SAN ANGELO, Texas — While foot traffic at Housley Communications Cattle Barn was at its peak for the 2024 San Angelo Stock Show, Lydia and Haddie Williams finally had a chance to rest.
The sisters arrived at the stock show from Avery, Texas, Wednesday morning - a roughly seven-hour drive. Lydia will show her heifers, Lou and Caddy, while Haddie will show her heifer, Luna, Thursday.
Both sisters hope to win prizes but said they want to enjoy the experience of competition. Haddie said she expects Luna to cooperate well during the event.
"I mean, she leads pretty good," Haddie said. "And if you stand too close to her during the show arena, she definitely will lick you to death."
Lydia - a senior at Prairiland High School - has shown heifers since she was in first grade. She called showing animals her sport of choice, comparing it to students her age playing volleyball or basketball. She also said she enjoys competing alongside her sister, who is five years younger than her.
"It's fun. It's very tiresome. I get tired of her a lot of the time," she said jokingly.
Both sisters said many hours have gone into preparing the animals for the stock show. It's not always the most fun, Haddie said, but the two enjoy the process. Wednesday, they focused on unloading the heifers and getting them ready for the next morning.
The San Angelo Stock Show will continue through Feb. 18. Heifers will be shown Wednesday and Thursday, and again Saturday and Sunday.