Island teen named top junior dairy showman in the country

by Kathy Birt

Porter Weeks of Springfield, P.E.I., was always eager to show cattle at fairs. In fact, he began doing just that at a very early age. “I was showing at Old Home Week since I was seven,” he said, referring to the annual Charlottetown summertime fair.

Now at 14 years of age, and with many wins at local fairs to his credit, he is proud to show off his awards from the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto in November.

At the Royal, he competed in the Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic. A total of 336 4-Hers from P.E.I., New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario took part in the three-day event, which was held from Nov. 3-5, with 4-H members competing individually in both showmanship and conformation categories.

Porter, who competed in the Dairy Classic for the first time in 2018 without any wins, was named the champion junior showperson at the 2019 event. The junior division is for those aged 12 to 14.

According to his father, former dairy farmer Kent Weeks, there were 120 4-Hers in the junior division competing in heats.

“Last year, Porter didn’t make the cut, but did this year and he won the final heat,” said Kent proudly. “It’s quite a thing and not easy to do.”

Porter also had a win in the conformation classes, placing first in the Holstein senior heifer division for heifers born in September, October, and November 2018. The animal he showed is Hi-Calibre Goldchip Ariel.

Getting to this point meant hard work and consistency on Porter’s part. To be selected to go to the Royal means showing at the local level and qualifying. Once that hurdle is past, it’s all about gearing up for the big competition.

The heifer that Porter won with – Hi-Calibre Goldchip Ariel – was bought as a young calf early in 2019 from Nova Scotia dairy farmer Alex Brown. He is a partner in cow ownership with the Weeks farm and always seems to have a steady supply. “He and Porter have worked together for four to five years,” said Kent.

Porter is the eldest of four brothers, all of whom get up early to do chores. “I’ve been doing farm chores since I was seven,” he said.

Porter, who is quiet and humble, talked about the very first calf he showed at the same age. “It was a September calf and I showed it at the 4-H achievement day and came second,” he said.

The following year, when only eight years old, Porter was off to a fair in Fredericton and managed another second-place finish there. “I showed every year after that since I joined 4-H and won in my class two or three times,” he said, adding that his father and cousin Kyle Bouma have coached him in showmanship, which includes grooming and leading. “I rinse the cow every night and lead about three times a week to get better at it.”

Bouma, who is 21, also had a win in the conformation classes at the Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic in November. He placed first in the Holstein summer yearling division for animals born from June 1-Aug. 31, 2018. Fellow Atlantic Canadian, Hayley Cox of Mabou, N.S., won the Holstein junior yearling competition for animals born from March 1-May 31, 2018. And Caleb McCurdy of Clifton, N.S., showed the champion Ayrshire at the Classic.

Another of Porter’s cousins, Connor Mann, who’s had previous wins at the Royal, often teams up with Porter to show at local events. Working with his cousin, along with his father’s constant guidance and encouragement, seems to motivate Porter.

While Kent Weeks no longer has milk cows, he operates a hoof trimming business and keeps about 40 replacement heifers. “We always show our own cows,” he said, making it obvious that he and Porter work as a team in that respect.

“A good feeding regime is important to get a good body look,” said Kent, adding that each animal has a different feeding regime depending on its body conditioning. “Some we do feed three times a day.” Although Kent noted that finding good feed isn’t easy, he currently has an established supplier in Albany.

Porter noted that one basic principal of showing cattle is to always make sure the animal’s throat is up. “And when backing up with the cow, you have to walk straight and not cross your legs, and you have to be able to always make eye contact with the judges,” he said, adding that it’s important to be in sync with the animal … a feat that takes much repetition.

“He builds a really good connection (with the animals) because he spends so much time with them,” said Kent.

As for grooming, Kent noted that a show animal’s hair has to be clipped to highlight the ribs. “It’s a characteristic of dairy cows to be highlighted,” he said. Porter said he does some clipping with his cousin Kyle helping out. The hooves also have to be nicely trimmed and that is left up to his dad. But, said Kent, “They do all the other work.”

Summing up what his win at the Royal means, Porter said, “It was awesome – a great experience. I don’t think I’ll ever do it again. But I’ll try.”