Gail Billings got her first working steer in 1991, as a Christmas gift from her husband, Chris.
The small bull calf was only three days old, but he ended up leading her into a new pastime.
In 2013 at the encouragement of her grandson, Billings joined a working steer group out of Fairlee. The next year she founded the Hooves ’n’ Horns 4-H Club, based in her hometown of Randolph.
Since then, Billings has worked with about 20 children, teaching them to raise their steers, as well as public speaking skills, tolerance, camaraderie and sportsmanship.
She most enjoys watching the increase in the young teamsters’ confidence.
“Once their confidence grows, their skills grow,” Billings said.
She pointed to her student Krystin Skoda as an example: She was shy about driving the steers at first and didn’t want to raise her voice, when she was 14, but after much practice, “instructors were blown away it was the same girl,” Billings said.
In competition, the teamsters and steers are judged on how well the animals stand up to others of the same breed, and are judged on cleanliness, conditioning and the teamsters’ knowledge of their steers and how well they work with them. Teamsters are timed in hitching their team to a cart, and must negotiate an obstacle course. Teams also must pull a weight on a stone boat.
The ultimate goal for competitors is to qualify for the Eastern States Exposition, the Big E, where the teamsters will represent the state of Vermont in competition with 4-hers from the five other New England states.