COEUR d'ALENE — Amanda Deeds is one of four Kootenai County moms who organized the 208 Qualifier, a livestock competition going on this weekend at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

Kids can enter any of four species to win in three categories: breeding, market and showmanship. Spectators can attend for free.

When Alex Deeds' wife first told him he would be doing volunteer work with 4-H, he didn’t really understand it, and was a bit of a “reluctant hero.” But, as he watched his kids engage and got more involved in things like the qualifier, he fell in love with his volunteer position.

“The kids love it,” Amanda Deeds said, “[Alex] saw how much it teaches them and how excited they get, the work that they put in. Maybe it’s only for those 10 minutes in the ring, but they put in countless hours, because it means something to them.”

The four women spearheading the show are Amanda Deeds, Megan Ost, Mary Gronley and Hanna Smith. They collaborate, enlist husbands to help and coordinate a team of about 20 other volunteers to bring the show to fruition.

“There’s such a need around here," Amanda Deeds said. "We have to travel far for them, so Megan Ost came up with the idea. Then we could give not only our kids but other kids an opportunity.”

The Deeds, like many competitors, have traveled to Arizona, Texas, California or Colorado for shows, so having a local venue to showcase livestock and talent made sense. The Coeur d’Alene 4-H community is bigger than Boise’s, but hasn’t traditionally had its own shows, despite the size and access to the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, Alex Deeds said.

“We get really good support, and animals go for a lot more up here. All over the Western U.S., people are talking about how good the Kootenai livestock community is,” said Alex Deeds. “But we never had shows.”

So to answer that demand and provide resources for kids, the organizers started a 501(c)(3) for the 208 Qualifier. Money remaining at the end of the show, after cutting checks to the entrants, goes to kids competing in the following year’s show.

Reputable judges are flown in to bring legitimacy.

“Having good judges is how you draw people from other places,” Alex Deeds said. “We have people coming from Arizona from California. It’s not just 20 people bringing their animals here.”

Businesses can sponsor the event to cover operational costs, and all of the registration fees from the competitors or surplus funds go toward the kids who compete, either in the form of a check, cash winnings, prizes or sometimes to help with expenses. Winners will get to take a helicopter flight provided by Lohman Helicopter.

New this year, exhibitors will showcase female animals in a ladies night, where the lights go dim around a show pen for a light show extravaganza while a DJ plays music as the contestants strut the ring.

“It always gets bigger, because we always have big ideas,” said Megan Ost, founding organizer. “The 208 Qualifier was born from the idea of being a pre-qualifier for all of the shows coming up. It was just a group of moms that thought we need to give our kids more opportunities to present their animals and to get them shown.”

Now in its second year, the jackpot-style kid's show has more than 700 entries and 200 exhibitors competing for prize money, ribbons, belt buckles and more in a qualifier to kick off the official livestock show season.

One of the next shows, at about three times the size of the 208 Qualifier, will be the Kootenai Classic, another fan favorite for competitors. The Kootenai Classic on June 15-18 will be a bigger and more formal show where animals will be auctioned on the lawn of the Hayden Lake Country Club, with a country music performance by Tyler Farr scheduled.

Afton Gnesa, 6, has been showing since she was 2 years old, in “all the places” like California, Arizona and Colorado, but the 208 Qualifier is her favorite show. And the Kootenai Classic is her mom’s favorite show.

“I like seeing the new places,” Afton said. “It’s fun and you get to learn.”

Through 4-H, kids learn a broad range of life skills, like being goal-oriented, ambitious, responsible and accountable.

“4-H is such a great program for youth development,” Ost said. “It teaches you work ethic and sportsmanship. And just the hard work of preparing for high-level competition."

Schedule

8 a.m. Saturday morning — sheep and goat showmanship, followed by jackpot classes

6 p.m. Saturday night — Ladies Night, hog and cattle

8 a.m. Sunday morning — hog and cattle showmanship, followed by jackpot classes