Well we've had 5 successful events since returning to sanctioning. I would like to thank all of the teams that came out to support the promoters and IBCA. Congratulations to those who walked. I was out at the Dimmit County Jr Livestock Show Shootout on October 2 helping Jeff Rankin in the judging area. I enjoyed getting to see friends that I haven't seen in a very long time, some not since March. It was good to get back into the swing of things. I knew I missed being at cookoffs but didn't realize how much I missed it until I got there.

While the moratorium was a huge inconvenience and disappointment to many, I feel that we did the right thing given what was happening in many parts of the state during the summer. Many areas were experiencing huge spikes in cases and hospitals were reaching or surpassing their limits to care of their communities, and not just those with COVID-19 but other conditions. I'll be honest, I've had my doubts about our guidelines that we have in place until the White House COVID spread made the news. Unfortunately, COVID-19 isn't going away anytime soon and we don't know who has it with so many being asymptomatic. I want to thank everyone who has attended events for following the guidelines that we have in place. I, for one, am willing to put up with the inconvenience of wearing a face covering if it means we can continue with some sort of normalcy and we can continue to cook.

I also want to express my sincerest appreciation for the promoters who have done all that we have required with short notice. Thanks for continuing to allow us to be part of their event.

Lea Anne Lemon

IBCA President