By Brad Johnson
Rowan County Cooperative Extension
The 2008 Rowan County Fair is officially over. The livestock have been hauled home, the exhibits picked up, the rides dismantled and the food vendors closed until next year.
With the exception of some excessive precipitation one day, Mother Nature could not have provided more beautiful weather for fairgoers to enjoy an invitingly decorated fairground. There is no doubt, in the six sleepless days of this year’s fair, plus in the weeks leading up to it, a lot of folks did a great job making this year’s fair successful.
Winners in the various divisions of the livestock shows were as follows:
The livestock shows kicked-off with the breeding ewe show, which was evaluated by Allen McElroy, the shepherd at Virginia Tech. Twenty-three Rowan County exhibitors presented 34 ewes, with the Grand Champion Breeding Ewe exhibited by Bubba McLaughlin, Mooresville, and the Reserve Champion Breeding Ewe exhibited by Beverly Hampton, Mount Ulla.
The quality of the show ran extremely deep, with many ewes having already earned championship honors at other shows; they are favorites to continue gaining honors throughout the fall show season.
Following the breeding ewe show was the meat goat show, which was also evaluated by McElroy. The show is closed to Rowan County exhibitors, as 22 exhibitors showed 23 meat goats.
Winning the Senior Division of showmanship was Rebekah Moore, China Grove, while Beverly Hampton won Intermediate Division Showmanship, and Chris Martin, Cleveland, won Junior Division Showmanship. Kayla Hampton, China Grove, exhibited the Grand Champion Meat Goat, while Cynthia Connolly, Mount Ulla, exhibited the Reserve Champion Meat Goat.
The broiler pen of three show had Rebekah Moore’s pen being named Grand Champion, and a pen exhibited by Cody Bates, China Grove, being named Reserve Champion. Ag students at Carson, East, South and West Rowan high schools received hatchlings in mid-August from Piedmont Research Station for this project, which is a team effort among the ag programs at the schools, Rowan County Cooperative Extension, and Piedmont Research Station. Moore’s champion pen averaged 4.6 pounds, with the birds about 5 weeks old.
Providing awards for the broiler pen of three show are: 4 S Farms, Salisbury, and the Rowan County Fair Association.
The rain did nothing to dilute the quality and competition of the beef cattle show, which included 107 head from 36 exhibitors from throughout the state. Dr. John Rayfield, professor of ag education at N.C. State University, evaluated the show.
Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Castalia Cattle Company, Castalia, exhibited the Supreme Champion Female, which was previously named the Grand Champion Angus. Jackson Scott, Salisbury, exhibited the Reserve Supreme Champion Female, which had previously been named the Grand Champion All Other Breeds. The Supreme Champion Bull was exhibited by Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Cedar Bay Farms, Willow Spring, and he was previously named Grand Champion Commercial.
The Reserve Supreme Champion Bull was exhibited by Justin Ridenhour, Salisbury, and he was previously named the Grand Champion Gelbvieh. The Grand Champion Market Steer was exhibited by Dillon Ridling, Salisbury, while the Reserve Champion Market Steer was exhibited by Phillip Stringer, Woodleaf.
The Grand Champion Feeder Steer was exhibited by Dillon Ridling and the Reserve Champion Feeder Steer was exhibited by Payton Lemly, Salisbury. Ridling received top honors for the Senior Division of Showmanship, while Justin Teeter, Mount Ulla, won Intermediate Showmanship, and Catherine Harward, Richfield, won Junior Showmanship.
Other results for the beef show are as follows:
Grand Champion Angus Female: Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Castalia Cattle Company.
Reserve Champion Angus Female: Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Cedar Bay Farms.
Grand Champion Angus Bull: Birdsell Livestock, Sparta.
Reserve Champion Angus Bull: Birdsell Livestock.
Grand Champion Charolais Female: Brooke Harward, Richfield, and Birdsell Livestock.
Reserve Champion Charolais Female: Catherine Harward and Birdsell Livestock.
Grand Champion Charolais Bull: Birdsell Livestock.
Grand Champion Gelbvieh Female: Garrett Teeter and Green Hills Gelbvieh, Mt. Ulla.
Reserve Champion Gelbvieh Female: Justin Ridenhour.
Grand Champion Gelbvieh Bull: Justin Ridenhour.
Reserve Champion Gelbvieh Bull: Justin Teeter and Green Hills Gelbvieh.
Grand Champion Hereford Female: Jordan Carter, Concord.
Reserve Champion Hereford Female: Terrace Farms, Lexington.
Grand Champion Hereford Bull: Tristen Fulton and H&C Hereford, Lexington.
Grand Champion Red Angus Female: Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Castalia Cattle Company.
Reserve Champion Red Angus Female: Abigail Fulton and H&C Hereford.
Grand Champion Red Angus Bull: TX Enterprises, Winston-Salem.
Reserve Champion Red Angus Bull: H&C Hereford.
Grand Champion Santa Gertrudis Female: Flatwillow Farm, Statesville.
Reserve Champion Santa Gertrudis Female: Colt Sherrill, Mount Ulla.
Grand Champion Santa Gertrudis Bull: Flatwillow Farm.
Reserve Champion Santa Gertrudis Bull: Flatwillow Farm.
Grand Champion All Other Breeds Female: Jackson Scott.
Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Female: TX Enterprises.
Grand Champion All Other Breeds Bull: Austin Teeter and Green Hills Gelbvieh.
Grand Champion Commercial Female: Justin Teeter and Green Hills Gelbvieh.
Reserve Champion Commercial Female: Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Cedar Bay Farms.
Grand Champion Commercial Bull: Karl and Cortney Holshouser and Cedar Bay Farms.
