L to R; The NDSU Saddle and Sirloin club’s Little International royalty and management team includes manager Jade Koski, princess Josi Solsaa, queen Kylie Hildre, princess Kristin Schaaf and assistant manager Kell Helmuth. (NDSU photo)
FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota State University Saddle and Sirloin Club will host the 97th Little International on Feb. 10-11.
“The Little International livestock show is the largest student-run event on the NDSU campus, involving more than 300 students,” said Jade Koski, Little I manager and NDSU senior in animal sciences from Wing, North Dakota. “The show features showmanship classes of beef, dairy, sheep and swine as well as ham curing and public speaking contests. This year, we will also be adding goats to our list of showmanship classes.”
Audience members at Little I will be able to see this year’s theme, Leaving a Legacy, in action as participants strive to leave their mark on both NDSU and the Saddle and Sirloin Club. In addition, the club recognizes their Agriculturist of the Year for the legacy they have left on North Dakota agriculture.
This year’s Agriculturists of the Year are Dean and Paula Swenson of Walcott, North Dakota. The Swensons will be recognized at the Feb. 10 Hall of Fame Banquet at the Sanctuary Events Center.
The Saddle and Sirloin Club also selects three women to represent the organization as Little I Royalty. This year’s queen is senior nursing major Kylie Hildre of Velva, North Dakota. Princesses are junior animal science major Josi Solsaa of Watertown, South Dakota, and senior accounting major Kristin Schaff of Glen Ullin, North Dakota. The Little I management team includes Koski and Kell Helmuth, a junior microbiology major from Watford City, North Dakota.
Those attending the Feb. 11 show will have the opportunity to participate in the Ham Curing Auction, a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction.
Livestock showmanship preliminaries begin at 8 a.m. Feb. 11 at NDSU’s Shepperd Arena. Showmanship finals begin at 5 p.m.
