Froid’s Stentoft Gears Up For Fair
For Keira Stentoft the Roosevelt County Fair is more than just a week of showing livestock, it’s the result of months of hard work, early mornings, late nights and time spent caring for animals she enjoys raising.
The 17-year-old Froid FFA member will exhibit a steer, a pig and two goats at this year’s fair. While she’s been a member of FFA since eighth grade, her love of showing livestock started much earlier when she joined the Up-N-Atom 4-H Club in third grade.
“I’ve always been interested in cattle, and we raise our own, so it’s convenient for me,” Stentoft said. “I showed a pig last year and really liked it because it’s different than showing a steer. I’ve shown goats since my first years at the fair because I used to have a whole herd of them.”
Like many livestock exhibitors, Stentoft’s days revolve around making sure her animals are well cared for. She starts each morning checking that they have fresh food and water. When the weather cools down in the evening, she enjoys spending time with them and taking them for walks whenever she can.
Each animal has a personality of its own.
“My goats are very feisty, and since there are two of them, they’re inseparable,” she said with a laugh. “My steer is really laid back and just goes with the flow. My pig is pretty lazy, but he loves stealing food from the other pig.”
Although she’s shown livestock for several years, Stentoft admits she still gets anxious when it’s time to clip and trim her animals before the fair.
“I’ve done it so many times, but it still makes me nervous because you don’t want to mess up,” she said.
One of her favorite memories from raising livestock doesn’t involve the show ring at all. Instead, it’s the quiet moments walking her goats at sunset.
As fair week approaches, Stentoft is looking forward to seeing how her animals perform in the market show. More than anything, she hopes people understand the commitment that comes with showing livestock.
“It takes a lot more work than people think,” she said. “It takes time, patience and responsibility every single day. It can be stressful sometimes, but it’s also a lot of fun.”
When she’s not in the barn, Stentoft says she’s more of a night owl than an early bird. Her favorite fair food is a good cheeseburger, and if she could skip one livestock chore, it would be cleaning pens.
If she had to describe the Roosevelt County Fair in one word, it would simply be “hectic.” But for Stentoff, it’s a hectic week that’s well worth all the effort.
