NJSA would like to congratulate Maddie Caldwell, 13, of Elmwood, Illinois as an NJSA youth spotlight member.  Maddie Caldwell is the daughter of Todd and Kim Caldwell and has a younger sister Olivia and a younger brother Cole.  Maddie attends Elmwood Jr. High School and is in 8th grade.  In school, Maddie is involved on the Varsity Cheer Squad along with FFA and 4-H.  Out of school Maddie spends time working with her pigs, being with her family, and baking.

Maddie has been showing pigs for 4 years, with her first show being her local 4-H show.  Since then she has added many more shows to her resume including, the National Western in Denver, World Pork Expo, and National Junior Summer Spectacular.  Of the shows, Denver is her favorite because of all of the friends she has that show there along with the feeling of starting the show season off fresh in the new year and just the size and location of the show.  When asked about what she likes about showing pigs Maddie says, “meeting new people and making new friends, and getting to teach others about what I do.”

Maddie has been an NJSA member for 3 years, and she can thank her fellow showman for her joining.  She shows on the Jackpot circuit in Illinois and overheard other showman talking about NJSS and NJSA and urged her to join.  Since joining NJSA, Maddie’s most memorable moment has been winning Denver showmanship as the youngest intermediate showman in the pen saying it was “an awesome feeling.”  With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Maddie’s favorite contest is showmanship.  She likes that competiveness of the contest, and that it comes down to your ability to show and present your hog, not just on how good your hog is put together or whether you have memorized information about the industry.  Aside from her showmanship wins, Maddie has also had the champion Duroc gilt at Denver, numerous 4-H gilt wins, along with being the high point gilt exhibitor in Illinois.

As a fellow NJSA member, Maddie wants the youth to “just have fun with [NJSA], make as many friends as you can, it leads you to know people across the country.”  Of the four NSR breeds, Maddie’s favorite proves to be the Duroc for numerous reasons including the hair color and her lifetime involvement with the breed, but the main reason is their laid back, easy going attitude.

Maddie hopes to one day be involved with the medical field, with her family definitely remaining involved with the livestock industry.  As a final word, Maddie would like to thank Ben Bobell, Brandon Ogle, and Travis Platt.

The NJSA would like to congratulate Maddie on being such an outstanding role model and NSJA member, and wish her the best of luck at all of her future endeavors and shows!

Submitted by Cassie Holloway, 2011 NJSA Intern