Wells County’s Jordan Sills came to win today’s 4-H Supreme Livestock Showmanship competition at the Indiana State Fair, and that’s exactly what she did. Sills beat out five other highly skilled and knowledgeable showmen to take home the title. The nine-year 4-H’er qualified for the competition by winning the beef showmanship competition earlier in the fair.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” Sills said. “It’s something I’ve always come to the Indiana State Fair for, and I’m thrilled to have actually won.”
The competition is a true test of a showman’s skill in the show ring. Each competitor is asked to show unfamiliar swine, beef and sheep supplied by Purdue University. This can be challenging since not all the showmen have experience showing each species.
Showing beef and swine comes easy for Sills, as she shows them both in 4-H, but she admits that she has difficulty with sheep, which is why she stopped showing them in 4-H after one year. Still, she prepared for today’s competition by working with local sheep farmers who helped her with her technique. Sills attributes her success to her family and 4-H, pointing out that her interest in showmanship was sparked by her grandfather.
Though only one could be name champion, all of the 4-H’ers should be proud of their accomplishments and hard work. Here is a complete list of the showmen who competed:
- Jordan Sills, Wells County – Grand Champion Showman
- Collin Tennant, Wabash County – Reserve Grand Champion Showman
- Adrianna Trennepohl, Henry County
- Paige Wininger, Montgomery County
- Cameron Bennington, White County
- Mackenzie Padgett, Clinton County
SOURCE: Indiana State Fair