Youth Feature

STORY BY MERINA JOHNSTON

Mariah Beckett: Achieving Success in the Ring and on the Ice When she was forced to end her competitive hockey in her third Growing up at Beckholm Holsteins in Uxbridge with her parents, W WHILE SHE’S BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME IN THE 4-H WORLD FOLLOWING HER WINNING GRAND CHAMPION SHOWPERSON AT THE 2019 TD CLASSIC AT THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL WINTER FAIR, MARIAH BECKETT HAS ALSO SCORED SUCCESS ON THE ICE AS BOTH PLAYER AND COACH IN THE WORLD OF COMPETITIVE HOCKEY, DEMONSTRATING THAT SHE REALLY CAN DO IT ALL.

Terry and Glenda, and younger sisters, Kaylin and Shayla, Mariah season at university due to concussion injuries, Mariah focused on was always heavily involved in the farm. Her parents bought their taking her coaching to the next level. She’s had the opportunity current property in 1999, moving from Terry’s parent’s farm in to work as the Assistant Coach at the Ontario Summer Games, a

Markham to start up on their own and building the facilities and competitive summer program that helps to select the provincial their herd from the ground up. Terry’s parents worked primarily team for the year for U16 and U18 Women’s Hockey. More recently, with a grade herd, but Terry developed a passion for genetics and Mariah was also selected to help coach at the U16 and U18 National breeding at an early age, starting with several successful Guernseys Team Selection Camps, an exciting opportunity which allowed her before diving into the Holstein world and taking out the Beckholm to to push herself and take her coaching capabilities to the next level. prefix in 1996. Since then, Terry’s dad, Ross, has sold the Markham farm and begun helping out at Beckholm, happily spending his days in the tractor and providing support where needed. In achieving so much success in both hockey and showing cattle, Mariah credits having great influencers in her life guiding her. “A lot of people have had a huge impact on me,” she says.

Building Beckholm Holsteins from the ground up required hard I’ve been super privileged in the sense that I’ve always been surrounded work and dedication, but it’s been paying off for the Beckett family by extremely knowledgeable and smart cow people my whole life, and with multiple All-Ontario and All-Canadian nominations under the hockey people. There’s always been an abundance of mentors for me

Beckholm name, and a well-balanced, deep-pedigreed herd in the to look up to.” barn to work with. They currently milk 60 predominantly black and white Holsteins, with a few red and white thrown into the mix. The farm has also grown in size, now consisting of approximately 450 acres spread across three properties. Her dad, Terry, has played an especially important role in her life, helping to drive her passion and knowledge of farming. Mariah says she is “a cow person through and through” and there’s no doubt that influence comes from Terry. At shows, you can often catch Terry and

A family trait, Mariah has demonstrated incredible commitment to Mariah discussing their animals, milking and feeding times, and toher 4-H career, culminating in her win at the TD Canadian 4-H do’s to get the string out looking their best.

Dairy Classic in 2019. Leading 4-H heifer Gleann Gracie A, at the time a Junior Yearling from the Georgette family, Mariah was not expecting to win. Taking nothing for granted, she knew the size of her heifer would be a challenge and she couldn’t miss a beat in the ring. Needless to say, her work with Gracie paid off when they captured the Champion title, despite the size of her heifer. Moving forward, Terry is slowly passing the torch to Mariah, having her take over responsibilities on the farm and build her own goals for the future of Beckholm Holsteins. Mariah says she hopes to continue to have high-type, elite, good cows in their barn all the time, adding, “we take a lot of pride in the cows that we manage.” With 15 red and white Holsteins currently, Mariah also hopes to use

That same dedication and hard work that built Beckholm Holsteins more red genetics and expand this part of the herd. While she’s only and Mariah’s successful 4-H career can also be seen in her shown one red and white in her 4-H career, she has a passion for the achievements at the rink. While she didn’t start playing hockey until uniqueness of the breed. the age of 10, she didn’t shy away from the challenge of learning the game and the skillset needed to succeed. Through attending intensive summer training camps, leaning on mentors and coaches, and a lot of late nights and early mornings, Mariah became a fierce competitor on the ice in the Centreman position. This resulted in her being awarded a coveted hockey scholarship to play university hockey at Laurentian University in Sudbury, where she graduated this past April with her Bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education, cum Laude. Aside from farming, Mariah is just as deeply committed to her future in sports as well, with plans to continue coaching within the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association’s high-performance hockey program. She also hopes

Playing hockey at a high level soon led to a coaching position, and to one day open her own

Mariah credits her time in 4-H for allowing her to acquire some key barn-inspired gym, merging skills needed as a coach. “Our 4-H club makes people get up and her athletic and farming talk, actually present themselves to the group,” she says, adding that passions in a unique and both activities have helped her leadership, adaptability, and people inspiring way. Looking back management skills. Furthermore, farming and sports have built a over her illustrious career solid work ethic in Mariah and a passion for physical activity that to-date, there’s no doubt she has no qualms about demonstrating at the gym, on the ice, or in her dedication will drive her the barn. future plans to succeed.