The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Tribal Councilman Dominic Messerly and Event Announcer Kenneth "Tuffy" Helgeson opened the inaugural Fort Belknap 4-H Livestock Sale with an honor song in the heart of Lodge Pole for Nakoda Aaniiih's first Fort Belknap 4-H Fair earlier this month.

Leader of the Lucky Charms 4-H Club, Jennifer Perez Cole wished to thank the Wasay Wakpa committee and the local community for hosting the fair in what she called "the most beautiful setting."

In hog showmanship results, Senior Showmanship Grand Champion was Treyten Stiffarm, while Lyle Stiffarm, Jr won Junior Showmanship Grand Champion honors and Jazlyn Flansburg captured Junior Showmanship Reserve Grand Champion. Pre-Junior Showmanship Grand Champion was Tahlia Walker. The market hog auction followed showmanship.

"We held the auction on Friday evening, and the club members were in hog heaven! Their hogs sold for anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000! That's a lot of money for school clothes," Perez Cole exclaimed.

Lance Snow's Grand Champion Hog sold to Intertribal Agriculture Council for $18/pound, and Emma Cole's Reserve Grand Champion Hog also sold to Intertribal Agriculture Council for $14.00/lb.

The balance of the hogs were blue ribbon winners, and they brought equally large bids from auctioneer Cliff Rustad with the help of sale announcer Helgeson:

• Mason LoneBear: Island Mountain Development Group, $14.00/lb

• Jazlyn Flansburg: Fort Belknap Indian Community, $15.50/lb

• Lyle Stiffarm, Jr.: Nakoda Aaniiih Credit Agency, $13.50/lb

• Tahlia Walker: Intertribal Agriculture Council, $15.00/lb

• Kataya Flansburg: Island Mountain Group, $11.50/lb

• Treyten Stiffarm: Intertribal Agriculture Council, $11.00/lb

• Alex Werk: Intertribal Agriculture Council, $15.50/lb

• Frank Cole: Island Mountain Development Group, $13.50/lb

Intertribal Agriculture Council donated all five hogs back to auction off to support future Fort Belknap 4-H Fairs. $2,978.75 in additional funds were raised from local bidders: Tanner and Caitlin Anderson, Wasay Wakpa Rodeo Committee, Larry and Michelle Smith, and Liz and Toby Werk.

"I'm extremely proud of all twenty of our members, our 4-H families, Fort Belknap MSU Extension, and everyone else who worked together to make our tribe's first reservation fair a reality and an amazing success. The generous support of the livestock buyers was astonishing! The $14.15 per pound average received for ten market hogs must be some kind of record," Perez Cole stated.

Perez Cole also reported that the fair was a major jump start to their goal of expanding 4-H reservation-wide. She encourages interested adult volunteers to contact the Fort Belknap Extension Office at 406-353-2656 so that they can form and lead new clubs in the Hays, Lodge Pole, and Fort Belknap Agency communities. New members would need to get enrolled before the next project year, which begins October 1. The Lucky Charms 4-H Club was established in October 2016 through Phillips County Extension and then transferred to Fort Belknap Extension this past spring.

Perez Cole extended "a huge thank you" to hog wranglers Skip Cole, Pat Ditmar and Toby Werk and to everyone else who came and supported the fair and 4-H youth, especially Blaine County Commissioner Miles Hutton who attended the fair and Blaine County Extension Agent Juli Snedigar who watched the Showmanship/Market Judging.

"Our Showmanship and Market Judge, Caitlin Smith Anderson was also amazing. She was positive, shared her knowledge, and gave constructive feedback to help the 4-H youth learn and grow," Perez Cole added.

Prior to the auction, the tribe and Lucky Charms 4-H Club recognized both Fort Belknap Extension Agent Liz Werk and the family of longtime Extension Agent, the late Don Addy, for their service to Fort Belknap and gifted them with Pendleton blankets.