MOUNT VERNON — In addition to having the grand champion market beef, repeating as swine Master Showman, and winning a number of other accolades, Luke McKee took home the Showman of Showmen honors Thursday at the 2018 Knox County Fair.
Showmanship in 4-H demonstrates the skill and ability of the exhibitor. Judges look for how well the exhibitor handles the animal as well as how knowledgeable he or she is about the various body parts of the animal.
In species showmanship, exhibitors show based on age level; an overall master showman is then selected for each specie. The winners are invited to participate in the Showman of Showmen competition.
Of the challenge exhibitors face in the Showman of Showmen competition, Larry Hall, director of youth development for Knox County OSU Extension, said, “They are showing different species, many of which they might not have shown before. A good showman would be able to show a lump of coal to its best advantage.”
Hall said that participating in Showman of Showmen demonstrates that the youth has made connections with other people of other species and that they have learned quickly what questions they might be asked, such as anatomy.
“There are some similarities between different animals, such as loin parts,” said Hall. “The judge might ask where is the loin, or where do you give an injection? They have to demonstrate knowledge and responsible treatment of an animal.
“And they learn how not to get frustrated when an animal doesn’t do what they want it to do,” he added. “They’re not showing their own animals.”
This year’s Showman of Showmen competition, held on Wednesday afternoon, was done differently than previous years.
“We did the contest in two rounds,” explained Alexa Jones, Junior Fair Board secretary. “Round one consisted of swine, sheep, goats, dogs, and small animals. Round two was all cattle species, saddle horses, and draft horses. We ran these stations in each round simultaneously.”
The exhibitors were judged two at a time as they rotated through the stations. The judge was given about five minutes for each round with a three-minute transition period. In addition to their score through the stations, the exhibitor’s skill-a-thon score was added into their overall score.
Following are the 2018 Showman of Showmen competitors:
- Luke McKee, swine
- Gracie Clippinger, dairy market feeder
- Russell Alden, dairy cow
- Mercedes Wilson, poultry
- Lydia Ingalls, draft horse
- Ethan Staley, beef
- Clair Graumlich, sheep
- Taylor Thorne, goats
- Renee Kinser, dogs
- Bobbie Burger, saddle horse
- Alexis Bostic, dairy steer
- Hunter Myers, rabbit
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