By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

KENNARD –   For Addison Dowdy of Kennard, years of early mornings, cold washes, and long days in the barn paid off in a big way at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

Dowdy, a junior at Kennard High School, earned Champion Heifer Calf in the Other Recorded Breeds division with her heifer, RRF Princess 062N, on Jan. 24 at the 2026 show — one of the most prestigious junior livestock competitions in Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo brings together junior exhibitors from across the state, with nearly $272,000 in premiums awarded this year, including $35,900 in the Junior Breeding Heifer Show alone. Youth from more than 232 Texas counties compete annually through 4-H and FFA programs.

Dowdy said the win was both exciting and unexpected.

“I didn’t expect to win any of the divisions,” she said. “When they picked me, my heart just sank. I heard everybody screaming, and I was like, ‘This is not real.’ I was really shocked.”

The moment was made even sweeter after a stressful start to the show. Dowdy said her heifer broke loose overnight in the icy tie-out area, leaving her worried going into show day.

“It was really cold, it snowed, and we had really bad luck the whole time until Monday,” she said. “We were scared something had happened to her, but she was okay.”

Dowdy has been showing livestock for eight years and comes from a family deeply rooted in agriculture. She began by showing pigs before moving into cattle, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Alyssa Dowdy, who graduated in 2020.

“My grandpa raised cows for a long time,” Dowdy said. “A bunch of my friends started showing, and I told my dad I wanted to show, too. After my sister graduated, I just kind of took it on ever since.”

She currently shows Simmental and Simbrah cattle and is active in both Houston County 4-H and FFA, where she serves as a chapter officer. Although she once participated in school sports, Dowdy now focuses almost entirely on showing livestock.

Her daily routine reflects that commitment.

“We get up early and feed,” she said. “They have to be fed by 7 a.m. I separate them so they each get the right amount, then I go to school, then come home, wash them, blow-dry them, practice, walk them, and feed them again.”

Dowdy said the work is demanding, but worth it.

“It’s been worth it these past few years,” she said. “Once I started winning, it really made all that work feel worth it.”

In addition to Fort Worth, Dowdy regularly competes at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and is attending the San Antonio Stock Show for the first time this year. She has also competed nationally, traveling as far as Wisconsin and Nebraska for Simbrah breed shows.

After high school, Dowdy plans to attend veterinary technician school and continue working with animals.

Her family has been there every step of the way. Her father, Kenneth Dowdy, accompanies her to shows, while her mother, Kristi Dowdy, supports from home.

“My dad tears up and gets really excited,” she said. “My mom won’t believe it at first — she’s like, ‘No way, you didn’t win.’ My sister is even more excited than me, and my grandpa is my biggest supporter. He’s always so proud.”

Dowdy said moments like winning at Fort Worth make all the sacrifices worthwhile.

“Helping today’s youth become tomorrow’s leaders goes to the heart of what this show is about,” Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo President and General Manager Matt Carter said in a statement. “The experiences and lessons learned here are invaluable.”

For Dowdy, those lessons are already clear.

“It takes a lot of work,” she said. “But when it all comes together, there’s nothing like it.”

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]