A group of busy Watsons living in Sapulpa stormed both the County and Tulsa State Fair with their photos and an army of chickens and left with a menagerie of colored ribbons representing Sapulpa and the Creek County 4-H club.
“I can learn how things work and how to take care of animals, and then I can teach other people how to do the same things,” said Addison Watson on the most important lessons she is learning as a 4-H member.
The Watson Clan featuring the previously mentioned Addison (AKA Addie), her brother Conor, and younger sister Charlie Jane are very active in the local 4-H club (specializing in poultry and archery) and the Watson girls are both members of the Girl Scouts of America. Addie, as a part of Hardesty BMX, also decided to put an exclamation mark on all of their wins with a third-place finish.
The little chicken whisperers brought their A-game at the County Fair, with Addie taking home Reserve Best of Breed in the Pullet Chain. The Pullet Chain is a program within the 4-H that tasks the future farmers of raising and breeding Pullets, young hens, and then showing them off both as show animals and all the documentation from beginning to end. In most Pullet Chains, the Pullet that was entered is auctioned off and the money is used to help fund the club, and the 4-Hers get to keep the other chicks and hens for future projects.
Addie also won in the open show Grand, Best of Breed, and a second place spot for her Delaware Pullet. She also had an Easter Egger, known for their colorful eggs resembling their namesake, win Reserve.
Conor won Grand with a Leghorn Pullet in a Pullet Chain and took home Grand and Best of Breed in the open show.
Lastly, little Charlie Jane, who is 6 years of age, took a second, fourth, and fifth for her Buff Orpington Pullets.
Addie didn’t stop at the County Fair, with four of her other projects winning first place and were entered into the State Fair. Her “Egg Poster” which diagrammed the parts of an egg placed fourth at the State level and one of three photography projects took a blue ribbon.
Her project consisted of photos of carving pumpkins with her younger siblings, chronicling the smiles and icky parts that are fall pumpkins.
Addie is participating in her second year in 4-H and seems to have a bright future in the works. She said she joined because her Mom, “PawPaw,” cousins, and aunts and uncles were all in the club growing up.
“I like learning about how to make things and then sometimes I get ribbons for making it,” she answered on why she has a passion for the work.
She really enjoys the fair, mainly the rides, ponies, and petting zoo. When she was asked will she be showing and entering projects next year, she resounded with a one-word answer, “Yes!”
The whole family is looking forward to seeing what the future may come and they even have a future potential chicken wrangler with their youngest, Dax, who is sure to take the spotlight as soon as he can.
