WEST MEAD TOWNSHIP — WEST MEAD TOWNSHIP — Having gone from the highest of highs to a heart-wrenching low, the final hours of the Crawford County Fair today are a bit bittersweet for the Mattocks family.

The Mattocks brothers made history, learned significant life lessons and showed maturity and dedication uncommon for their years. But three temporary members of the family have moved on to fulfill their destiny.

All members of the Cross Trainers 4-H Club, brothers Tyler, 13, Camden, 11, and Huston, 9, each took first place in their respective beef classes, and on Wednesday night the three were among just a handful to make the final round of judging for top overall honors. Camden emerged with the title of champion market steer, making his cow, Gunther, the best of all cattle on the fairgrounds. Tyler won reserve champion market steer, making his cow, Maneater, the second best of all cattle on the fairgrounds.

The three Mattocks brothers’ appearance in the final round may well have been an historic first. Two siblings winning the top two Crawford County beef honors in one year is also very rare. It’s been 38 years since the last set of brothers won the top two spots in the same year and 20 years since two sisters won the top two in the same year.

By Friday, however, the family was preparing themselves for what they knew from past experience would be a difficult ending. Like much of the livestock raised by 4-H and FFA members and shown at the fair, Gunther, Maneater and Huston’s Maybe were auctioned off Friday night to the highest bidder and sent off to fulfill the purpose for which they were raised.

It’s one thing to know and understand that livestock is raised for the slaughter. It’s another to spend time with that livestock daily, feeding, grooming and training.

“I do feel bad for the cow when it’s time for them to fulfill their purpose,” said Huston on Friday afternoon. “They really develop a bond of sorts,” said the boys’ mother, Rebecca. “It’s a difficult ride home on Saturday.”

Life does go on, however. It will be unusually quiet at the Mattocks homestead in Chapmanville for a few weeks, and then three more cattle will arrive and the process will begin again. Huston’s already talking excitedly about the steer he has his eye on as his next project.

And that’s as it should be. Raising livestock is in his blood. A Mattocks has shown at the fair and gone through the livestock auction every one of its 47 years. The boys’ dad, Dustin, grew up on a farm, showed beef cattle with 4-H and maintains a cattle herd with his brothers. Dustin’s dad and uncles all have deep roots in agriculture and raising livestock. Members of the family founded Mattocks Five, which owns and operates farming and gardening supplies stores, including Meadville Farm and Garden.

Dustin was sure to get his boys involved in 4-H as he has found that the lessons learned through the program, beyond practical applications in agriculture, have broad applications to being a success in life.

The boys learn responsibility and dedication through the twice daily feedings of the cattle from about September through August and the careful grooming necessary for competition.

They’ve learned teamwork, to be good teachers and listeners, and have grown closer as brothers. For example, asked what he enjoys most about raising cattle, “my brothers are always helpful to me and when I do something wrong they always pick me back up,” said Huston.

They develop patience. Maybe and Maneater, for example, got those names for a reason. Explained Huston regarding his cow’s name: “Maybe he’ll walk or be good or maybe not!” Maneater never actually did eat one, but went through a period of extremely ill temper.

And through their 4-H Club, they’ve learned about developing relationship with others and much more. Cross Trainers, explained Dustin and Rebecca, was started last year and incorporates biblical principles such as ethical behavior, responsibility to oneself and others and hard work into its lessons. The club includes kids and families who raise goats, beef cattle, swine and lambs, and this year, in addition to Camden’s champion market steer win, club members won champion market goat and champion market lamb.

The culmination of each year’s work is the fair, with the challenge of showing animals, the highs of winning recognition and the mixed emotions that come at the auction.

It’s an unforgettable highlight.

“It’s a different adventure every time,” said Tyler, who showed his fifth cow this year and who won market champion in 2011 and 2009. “There is always something new,” agreed Camden, “I like showing. It’s fun and entertaining.”



Pat Bywater can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at pbywater@meadvilletribune.com.