TCYS or the Texas County Youth Show is a competition where FFA and 4H students show their animals, which can be from a tiny chicken to a massive steer.

The competitors get placed and win a ribbon and some even get their animal auctioned from placing.This year’s show was held January 15-18 at the Travis County Expo center.

Waiting in the pen with her pigs while they sleep, sophomore and FFA officer Samantha Robarts waits for her time to show her two pigs Walter and Wriggley.

“I showed my two pigs, entered two pieces of photography, and entered salsa in the culinary portion,” Robarts said.  “ I didn’t place with my pigs but for my photography I got class champion and reserve, with my salsa I got a blue ribbon.”

Despite her injury sophomore Kate Buning was dedicated to her gilt, the name for a breeding pig, named Kim and getting to show at TCYS.

“My gilt, Kim, got third place but I don’t get to go to auction because she’s a breeding pig,” Buning said. “I had knee surgery a couple months ago and got my cast taken off about a week before the showing, so I was still in pain during the showing and it made it harder for me to walk in the sand.”

TCYS had about 40-45 goats compete this year and for freshman Luke Fisher this year at TCYS wasn’t the greatest.

“I showed my goat, Odis, the at youth show this year it didn’t go so well I took him into the ring and he seemed kind of scared,” Fisher said. “I got 11th place and I feel like he was a good enough goat where he could have gotten a higher place.”

After three days at TCYS students had to make up many assignments and also missed many days of sleep.

“I loved being at TCYS but it was super exhausting and I had to make up tons of work and catch up on a lot of sleep and rest,” Robarts said.

There are many different ways FFA students prepare for the youth show but the students have special things they have to do to prepare their animal.

“My goat had to go walk on this special treadmill for goats and I had to walk him around to build up his muscles for the showing because that is what judges look for at TCYS,” Fisher said.

Not only do goats have to prepare but there is many thing to do for preparing pigs too.

“I had to polish her hooves, make her skin soft and clean, make sure she kept her head up, give her a bath everyday, and also I had to be ready too make eye contact with the judge so there is a lot of things we have to do to prepare for TCYS,” Buning said.

Buning had help with preparing her gilt for youth show but the person who helped is a big part of her FFA time.

“I’ve learned my showmanship skills from Ashley Franco, she is a great friend and mentor and she helps me with everything I do,” Buning said.