A crowd gathered under the shaded livestock barn Wednesday as kids displayed their sheep for spectators and judges. The smell of livestock and manure were pungent in the air as the crowd waited for the judges to make their decisions. Many of the kids have been raising their sheep since about April, preparing them for this moment – a date with the judges at the La Plata County Fair.
Presenting in the fair comes with high emotions. Chad Benally, 11, a 4-H member from Ignacio, said it’s a mix of nervousness and excitement because it is unclear what’s going to happen in terms of placing.
“It’s like, I’ve been working so hard and after that, at the end, it feels good when you work as hard as you can and it pays off like getting first,” Benally said.
This was Benally’s second year entering sheep in the fair, and he entered two, one placing first and his second, a white sheep named “Sunflower,” placed fourth during the 4-H market sheep competition.
Madison Mortimer, 17, a contestant from Durango, took home the title of reserve grand champion during the 4-H sheep show. She said she was nervous being out in the ring and described herself as a “peeled hard-boiled egg.” For her, the most rewarding part of the competition is showing off the hard work done throughout the year as she raised her sheep.
This was her second year raising sheep. She started because she had friends involved, and the sheep show has always been a favorite of hers. She said raising sheep comes with its own set of difficulties, including how stubborn sheep can be at times and that sheep are not always the brightest bulbs.
“It’s kind of like raising a child that doesn’t speak,” Mortimer said.
The sheep are judged on two criteria during the 4-H market show – confirmation and muscling. Confirmation looks at the proportions of the animal and asks “is the animal proportional to what it should be,” while muscling looks at the quality of the meat for consumption. In addition to judging confirmation and muscling, the contestants are also judged on showmanship, said Katherine Penning, fair board member and 4-H/FFA sheep superintendent.
Penning said most kids start raising a sheep around April, feeding, shearing and loving their animals. Penning said raising sheep helps teach kids a great deal of responsibility. Showing them at the annual fair is the end result. Benally said breeders need to become acquainted with their animal so the animal knows its owner.
The county fair brings people from all walks of life together – young and old, rural and urban – for a week of showmanship, catching up with old friends and pure enjoyment.
The festivities have just started. Thursday is the first day of exhibits being open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in both the Exhibit Hall and the 4-H Extension building. Fair royalty speeches and modeling starts at 5 p.m.
bmandile@durangoherald.com
