Make showmanship fun!
by Kirsten Franks
(Central California, USA)
My name is Kirsten and I am in high school. I have always loved chickens whether they are my show project or just backyard pets. Chickens are one of my favorite animals. Over the years I have learned that when you take the stress away from showing and more importantly showmanship you can really allow yourself to gain knowledge. When you are super stressed about winning or whatever is nagging you in the back of your mind, you tend to forget things which makes your worries worse. You have to understand that showmanship should be a chance to learn new things and expand on what you already know. Don't think about is as a series of complicated steps or a competition with a group of others, think about it as a time to learn and get to know more about the wonderful world of chickens. Learn from your mistakes. If you didn't answer a question correctly, go home and research and come back with more knowledge. Whatever you do, learn to compete with yourself and not others. Showmanship isn't about winning or ribbons it's about getting to know more about chickens and bettering your own show skills because you will learn all of the tips and tricks along the way.
