Moooving along: A young competitor parades his competition bovine for judging during last year’s Sonny Brazil Classic held at the Sonny Brazil Ag Complex located on Veterans Memorial Academy grounds. (San Benito News/Ray Quiroga)
By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
The Sonny Brazil Classic is slated to return to San Benito for its 14th year on Jan. 25.
There will be four classes, Senior, Intermediate, Junior, and Peewee. The winning titles will be Overall Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion, Breed Champions, and Champion Showmen. Hogs, lambs, goats, heifers, and steers can enter the competition.
According to the event’s rules, the Pewee category does not include cattle, boars are not permitted to enter the event and an ¼ inch shear must be used for steers.
This event aims to prepare participants for the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show Rodeo in Mercedes by giving them firsthand experience and feedback on their animals.
“It lets them know where their animals are before the shows coming up…The judge will give them insight and tell them ‘Your animal is lacking this,’ it’s a good benchmark to tell where their animals are before the big show in Mercedes,” said Micheal Robles, one of the organizers for the event.
Recently, the Sonny Brazil Booster Club helped with the Greyhound Showdown, another prospect show. According to Robles. the Classic is managed solely by the Sonny Brazil Booster Club, San Benito High School FFA program support group, and acts as a fundraiser for the organization.
Robles said contestants are expected to display showmanship and that the animals are walking correctly, maintain focus on the judges, and ensure their animals are properly groomed and bathed.
“They need to show that they’ve been working with their animal,” said Robles. He emphasized a lack of direction is extremely noticeable in the animals, and the judges need to see composure in the livestock to judge properly.
The Sonny Brazil Booster Club Facebook page states that Cory Raines will judge hogs, Sierra Nauman will judge lamb and goats and Austin Nauman will judge cattle. All of the judges have a background in livestock.
According to Robles, the Sonny Brazil Booster Club was named after the influential San Benito High School ag instructor of the same name. His legacy also lives on through the agricultural complex, named in his honor.
“It’s a homage to him and all the time and effort he put into San Benito Future Farmers of America [FFA],” said Robles.
Participants are welcome to sign up until the day of the event. The entrance fee is $40 and must be paid in cash. Participants must bring dividers and bedding. The grounds open at 6 a.m. and weigh-in is from 7-9 a.m. for hogs, lambs, goats, and heifers. Steers weigh-in will be from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Concessions and tack trailers will be available on site.
The event will be at the Sonny Brazil Agricultural Complex, located at 2115 North Oscar Williams Road, San Benito.
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