HARRISBURG — Sierra Zimmerman had a pretty good day.

The 10-year-old Stevens girl brought her favorite sheep — a 93-pound Southdown ewe named Daisy — to the Pennsylvania Farm Show for some of the fiercest livestock competition in the state and, some would argue, the nation.

Not only was Sierra named a master showman in her class, but Daisy was selected as champion in the Southdown division of junior market sheep.

"I'm proud of my sheep," said Sierra, the daughter of Jay Jr. and Sarah Zimmerman, both past competitors at the Farm Show.

"I thought she was good, and I guess the judge thought she was good, too," she said. "I love my sheep."

Daisy is nearly a year old, Sierra said. "She has a nice top, and she's nice and long ... with solid muscle."

A student at Clay Elementary School, Sierra is competing for the second year at the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg.

Even with her first championship ribbon under her belt, Sierra is philosophical about competing at the show.

"It doesn't matter what place you get," she said. "4-H is about having fun."

Sierra also placed third Saturday in the Skill-a-thon, which tests youngsters on their knowledge of animals.

It's in Sierra's blood. Her mother, Sarah Zimmerman, said Sierra has several aunts and uncles who are showing animals this year or have shown in the past.

"My husband and I both showed," Sarah Zimmerman said. "He had the champion Southdown in 1998, so we go back a ways."

In fact, Jade Zimmerman of Reinholds, an aunt, was named a master showman Sunday among Angus steers, heavyweight division.

The clan matriarch, JoAnn Zimmerman, is the family's primary sheep breeder, although on Sunday she was playing the role of proud grandma.

"I'm excited," she said. "I'm so excited that Sierra won. You know, she walks that sheep about a mile every night."

Sierra is hoping for another good day today, when she shows in the junior market swine competition.

Chelsea Dale, of Reinholds, showed the reserve champion Southdown. 

There were no other local winners Sunday in the sheep competition.

Related: Complete Farm Show coverage

Also Sunday, the Farm Show held judging for junior market steers and goats.

Although Lancaster County this year posted no winners in the goat division and no grand champion steers, Freddy Frey of Quarryville showed the reserve champion purebred Angus steer after placing first in the lightweight division with Justice, a 1 1/2-year-old animal weighing in at 1,300 pounds.

"He's got his own personality," Frey said of Justice. "I wasn't too sure how he'd do. Every year is different."

Frey, 18, is a Solanco High School graduate who has been showing beef at the Farm Show for eight years. He is studying diesel mechanics.

Justice, Frey said, will go to auction on Tuesday.

The beef breeding cattle show Sunday morning was an especially good event for Frank Stoltzfus of Masonic Village Farm, Elizabethtown.

During the Sunday morning competition, Stoltzfus showed first-place animals in three divisions: shorthorn junior yearling females, shorthorn group of two females and shorthorn junior bull calves.

Stoltzfus showed the shorthorn junior heifer calf reserve champion, shorthorn senior champion female, shorthorn junior bull calf champion and shorthorn grand champion bull. Masonic Village Farm was named shorthorn premier breeder.

Courtney Kready of Meadow Springs Farm, Manheim, showed the shorthorn junior reserve champion female.

Peter Michael of Big Oak Cattle Co., Lancaster, showed first among shorthorn spring heifer calves.

Matthew N. Mitchell of Reinholds showed first among Angus junior heifer calves and Angus April junior yearling heifers, while Freddy Frey showed first among Angus early senior heifer calves. Frey went on to show the Angus senior heifer calf champion, while Mitchell showed the Angus intermediate champion, Angus junior champion female and Angus reserve grand champion female.

tknapp@lnpnews.com