Day four dawned bright and clear at the 129th Chautauqua County Fair in Dunkirk.
Wednesday evening, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County's 4-H Sheep Project participants showed in the 4-H Sheep Show. Sheep Program participants have owned their Market Sheep for at least 90 days and have owned their breeding animals in many cases for multiple years.
Youth in the Sheep Breeding Project continue to expand their herd each year adding additional quality and working to preserve certain traits and characteristics. Youth in the 4-H Sheep Project spend a great deal of time raising, caring, and conditioning each animal. Sheep in particular, have to regularly be sheared, have veterinarian exams and be exercised.
Wednesday's Sheep Show, judged by Laureen Howe, saw all sunny skies with 36 Market Lambs.
Grand Champion Ram was received by Cassandra Chapman, with her Shropshire, and Reserve Champion Ram was won by Brandon Boyer exhibiting his Suffolk. Grand Champion Ewe was won by Triston Peterson, who also showed a Suffolk, with the Reserve Champion Ewe honors being received by Cassandra Chapman with her Shropshire.
In Showmanship Classes sheep exhibitors are judged on their showing abilities, including how they handle their animal and in some cases, others' animals as well. Receiving top honors as Grand Champion Showman was Triston Peterson with Cassandra Chapman doing just as well receiving Reserve Champion Showman honors.
Market Lambs are evaluated in four divisions by weight: Light, Medium, Light-Heavy and Heavy Weight. A Grand Champion Market and Reserve Champion Market Lamb are also honored as top market lambs for 2010.
Each Market Lamb participant is eligible to sell their top animals at the Meat Animal Sale on Friday July 30, at 12 noon. This year the 4-H Lamb Project will sell 36 lambs at the Meat Animal Sale.
In this year's Market Lamb classes top honors in the Light Weight class went to Allan McElwain with Melanie Walters receiving Reserve.
In the Medium Weight class Cortney Thompson and Logan Fain were awarded Grand and Reserve, respectively.
The Light-Heavy Weight division was won by Triston Peterson with Patricia Hoyt coming in second.
In the Heavy Weight division, Cassandra Chapman received first place and Kayla Schauman received second. Top Market honors, earning a place as first lamb sold at Meat Animal Sale, was earned by Cassandra Chapman, and Triston Peterson will be selling second with the Reserve Market Lamb.
Additional Lamb results:
Cheviot Division
Yearling Ewe, Triston Peterson
Suffolk Division
Yearling Ram, Brandon Boyer; Spring Ram Lamb, Brandon Boyer; Pair Ram Lambs, Brandon Boyer; Aged Ewe, Triston Peterson; Yearling Ewe, Brandon Boyer; Pair of Yearling Ewes, Brandon Boyer; Spring Ewe Lamb, Kayla Nefedov-Chadwick; Pair of Ewe Lambs, Maxwell Peterson; Pen of Four, Brandon Boyer; Breeders Young Flock, Brandon Boyer; Get of Sire, Brandon Boyer
Horned Dorset Division
Aged Ewe- Bryan Tenpas; Champion Ewe, Bryan Tenpas; Purebred Other Breed Spring Ram Lamb, Carleigh Seeley; Yearling Ewe, Carleigh Seeley
Shropshire Division
Age Ram, Cassandra Chapman; Aged Ewe, Cassandra Chapman; Yearling Ewe, Cassandra Chapman; Spring Ewe Lamb, Tessa Warner; Champion Ram, Cassandra Chapman; Champion Ewe, Cassandra Chapman; Reserve Ewe, Cassandra Chapman
Boarder Leicester Division
Aged Ewe, Lucy Knappenberger; Champion Ewe, Lucy Knappenberger; Wool- Any Other Breed Spring Ram Lamb, Brandon Boyer; Yearling Ewe, Logan Fain; Spring Ewe Lamb, Brandon Boyer; Grade Classes Aged Ewe; Melanie Walters; Yearling Ewe, Melanie Walters; Ewe Lamb, Onnalee Strong; Grand Champion Ram, Cassandra Chapman; Reserve Champion Ram, Brandon Boyer; Grand Champion Ewe, Triston Peterson; Reserve Champion Ewe, Cassandra Chapman
HORSE EXHIBITORS
4-H Horse exhibitors rode dressage and competed in Region 1 Horse Judging yesterday. The Dressage Horse Show, judged by Paula Cahill, requires riders to perform patterned tests demonstrating various levels of horse and rider abilities which included divisions for walk trot, amateur, Junior and Senior.
Walk Trot Champion honors went to Taylor Samuelson and Reserve went to Hailey Swanson; Ashley Crandall in the Junior Division, and Emily Markham in the Senior Division. Reserve Champions for the Junior and Senior Divisions where Kendra Hockran and Jennifer Dahlgren, respectively.
