In order to win, you have to know how to handle sheep, pigs, goats, cattle, and horses in addition to knowing how to show them and answer questions about them. For those people who haven't ever been to a show, it might be hard to believe that such efforts would be difficult or even worth judging.
Today I got to watch the next generation of our family show sheep and compete in the showmanship contest for the first time. My cousin's son is a first year 4-Her and the whole family came to see him show his ewe and ram. He did a great job today, despite the fact that he didn't get the award for best rookie showman. You could tell he had worked with his sheep and really practiced showing them in advance.
My grandparents would be so proud of him today. They were pioneers and then the cornerstone of sheep breeding and showing in this part of the country for years. My grandfather imported the last British Suffolk ram in the 1950s and then maintained a perfect bloodline until his death in 2006. My grandmother was the head sheep nurse and helped promote the farm. She also hosted many a buyer in the dining room during the course of a sale. The sheep barn at the fair still has many people in it who owe their participation to my grandparents. My grandfather worked as a sheep judge all over the Midwest when he or my mom and aunt weren't showing their own sheep. He also served as the superintendent of the Indiana State Fair sheep board and ran the sheep breeders association for our county for a few years.
I only showed for a few years out of my 10 years in 4-H, mainly because I didn't have the time but also because my allergies were really bad. However, I always wanted to be that supreme showman like my mom had been. I had learned all about showing from sitting in the stands near my grandfather and mother during the showmanship contest growing up. I never got a chance to be the supreme showman, but I have a feeling that today I saw a boy who might get a shot at getting the title back in the family.
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