Reserve Champion Commercial Bull: Jacob Steele, Cleveland.
Beef Dress-Up: first, Jake Smith, Mt. Ulla; second, Lauren Sherrill, Mt. Ulla; third, Madison and Salem Sifford, Snow Camp, and Payton Lemly.
Beef Herdsman: first: Karl and Cortney Holshouser; second, Roseview Cattle Farm, Snow Camp; third, TX Enterprises.
One of the more fun competitions is the lamb dress-up contest. This year’s winner was an entry from the Hampton, Connolly and Wilson families, as the children and lambs were dressed as a circus. Truly a classic. Placing second was Ariel Ramsey, with a lamb dressed as Elvis Pressley (brings a whole new meaning to mutton chop sideburns), and third was Lauren Hayes with a lamb already dressed as a lamb burger.
Wednesday is all about the market lamb show and sale, followed by the broiler pen of three sale. Rayfield enjoyed the Rowan County hospitality enough from the beef show to come back and judge the market lamb show. Thirty-four Rowan County exhibitors showed 44 market lambs, as Rayfield selected a wether exhibited by Beverly Hampton as the Grand Champion Market Lamb. The Reserve Champion Market Lamb was a ewe exhibited by Rebekah Moore.
The market lamb show mirrored the breeding ewe show in quality, with many of the top lambs already having earned honors throughout the state. Winning the Senior Division of Showmanship was Rebekah Moore, while Bubba McLaughlin won Intermediate Showmanship, and Austin Teeter gained top honors in Junior Showmanship.
Other honors from the sheep and meat goat shows:
Sheep Herdsman: first, Hampton/Connolly/Wilson families; second, Caleb and Madison Goodman, China Grove; third, Rebekah Moore.
Meat Goat Herdsman: first, Sam and Luke Hager, Mooresville.
Providing awards for the breeding ewe, meat goat and market lamb shows were Rowan County Fair Association and Rowan County Farm Bureau.
After all the livestock was released Wednesday night, the pens are dismantled and the barn is cleaned out overnight. Thursday morning dawns to a clean barn that has been re-bedded to host the largest county fair dairy show in North Carolina. This year’s show hosted 145 head of cattle exhibited by 49 exhibitors. Kevin Lutz of Treasure Chest Jerseys, Lincolnton, did an outstanding job sorting the show Saturday afternoon. The Supreme Champion Female was the Grand Champion Ayrshire, exhibited by Kylie Ward and Valleypeak Farm, Lexington. The Reserve Supreme Champion Female was the Grand Champion Holstein exhibited by La-Foster Farm and Corey Foster, Cleveland.
Other dairy show results are as follows:
Grand Champion Ayrshire: Kylie Ward and Valleypeak Farm.
Reserve Champion Ayrshire: Kylie Ward and Valleypeak Farm.
Junior Champion Ayrshire: Kylie Ward and Valleypeak Farm.
Reserve Junior Champion Ayrshire: Salem Ward and Valleypeak Farm.
Grand Champion Brown Swiss: Stephen Weaver and FisherWard Dairy, Lexington.
Reserve Champion Brown Swiss: Sam Hager and Hager Farms, Mooresville.
Reserve Senior Champion Brown Swiss: Stephen Weaver and Jonathan Ward, Lexington.
Reserve Junior Champion Brown Swiss: Caleb Epps, Salisbury, and Hager Farms.
Grand Champion Guernsey: Bekah Hudson and Goldprint Farm, Linwood.
Reserve Champion Guernsey: Goldprint Farm.
Reserve Senior Champion Guernsey: Geoffrey Sink and Goldprint Farm.
Reserve Junior Champion Guernsey: Aimee Sink and Goldprint Farm.
Grand Champion Holstein: La-Foster Farm and Corey Foster.
Reserve Champion Holstein: La-Foster Farm and Corey Foster.
Junior Champion Holstein: Ryan Menius, Woodleaf.
Reserve Junior Champion Holstein: Ryan Menius, Woodleaf.
Grand Champion Jersey: Shelby Karriker and Karrimont Farm, Mocksville.
Reserve Champion Jersey: Avery Lutz and Deerview Jerseys, Mocksville.
Junior Champion Jersey: Avery Lutz and Deerview Jerseys.
Reserve Junior Champion Jersey: Avery Lutz and Deerview Jerseys.
Dairy Dress-Up: first, Carrie Hoffner, Mooresville; second, Madison Noble, Woodleaf; third, Jackson Noble, Woodleaf, and Luke Hager, Mooresville.
Dairy Herdsman: first, La-Foster Farm; second, Amity Hills Farm, Cleveland; third, Valleypeak Farm.
A new award for the fair is the Jim Graham Premier Junior Exhibitor Award. The award is open to Rowan County exhibitors, ages 5-19, and is $250, plus a $50 gift card from Southern States-Salisbury Service. The award was presented to Rebekah Moore. In addition to her livestock winnings listed above, she also received the Floriculture-Youth Best in Show and numerous awards for her pumpkins.
Awards for the beef and dairy shows would not be possible without sponsorship provided by 4R Ranch and Farms, Carolina Farm Credit, Cross Creek Cattle, GlobalTrac Inc., Hager Farms, Overcash Farms & Hay Co., Overcash Farms & Hay Co.-Nutrena Feeds, PB Farms, Select Sire Power, Kenneth Shell Hoof Trimming, Sunset Feeds, Union Grove Milling and the Rowan County Fair Association.
Other people and organizations who had an impact on the shows and need a sincere thank you include R.S. Braswell, Myers Forest Products, Mark and Tonia Menius and family, the Garden Greenhouse, and the Fair Committee and the Faith and Spencer Jaycees.