The steer slipped his head through the metal fencing and turned his liquid, brown eyes on Hollister resident Ali Perry.
Perry, age 15 and from the Pacheco 4-H Club, has washed, fed and exercised the 1.5-year-old steer she calls “Buddy Boy” for almost 11 months in preparing for the San Benito County Fair this weekend.
“He’s my steer that has the most personality,” Perry said. “He’s like a 2-year-old. He likes to get into everything.”
This weekend, “Buddy Boy”—who weighs a hefty 1,200 pounds—will compete in the show of his life before going up for auction at the fair, which runs Oct. 1-4 at Bolado Park in Tres Pinos.
Until then, the steer has been spending time in a pen near Perry’s heifer—a term referring to young female cattle—at the same site as her pig “Gigi,” which stands for “Glamour Gilt.” It refers to the swine’s “very girly” and “social” personality and her status as a “gilt” or young female pig, Perry said.
Her three animals live at the 4-H Youth Development Center located off Nash Road. At the peak time, the barn held about 20 to 30 pigs, 15 lambs and 10 goats this summer, Perry explained. San Benito County’s fair is the latest in the area—following ones in Santa Cruz and King City—so there are fewer animals now.
Of the club members with large animals, almost all of them keep their livestock here, said Club Leader Susan Stricker.
“I think our club has 16 or 17 pigs going into this fair,” she said. “And then, of course, there’s lambs and stuff.”
Perry, who was initially shy, has grown into leadership roles in the club where she is the teen leader of the swine and beef projects, and mentors less-experienced members. She is also a participant in the leadership, shooting sports—where participants learn gun safety and shoot targets—and sheep and goats projects.
“I think she’s a little bit on the shy side but I’ve seen her grow a lot in the last three years,” Stricker said. “We see that a lot in our program.”
At a club level, Perry has taken the role of secretary. She’s also a Bolado Park Event Center Youth Ambassador, which means she will take a leadership role at events including the junior rodeo and fair.
“She’s just a really good kid,” the club leader said. “She’s one of those kids if you need something, she never says no.”
A natural helper, Perry wore a knee brace Monday afternoon, after she had popped it out of place while helping a friend with her lamb at the Santa Cruz County Fair earlier this month.
“Told you she’s a helper, even if it means hurting herself,” Stricker said.
Perry makes two trips a day to the barn—one at 7 a.m. and a second at 5 p.m.— to care for her charges and prepare for show day. She belongs to the Future Farmers of America chapter at San Benito High School, but shows her animals through 4-H, she said. Perry started showing through 4-H when she was still too young to participate in FFA and now many of her friends aren’t old enough to participate in the other program, she said.
“I like being around farm animals,” Perry said. “I also like helping other people, other kids.”
In addition to her barn duties, Perry takes advanced placement, or college level, classes and manages an impressive 3.7 grade-point average. Participating in 4-H fits her career goals as Perry plans to pursue a major in agribusiness before becoming a large animal veterinarian or technician.
“I’ve loved every animal that I’ve had,” she said. “I’ve loved the learning experience and just meeting new people through 4-H.”
