 4-H Club. Clay started off showing goats his sister previously showed, he said, adding, “… I wanted to do it too and see what it was like.” He now shows cows, which is a nod to his family’s business. He’s even growing his own herd. “We raise cattle,” Clay’s mother Brandi Jones said. Clay currently has a Braunvieh, a breed of cattle developed in the Swiss Alps known and valued for its vigor and adaptability. Its name is Mocha. He also has a heifer named Razzy and a dairy cow named Butter.    Clay’s sister Makenzie is also working to build her own herd. Both Clay and Makenzie plan on continuing to show until they go to college. “When they are done showing them, we let them roam the pastures and we breed them,” Brandi said. Clay has won numerous awards in the show ring, including this year’s Bronze Star awarded to junior league and intermediate members of 4-H. 95