PREMIER SHOWMANSHIP

If you noticed a 4-H’er struggling with an animal in the show ring on Saturday afternoon during the Steele County Fair, it may have been because it wasn’t their own.

Sixteen 4-H livestock exhibitors were chosen to be part of an elite show, “Premier Showmanship.” They represented the top showmen in their respective divisions during the livestock shows held earlier in the fair.

The twist with the premier contest was they had to show all the animals for a brief time rotating one by one. They showed each animal for five minutes.

Kaylee Sammon of the Medford Go Getters earned her way to the top as champion premier showman followed by Brooklyn Sommer of the Straight River Stars as reserve champion.

For Sammon, she is used to showing beef and swine. But for this particular contest, she also got to try her hand at showing dairy, poultry, rabbits and goats. Sommer normally shows sheep and swine.

During the contest, judges in each specie carefully watch and interact with the exhibitors to not only see how they handle the animals, but to also test their knowledge. The judges ask them a series of three questions about each animal. They are also scored on how the exhibitor dressed, their overall confidence in showing and how they presented the animal.

“The question part of it is what gets to be tricky,” said Courtney Kath, who served as summer 4-H coordinator. “The knowledge questions are where they struggle the most.”

Showing other 4-H’ers animals can also be a challenge. “It’s not your animal that you’ve worked all summer with,” Kath said. While the animals are all typically trained well, they don’t always react the same to other people, she said.

Kath credited Lexi Steckelberg of Blooming Prairie with the idea of bringing back the elite showmanship contest during last year’s fair. The show had been done many years ago in Steele County.

“We’re trying to give all 4-H’ers the opportunity to see how they do with other species,” Kath said. “They can show off the skills they have learned in their years in 4-H.”

Kath calls the premier show “a good way to bring everyone together to have the last time of showing together.” She added it gives the 4-H member one last chance to show off what they have learned over the years.

She expects the premier show to continue again at next year’s fair.

Kath is a former 4-H member who also showed livestock. She is currently attending Southwest State where she is working on a degree in elementary education. She hopes to use the degree to possibly become a 4-H coordinator with the University of Minnesota.

“4-H has been a huge part of my life, and I hope to continue with it,” she said.