Reinholds girl’s junior market lamb named grand champion Southdown at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Reinholds girl's junior market lamb named grand champion Southdown at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
By Ryan Robinson
HARRISBURG
Published Jan 08, 2007 13:08
In her first time at the show last year, the 12-year-old Reinholds girl’s Southdown got sixth in his class — out of seven lambs.
So when the judge motioned the freckle-faced girl in braided pigtails to one end of the show arena Sunday, she thought the worst.
“I thought I’d be last,” Graves said.
But despite competing against many 15- and 16-year-old FFA students in her class of 10 lambs, Graves won the blue ribbon. Later, Patriot was named the grand champion Southdown of the show.
“I was excited,” Graves said. “I couldn’t believe I got first.”
It was perhaps the biggest win on a day when many from the county excelled in Farm Show contests.
The county’s 10 junior market steers finished high in their classes, though none won top honors.
Fifteen junior market lambs finished high enough to qualify for Tuesday’s sale, more than in the past several years.
Also, in the main hall, Manheim FFA’s agriculture education landscape exhibit won best design, best plant materials selection and best landscape blueprint honors.
The Japanese Zen garden included a waterfall and a figure of Buddha, among other features.
Three county women won first places in food competitions.
Debra Martin of Conestoga won the angel food cake contest and the pineapple upside down cake contest.
Dorothy Martin of Conestoga won the brittle candy contest.
Janice Bowermaster of Strasburg won the muffin contest.
Graves did not have an easy time showing Patriot. The 117-pound lamb proved stubborn in the ring.
“He wouldn’t put his leg where I wanted,” the home-schooled sixth-grader said.
She struggled to properly set the lamb up to show off his wide back and long, tall body.
Graves also tried to keep her eyes constantly on the judge, a hint she learned through 4-H.
The daughter of Don and Jennifer Graves set the bar high for her younger sisters and brother, all of whom she says will likely show animals at the Farm Show in coming years.
The county actually featured three out of the best four junior market Southdown lambs at the Farm Show.
Meghan Lewis, 15, of Manheim showed the reserve champion Southdown market lamb.
Jared Wetzel, 11, of Manheim and his lamb, Wildfire, took first place in his class.
The premier junior livestock show is the steer show.
In his last year in the junior livestock division, Adam Zurin, 19, of Mount Joy, showed the steer that advanced further than any other in the county in Sunday’s show.
His 1,250-pound crossbred steer, Peter, was named the reserve champion heavyweight for the breed.
Anna Wolfe, 14, of Columbia, and her 1,075-pound lightweight crossbred steer, Lucky, took first place in his class.
“I was really surprised,” Wolfe said, adding that she expected only a second- or third-place ribbon.
Showing her first steer at the state Farm Show, Wolfe also was named master showman in her class, an honor given to the one who best controls and presents their animal in the ring.
“He was pretty wild when we got him,” Wolfe said of Lucky. “About one time a week, I walked him and he calmed down.”
She said she enjoys clipping, washing and drying her steers and heifers, even though she has had to cut down on her soccer playing time.
A 1,145-pound Angus steer belonging to Frederick Frey, 13, of Quarryville, won second place in its class.
Other countians in the competition and their class finishes included: Elisha Engle, 16, Mount Joy, second; Justin Welk, 13, Strasburg, third; Ryan Nolt, 15, New Holland, third; Joelynn Donough, 19, Manheim, fourth; Katie Nolt, 18, New Holland, fourth; Jaymi McMichael, 17, Pequea, fourth; Jevin Kready, 18, Manheim, fifth.
A few other results:
Livengoods Organic Produce of Lancaster received top honors in the vegetable basket competition Friday.
Debra Martin of Conestoga won best of show for her open-class wreath.
County residents also won several first-place finishes in the Belgian horse categories, including best of breed by Nathan Yoder of Peach Bottom and Belgian gelding by Raymond Lantz of Gordonville.
CONTACT US: rrobinson@LNPnews.com or 481-6032
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