In a smaller arena Saturday afternoon at the Callaway Youth Expo, a man asks a young boy if he can tell him something about his goat.
The boy responds, "I'm actually not sure," which brings laughter out of the audience watching the children's small animal show.
The showcase for the smallest animals at the expo was one of the events that wrapped up the fifth and final day of the expo. It was the culmination of months of work put in by local 4-H and FFA members.
Chickens, dogs, goats and rabbits flocked to the arena with their owners, who shared their furry and feathered friends' names and hobbies. In the evening, children sold animals at the livestock and ham sale.
Even though the scale of the show was much smaller than previous ones on the schedule, the expo brought a large amount of people to Auxvasse during the week and into the weekend, expo Vice President Stacie Smithee said.
Smithee has been involved with the expo for about four years, but her children have been involved with 4-H even longer. She said there was a "larger than ever" turnout at the sheep and goat show Wednesday and noticed there was a good amount of people at the swine show Thursday. The interviews and demonstrations the children gave Wednesday were also a highlight of the expo, Smithee said.
Shows that happened during the previous days were more competitive, she said, but children ages 3-8 got to have fun Saturday showing whatever animals "smaller than a cow" they had. Shows like Saturday's can spark an interest for younger children in organizations like 4-H and FFA, who can then join when they're of age. Smithee said children then come back years down the road to participate in the more competitive shows, which teach valuable skills they can use in the future.
"It gives them responsibility, exposure to talking in front of people and presenting their hard work to other people," Smithee said.
When these children grow older, they should have lifetime skills and also some new friends, she said. While many shows are competitive at the expo and also at other area events like county and state fairs, Smithee said the atmosphere is still friendly and cordial.
Smithee's daughter, Jaden, is part of 4-H and has been showing horses for seven years. She's in her second year of showing sheep, including some sheep she brought for show and a lamb for sale to the expo this year.
Jaden said there are challenges preparing animals for show in the months leading up to the events, particularly when it comes to feeding them so they grow out. It just takes a long time, she said, but the day of events can feel like time is rushing by. Jaden said there is still more to do when it comes to grooming the animals - like when she has to shear her sheep - so she almost feels like she doesn't have enough time.
Other than the expo, Jaden also shows animals at fairs in Audrain County and Centralia. Her time spent at these events has been beneficial, she said, because of all the people she has interacted with.
"I like meeting new people and new friends," Jaden said.