| 1 | 1 | | 23 LC 127 0359 |
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| 2 | 2 | | H. R. 689 |
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| 3 | 3 | | - 1 - |
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| 4 | 4 | | House Resolution 689 |
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| 5 | 5 | | By: Representative Leverett of the 123 |
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| 6 | 6 | | rd |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 9 | 9 | | Recognizing and congratulating Leah Higginbotham; and for other purposes. |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1 |
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| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Leah Higginbotham is currently a freshman at Elbert County Comprehensive2 |
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| 12 | 12 | | High School; and3 |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Leah began showing dairy heifers in the fourth grade; and4 |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Leah is now a freshman member of the Elbert County High School FFA Dairy5 |
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| 15 | 15 | | Show Team; and6 |
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| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Leah has also competed for Elbert County 4-H; and7 |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, 2022 marked the 25th Anniversary of the Georgia Commercial Dairy Heifer8 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Show at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry; and9 |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, despite her young age, Leah has participated for several years in the Georgia10 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Commercial Dairy Heifer Show; and11 23 LC 127 0359 |
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| 21 | 21 | | H. R. 689 |
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| 22 | 22 | | - 2 - |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, the Georgia Commercial Dairy Heifer Show was started in 1997 by University |
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| 24 | 24 | | 12 |
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| 25 | 25 | | of Georgia Animal and Dairy Science Professors Larry Guthrie and Mark McCann to spark13 |
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| 26 | 26 | | students' interest in dairy production; and14 |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, in the Georgia Commercial Dairy Heifer Circuit, middle and high school15 |
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| 28 | 28 | | students are allowed to borrow a dairy heifer from a commercial dairy farmer, provide daily16 |
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| 29 | 29 | | care and grooming for the animal, train the animal for show, and then, at the end of the17 |
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| 30 | 30 | | season, return the animal to the commercial dairy farm; and18 |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, participation in the Georgia Commercial Dairy Heifer Shows now averages 25019 |
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| 32 | 32 | | student exhibitors and up to 300 commercial heifers; and20 |
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| 33 | 33 | | WHEREAS, in 2019 and again in 2022, Leah won 1st place Showmanship belt buckles at21 |
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| 34 | 34 | | the Georgia National Fair Junior Commercial Dairy Show; and22 |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, at the 2022 Georgia National Fair, Leah Higginbotham and her Holstein,23 |
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| 36 | 36 | | Willow, garnered numerous high honors, including 2nd place in grade Showmanship, 1st24 |
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| 37 | 37 | | place in the heaviest weight class, 1st place in Division, and, ultimately, Grand Champion25 |
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| 38 | 38 | | overall; and26 |
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| 39 | 39 | | WHEREAS, at 15 months old, Willow weighed in at 1,015 pounds; and27 |
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| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, in 2023, at the Georgia Junior Nationals state finals, Leah continued her streak28 |
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| 41 | 41 | | of awards and won 1st place in ninth grade showmanship; and29 |
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| 42 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Leah is the daughter of proud parents Alan "Pete" Higginbotham and Kim30 |
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| 43 | 43 | | Wilkerson Higginbotham, who operate a family farm of show Holsteins and registered Black31 23 LC 127 0359 |
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| 44 | 44 | | H. R. 689 |
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| 45 | 45 | | - 3 - |
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| 46 | 46 | | Angus cattle in Elberton, Georgia, as well as sister to Lila, who is an agribusiness |
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| 47 | 47 | | 32 |
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| 48 | 48 | | communications major at the University of Georgia; and33 |
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| 49 | 49 | | WHEREAS, Leah's hard work and dedication deserve high praise.34 |
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| 50 | 50 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that35 |
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| 51 | 51 | | the members of this body recognize and congratulate Leah Higginbotham for her hard work36 |
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| 52 | 52 | | and outstanding accomplishments and extend to her best wishes for continued personal37 |
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| 53 | 53 | | success and achievement.38 |
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| 54 | 54 | | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized39 |
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| 55 | 55 | | and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Leah40 |
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| 56 | 56 | | Higginbotham.41 |
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