The N.C State Fair just came to a close for 2017. There were approximately 1,014,478 people attending the N.C. State Fair this year.

Most people visit the fair to try out the new foods, visit the midway and see the exhibits. But for the 30-plus exhibitors from Rowan County, it was about something completely different.

They were there to showcase their winning projects for the year. Rowan County had over 204 entries representing the following categories: Junior Meat Breed Ewe Show, forage crops, Junior Market Wether Meat Goat Show, Junior Market Lamb Show, Junior Market Barrow, Open and Junior Dairy Cattle Show, clothing, food preservation, home furnishing, bees, honey, beef cattle, feeder calf, wine, market barrow, market gilt, performance market hog, Junior and Open Dairy Goat Show.

In the Junior Lamb and Meat goat show, exhibitors were Tinley Summitt, Luke Bame, Jessie Cline, Cynthia Connolly, Matthew Connolly, Josie Correll, Talton Correl, Guy Deal, Lauren Hayes, Colby Menius, Rebekah Russell, Emry Starnes, Abigail Wilson, Joshua Wilson and Lydia Wilson.

Highlights for the lamb shows include: Talton Correll had AOB Reserve Champion ewe. Lauren Hayes had Grand Champion, Reserve Champion and GOT TO BE NC Dorset Champion.

Abigail Wilson had Champion GOT TO BE NC Commercial ewe. Joshua Wilson had Champion and Reserve Champion Hampshire.

Lydia Wilson had Grand and Reserve Southdown ewe and was also named Reserve Supreme Ewe of the show and Grand Champion Got to Be Commercial Ewe. Lydia also had Reserve Champion White Faced influence market lamb, which was also Champion GOT TO BE NC white-faced market lamb.

The biggest highlight for Rowan County was nine out of the 14 ewes in the Supreme Champion Drive where exhibited from Rowan County youth.

In the hog show, we had exhibitors compete in Junior Market barrow, Market barrow, Market gilt and Performance Market hog. Exhibitors were Talton Correll, Taryn Wesson, Joshua Wilson and Lydia Wilson. Rowan County had several top five finishes.

In the Dairy Cattle Show, Rowan County had an excellent showing and success. Exhibitors were Corey Foster (La-Foster Farms), Kira Wetmore, Steven Wetmore, Jonathan Luther and Lauren Luther (all with Lutheridge Farms).

Highlights from the dairy show include Lutheridge Farms in the Jersey Breed. They received Premier Exhibitor, Reserve Grand Champion, Reserve Senior Champion, Senior Champion Honorable Mention, five Cow Class first places, Junior Champion, Junior Best of three females, and two heifer first places, all in the open show.

In the junior shows, Jonathan Luther placed first in Senior Fitting and showmanship, receiving $750 in scholarship monies. His cow was Reserve Supreme Grand Champion, Grand Champion, Senior Champion, and he received two additional cow first places.

Cheyenne Hunter received a cow first place, and two heifer first places, as well as Junior Champion. Rowan County placed first in the Jersey county herd as well.

Steven Wetmore won the Reserve Grand Champion and Reserve Senior Champion and Kira Wetmore won the Junior Champion in the open show. Lauren Luther had a cow class first place. Lauren owns and bred the cow that won Grand Champion in the junior shows.

La-Foster Farms had Grand Champion Brown Swiss in the Open Show, first place exhibitor herd of five in the Holstein Show, Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Holstein Female and Premier Exhibitor-Holstein.

In the Beef Cattle Division, exhibitors included Justin Ridenhour, Austin Teeter, Justin Teeter, Walter Teeter and Lee Teeter. Highlights include Reserve Supreme Champion Female, Reserve Grand Female in the Red Angus Show, Grand and Reserve Champion Female in the Gelbvieh Show.

In the Dairy goat division, J&M Hideaway Farms and Sarah Moore exhibited.

J&M Hideaway Farms had results in the Youth Show Senior Champion, Senior Reserve, Junior Champion, Junior Reserve, Best in Show, Best Udder in Show and Supreme Doe.

In the Open Show, J&M had the Senior Champion, Senior Reserve, Junior Reserve, Best of Breed, Best Udder Of Breed, Senior Best in Show, Best Herd, Premier Youth Exhibitor, Premier Nubian Exhibitor and Premier Nubian Breeder.

Sarah Moore and family had good results, too. Lucy Moore won first place in Pee Wee Showmanship; Laney Moore was sixth in a class of 14 in Intermediate 1 Showmanship; Laney Moore won most original costume in the costume contest and Lucy Moore won funniest costume.

Sarah Moore had a Best of Breed, Best Udder of Breed, Reserve Grand Champion in the Youth Show and first place Nigerian Dairy Herd.

Rowan County also had an entry in Forage Crops where Zeb Blake received first place in the orchardgrass category.

For full results please visit:

http://www.ncstatefair.org/2017/Competitions/WinnerSearch/index.asp

If you have any questions about this article, please call Morgan Watts, 704-216-8970, NC Cooperative Extension-Rowan Center.