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