BELLE — While fairgoers often see the finished product when livestock enters the show ring, exhibitors know the work begins months before the Belle Fair opens its gates.

For Victoria Busch, preparing cattle is a daily commitment that requires patience, responsibility and dedication.

“We’re always down there at the barn working with them,” Busch said. “It really pays off to come here. They listen and we actually work with them every day.”

Busch said exhibitors begin building relationships with their animals long before fair week. She explained that her cattle are hand-fed and regularly handled so they would be comfortable around people.

“We hand feed them and everything like that to get them used to us, get them used to people and everything like that,” she said. “The last couple weeks we’ve been really tying them up, washing them, and making sure, walking them, making sure they know what to do.”

A veteran of livestock showings since her Pee Wee Showman days, Busch said 4-H offers valuable lessons for young people willing to put in the effort.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity,” she said. “You have a lot of responsibilities, and you have to have patience with your animal. Your animal can tell when you’re sad, upset, nervous — everything. You just got to be calm and know what you’re doing.”

Beyond caring for livestock, Busch said one of the most important lessons she has learned is how to build trust and confidence in animals.

“I’ve learned a lot by bonding with them,” she said. “When you come into our show barn, we have an area where they don’t see people, so we invite people over to see them. That way they get used to big crowds.”

She said they also expose their animals to everyday sounds to prepare them for the busy fair environment.

“We have the radio on for background noises, like the pigs or sheep, you know, they make noises, so they’re used to that stuff, so they’re not really scared when they get up here,” Busch said.

For Logan Stratman, this year’s fair was his first experience showing livestock. What started as helping with the cattle soon became something he looked forward to.

“It was more or less I started working with them, and then I kind of enjoyed it,” Stratman said. “So then I was like, I guess I’ll give it a try once.”

The experience pushed him outside his comfort zone and gave him a new appreciation for working with animals.

“I gave it a try, and it was fun,” Stratman said. “It was something new that got me out of my comfort zone.”

Like Busch, Stratman said one of the biggest takeaways has been learning how important it is to develop a relationship with livestock.

“It’s fun to bond with them because then they get used to you,” he said. “They’re kind of like dogs when you mess with them so much, because they just like you.”

While ribbons and awards may provide a form of visual validation, the program teaches responsibility, patience, confidence and strong work ethics. For many local youth, those lessons are among the most valuable rewards they take home from the fair each year.