Farm Show Means Svonavec Family Moves To Harrisburg
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
ROCKWOOD (Somerset Co.)
Heidi, Luke and Gabe Svo
navec need a caravan to haul all
the baggage and equipment when
they and their livestock head to the
Pennsylvania Farm Show. But
probably the animals need more
stuff than the owners do.
They’re showing lambs, pigs
and a steer.
Dave and Betty Lou Svo
navec’s three offshoots just grin
when their mother laments, “I
wish they showed the same thing.
I think the animals have far more
luggage than us,” obviously envi
sioning bags of feed, grooming
tools and hefty storage chests
before mentally organizing the
family itself, which headquarters
the better part of a week in a
motel.
The kids say they don’t mind all
the work involved to show their
animals at the Farm Show. They
have terrific fun, despite keeping
up with daily responsibilities.
For sheer personality, porkers
are 10-year-old Gabe’s favorite.
Luke, 13, prefers the challenge of
steers, while Heidi, IS, finds
lambs just right for controlability.
Yet, when the swine and sheep
shows get underway, all three
Svonavecs will be lined up to
show, unlike the steers where
none of Luke’s competition will
come from his siblings.
Heidi states flatly, “The steers I
have no way of controlling.’’
After joining the High Ridge
4-H at age nine, she knows by
now what she likes sheep. In
1995 she placed fourth and tenth
in the North American Interna
tional Livestock Exhibition in
Louisville, Kentucky; had the
grand champion at the Eastern
National Livestock Show, Timo
nium, Maryland; was in the Key
stone International Livestock
Exhibition, and had the grand
champion lamb at the Somerset
County Fair.
Then she showed breeding
stock for a family friend, Emmett
McMillen from Brush Valley,
Indiana County; at Dayton Fair,
Indiana Co. Fair and Keystone
International Livestock
Exposition.
“There are so many good lambs
out there, I think ‘Wow,’” she
says. “I always go in expecting to
learn something. Like at Louis
ville, I knew f didn’t have a
chance but you always have fun,”
she says.
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Her mom adds, “Going away
(to tougher competitions) has
made her better here. There’s so
much out there and it’s like being
a little fish in a big pond.”
At Show Lamb Camp, held at B
and B Livestock, Danville, Ohio,
Heidi has improved her tech
niques for showing and fitting, has
gotten the hang of giving shots,
and educated herself with knowl
edge about feeding and breeding
all the important components
that make a difference when it
counts in the show ring.
One event she will miss at this
year’s Farm Show is the square
dancing competition. For six years
she’s been whirled and twirled in
the big arena with other Somerset
County 4-Hers. Being a mere
spectator this time may stir some
sentimental feelings for the versa
tile teenager.
Anticipating her 16th birthday
next March and the subsequent
licensed driver privileges, Heidi
states that school perfoimance is
still her priority. “I’ve got to keep
my grades up,” she says.
Somehow, despite being a
cheerleader, school play cast
member, Rockwood FFA mem
ber, cooking teacher of the learn
ing disabled through the Interme
diate Unit-8, and conducting ag
science, water testing projects in
the hydroponic greenhouse, she
manages to stay t v n the honor roll.
Luke is ready .0 exert his con
trol over a 1,300 pound steer that
he’s been walking a mile each day
regardless of the weather to keep
its weight correct. Additionally,
he’s bedn closely monitoring the
amount of feed the steer eats.
The youth is acquiring a confi
dence that took some time and
experience. Earlier, when show
ing lambs he recalls, “I was afraid
my lamb would get away and I
wouldn’t be able to catch it”
Now, however, he’s learned
that concentration matters the
most. “I don’t look at the audi
ence, I look at the judge and con
centrate. The worst thing,” he
says, “would be to lose control
and have someone getting hurt.”
One thing about a steer, he’ll
consume a lot of feed in 11
months and a fellow can depend
on forking out some big bucks to
support the animal’s eating habits.
Of course, there’s the lighter
side, like the quip on one of
Luke’s shirts that somebody gave
to him when he was showing
sheep in Louisville. “I used to
Gate Svonavec stands with a pen of pigs he will take to the Farm Show. He will
show a lamb, too.
have money,” it says, “now I show
steers.”
A cute joke that’s pretty accu
rate when the family compares the
differfence in rounding out a steer
and a lamb.
The vaccinated and tagged steer
was shown earlier in Washington
County and also at the Dayton
Fair.
With his hog Luke has placed in
the upper class and is anticipating
the possibility of a sale when the
champions are sold on Thursday.
The Rockwood eighth grader
and FFA member as well as ski
club and soccer player, at the
Somerset County Agricultural
Fair, has had two reserve grand
champion lambs.
The Svonavecs* pigs did well in
the past at the winter Farm Show,
at least in “rate of gain” where all
three were placed in the top six.
Unlike his sister and brother,
Gabe attends the St. Peter’s
Catholic School in Somerset. He’s
in fourth grade.
Recently, he’s been taking vio
lin lessons. He says the instrument
reminds him of a fiddle. Gabe
definitely fancies the fiddle. And
since Luke has no string teacher at
school, and therefore doesn’t play
his violin any more, it has come in
handy for the youngest family
member.
(Turn to Pago Al 9)
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dacambar 30, 1995-Al7
Luke Svonavec will show this steer plus a pig and a lamb.
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