Waterloo County 4-H team shines at the Royal Winter Fair
- Gary West
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
By Gary West
The Waterloo County 4-H Dairy Classic Team returned from the 103rd Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto with strong results and memories they say will last a lifetime.
Members spent the summer and fall competing at major fairs and exhibitions, gaining skills as their projects grew and benefiting from the guidance of experienced 4-H leaders. Among those leaders was longtime volunteer Val Jones who, along with her husband, Shane, helped mentor the team. Their three sons previously showed dairy heifers at the Royal and today remain active in Waterloo Region agriculture.
Jones, who served as a parent chaperone at this year’s Classic, said she could not be more proud of the team’s efforts.
“The Waterloo County leaders couldn’t be happier for the members who competed this year,” she said.
This year’s results included:
Donny Martin – 1st Senior Showman; 4th Junior Yearling Calf (conformation)
Devin Martin – 5th Intermediate Showman
Aiden VanBergeijk – 12th Summer Yearling
Colton Martin – 14th Senior Calf
Thomas Metzger – 21st Intermediate Calf
Aaron Henhoffer – 25th Senior Showman; 18th with his calf
Kelly Stere – 9th Senior Calf
With nearly 350 4-H members from across Canada competing, Waterloo Region placed 5th with their group of three calves and finished 10th in the best barn exhibit competition.
Local leaders continue to guide 4-H members from age 10 to 21 and often follow their careers long after they age out of the program. Many alumni go on to contribute to agriculture in Waterloo Region and beyond.
The Waterloo County Dairy Classic members at the 2025 Royal included Kaila VanBergeijk, Aiden VanBergeijk, Kelly Stere, Thomas Metzger, Devin Martin, Colton Martin, Aaron Henhoffer, Donny
Comments