Oakdale area 4-H members recently came home from the Stanislaus County Fair with lots of memories and championship ribbons.
Several members of the Sierra and Valley Home 4-H clubs earned numerous accolades with their livestock at the fair.
Valley Home 4-H sheep group leader Cheri Martin reported that there were approximately 120 market lambs in the 4-H competition. Sierra 4-H member Tanner Morgan took the 4-H Grand Champion Market Lamb honors. Also earning 4-H breed champion market lamb honors were Justin Martin with his Suffolk and Garrett Martin with a blackface crossbreed, both of Valley Home 4-H; Jaycee Spence of Sierra 4-H had two lambs win their divisions with a whiteface crossbreed and a natural color market lamb. Sierra 4-H also won first place Club Group for sheep.
Sierra 4-H members also did very well with their breeding stock at the fair. Jordanne Strasser exhibited the Champion Wether Ewe, and Lauren Rivera exhibited the Reserve Champion Wether Ewe.
Sierra 4-H members also swept the sheep showmanship competition. Madison Morgan placed first in Novice Showmanship and then moved up to the Intermediate competition where she placed fourth. Her brother, Tanner Morgan placed first in Intermediate Showmanship and then moved up a class to earn fifth place in Advanced Showmanship. Taylor Strasser won Advanced Showmanship and Jordanne Strasser placed second in Advanced Showmanship.
Sierra 4-H sheep group leaders Lacey Beam and Gypsy Keene, and Valley Home 4-H’s Martin are proud of what their exhibitors accomplished at this year’s county fair.
In 4-H breeding beef competition, Sierra 4-H exhibited well. Caitlyn Hartzell had the Supreme Champion Heifer and first place pair of females. Melissa Thompson had the Champion All Other Breeds Bull. Harlee Burtschi exhibited the Champion Cow/Calf Pair, Reserve Champion Cow/Calf Pair, and a first place All Other Breeds heifer calf.
Hartzell also won first place in Advanced Beef Showmanship.
Winners of Advanced Showmanship in each species are eligible to compete in Master Showmanship where they all show each species of animal in a Round Robin competition. Taylor Strasser opted out of Master Showmanship, which allowed her sister Jordanne Strasser to compete where she earned second place. Hartzell placed fifth in Master Showmanship.
In meat goat competition, Sierra 4-H member Haley Munns won the 4-H Reserve Grand Champion Meat Goat.
In market swine competition, 4-H reserve breed champions were exhibited by Clay Verdegaal of Sierra 4-H with his Duroc and Valley Home 4-H member Carly Thomason with a Crossbreed.
The market animals were sold at the annual Junior Livestock Auction on Aug. 8.
Martin said that the 4-H members worked diligently to obtain sponsorships from the community, and the Oakdale Livestock Boosters used the donations to purchase the animals on sale day.
“Often, individuals and businesses will join with the Boosters organization to purchase the champion lambs in order to provide the sellers with a better return on their investment, which includes a lot of sweat equity in addition to the costs of purchasing lambs, feed, and equipment,” Martin said.
The Oakdale Livestock Boosters club also helps purchase swine, beef, and meat goats from Oakdale area 4-H and FFA members at the county fair auction.
Look for more fair results in the Aug. 26 issue of The Leader.
