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Siblings Cole (left) and Kenna (right) Coufal were successful at the 2020 Freestone County Livestock Show, including junior showmanship awards for their lamb projects. Photo by Mitchell Pate
Siblings Cole and Kenna Coufal work together as a team at home when they work with their animals, but when it comes to the show ring, they are very competitive against each other. They showed just how competitive they were this past week at the 2020 Freestone County Livestock Show.
Cole just finished his seventh grade year so this was his fifth county show. Kenna just finished her third grade year so this was her first county show. They both show their market projects through the Fairfield Junior FFA and their breeding projects through the Fairfield 4-H.
The Coufal siblings showed a lamb, goat, and swine at the county fair and racked up numerous awards throughout the week.
“We are a team, but I also want to win,” Kenna said. “Showing animals is super fun. It is a lot of work, but when I win, it feels really good.”
Cole helped his sister along this year in preparing for the county fair, but she took care of business in the show ring.
“We work together at home in raising our animals,” Cole said. “I want to win and beat my sister though when it comes to the show ring.”
On June 17, Cole showed his lamb, Bones, and Kenna showed her lamb, Horton. Cole won Class 5 and Kenna won Class 2 which put them both in the grand champion drive. Cole won Grand Champion with Bones and Kenna finished fourth overall with Horton.
When it came down to junior showmanship, Kenna won Grand Champion Junior Showman and Cole took Reserve Grand Champion Junior Showman.
Following the sheep show, Cole showed his goat, Target, and Kenna showed her goat, Peso. Cole took second in Class 6. Kenna finished third in Class 4. Cole ended up winning Reserve Grand Champion Goat with Target. Kenna finished fourteenth overall with Peso. The siblings were at it again with the junior showmanship. However, this time Cole came out on top with Grand Champion Junior Showman and Kenna took Reserve Grand Champion Junior Showman.
On June 19, Cole showed his swine, Vanna, and Kenna showed her swine, Maximus. Cole won Class 6 and Kenna won Class 3 which put them in the grand champion drive. Kenna won Grand Champion with Maximus and Cole finished in the top five as well with Vanna.
In showmanship, Cole won Grand Champion Junior Showman.
During the livestock sale on June 20, Cole sold his lamb, Bones, to Nelson Propane. Kenna sold her swine, Maximus, to Texas Farm Bureau.
When asked about how she plans to top her awards this year after her first county fair, Kenna was fast to respond, “I want to continue to win and beat my brother too although we do work together as a team too.”
“I want to continue to win as well,” Cole said. “Just because Kenna is my sister doesn’t mean that I am going to take it easy on her.”
Cole and Kenna work with animals year round with their parents. Usually, a county fair project takes about four to five months to raise for the county livestock show.
The siblings spend countless hours each day taking care of their animals.
They have to feed and water their animals daily in addition to exercising, cleaning the animals and their pens, and clipping their animals periodically.
“I also have to gain trust in my animals and my animals have to trust me too,” Kenna said. “To build that trust, I have to work with them and I also go in their pen to love on them.”
Besides the county fair, they also show at major shows, including Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and San Angelo. Cole is also a County Delegate for the Fairfield 4-H and plays football for the Eagles.
“Showing animals is a lot of fun and I love being competitive,” Cole said. “I love learning how to take care of livestock and crops.”
Cole and Kenna are the children of Dustin and Brigit Coufal. They also have a younger sister, Ella, who will be in Kindergarten in August, and can’t wait to start showing with her siblings in four years.