In the Walk Trot Western Programmed Riding Grand Champion went to Mikayla Reynolds and Reserve went to Jordan Dustin. Top riders from the best out of three shows for the 2010 show season have earned qualification for The Great New York State Fair. Two seniors and one junior may qualify for state fair entry.
The 2010 New York State Fair qualifiers for Chautauqua County 4-H in the Dressage Division are seniors Jennifer Dahlgren and Monica Buck and juniors Ashley Crandall and Kendra Hockran.
EXHIBIT CONTEST
Every year throughout the 4-H barns there is an exhibit contest. The 4-H Program has designed this competition to promote an attractive and educational display in the barn animal areas.
The competition is divided into two divisions, Club and Individual. Clubs have three or more members participating and Individual is for lone members with less then three members.
The judges look at the overall appearance 4-Her's show for their area. This includes banners, animal identification, educational information, and visual appeal.
Each barn participates; these include the Sheep, Swine, Dairy, Beef, Poultry, Rabbit, Goat, and Horse barns. For the first place winner in both Club and Individual the members receive $15. Second place receives $10 and third place receives $5. This goes toward the club or is split between the members.
Swine Barn
Club Division: 1st-Little Brokenstraws, 2nd-Sherman Kountry Kids, 3rd-Levant Livewires
Individual Division: 1st- Tad Ellis, 2nd-Madison Styers, 3rd-Cameron Livermore
Dairy Barn
Club Division: 1st-Chrowes Corners, 2nd-Cherry-Creek Corn Huskers, 3rd-Frewsburg Hayseeds
Individual Division: 1st-Justin Dye, 2nd-Mikayla Peterson, 3rd-Colleen Kimball
Beef Barn
Club Division: 1st-Little Brokenstraws, 2nd-Sherman Kountry Kids, 3rd-Levant Live Wires
Individual Division: 1st Mikayla-Peterson, 2nd-Reyanne and Kevin Strong, 3rd-Matthew Morrison
Rabbit Barn
Club Division: 1st-Forestville Teddy Bears, 2nd -Levant Live Wires, 3rd-Little Rascals
Individual Division: 1st-Justin and Ben Dye, 2nd-Nicole Ewer, 3rd-Brooke Layman
Goat Barn
Club Division: 1st-Levant Livewires, 2nd-Little Brokenstraws, 3rd-Sherman Kountry Kids
Individual Division: 1st-Shelby Sek, 2nd-Kate Ewer, 3rd-Trey LaRoy
Sheep Barn
Club Division: 1st-Sherman Kountry Kids, 2nd-Little Brokenstraws, 3rd-Stockton Panthers
Individual Division: 1st-Brittany Woods, 2nd-Logan Fain, 3rd-Lynanne Woolley
Horse Barn
Club Division: 1st-Rockey Freedom, 2nd-Country Dreamers, 3r-Fluvanna Farmyard Friends, 4th-Star Ridders, 5th-Wild Oats, 6th-Jr. Trail Riders
Poultry
Club Division: 1st-Stockton Panthers, 2nd-Sherman Kountry Kids, 3rd-Country Critters
Individual 1st-Katelynn Gierlinge, 2nd-Billy Eskeli, 3rd-Katelyn Tenpas
4-H Shows continued Thursday with a Rabbit Show, judged by Derek Poole.
"This group of youth has really impressed me again this year, and you have grown so much since last year, and the next person to judge this group will be so impressed." Poole said.
Receiving the honor of Best of Show was Dakota Meinzer with her Havana and the Reserve Best of Show was Katherine Graczyk with her Holland Lop. The Champion 1st year Junior Showman was Brooke Layman. The Champion Junior Showman was Nicole Ewer. The Champion Senior Showman was Bobby Davis.
The winners of the Best of the Rabbit Breeds are as follows:
Dutch: Lynnane Woolley; Mini Lop: Tessa Warner; Holland Lop: Katherine Graczyk; Rex: Alyssa Graziano; Mini Rex: Hannah Murdock; Polish: Bradon Barron; Havana: Dakota Meinzer; Harlequin: Bobby Davis; Doe and Litter: Tessa Warner; Netherland Dwarf: Amanda Dorman; Lionhead: Kimberly Walker
PUBLIC SPEAKING
4-H youth continued to display their public speaking talents in the 4-H Building on Thursday as they gave public presentations on a variety of topics. Presentation judges for Thursday were Nancy Johnson and Maria Manning.
Thursday's youth participants were: Bryan Conrad, Gerry Conrad, Cheyenne Meeder, Branden Lesch, Emily Wills, Johnny Nixon, Michael Nixon, Shannon Nixon, Kayla Schauman, Rachel McCarthy and Ashley Crandall.
