AUBURN — A crowded field in the premier showmanship round at Wednesday’s 4-H Beef show matched three seasoned competitors and an unlikely newcomer.
Abbi Sexton, 17, in her first attempt at showing beef cattle, won Wednesday’s senior showmanship division, advancing her to the premier competition against three past senior and premier champions.
“I really wasn’t expecting on getting champion, but it was a great experience, and I can’t wait to do it again next year,” Sexton said about her senior division win, as she waited for the premier round to begin in the livestock arena at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds.
Sexton began her beef showmanship career by showing a smaller, 536-pound crossbred calf provided by the Mitchell family. She brought with her the poise that helped her win premier showmanship awards in rabbit judging earlier this week and in 2019.
The level of competition in the premier beef division ended any chance of continuing Sexton’s Cinderella story.
Lauren Brown had won the beef premier showmanship award in 2017 and 2018, and she captured a third title Wednesday.
“Everybody that competed was a really good showman,” Brown said afterward. “I’m really thankful, because my family really supports me so much.
“I worked super-hard with Kevin, my steer … every day,” she added. “We have to have exercise and walk. It’s a daily process, and it lasted about a year long. So, I’m really thankful that he acted the way he did, and we were able to come out with a win.”
Kevin, a 2-year-old Hereford, weighs about 1,200 pounds.
“This was his first time coming to the fair, but he’s a puppy dog” in disposition, Brown said.
Brown qualified for her fourth entry in the annual Supreme Showmanship contest matching premier showmanship winners from different categories. It will take place late Sunday afternoon in the livestock arena, requiring competitors to show six different species. As the 2019 premier champion in goats, Brown will bring expertise in at least two categories — not to mention that she won the Supreme Showmanship competition last year.
A 17-year-old senior at Eastside Junior-Senior High School, Brown said she aims to enroll at Purdue University and eventually return to DeKalb County as a large-animal veterinarian.
Evan Policinski’s 1,399-pound crossbred steer was chosen as the grand champion of Wednesday’s 4-H Beef Show.
Policinski, 12, showed the same animal at last year’s fair, when it signaled its future potential by winning the award for grand champion feeder steer.
This year, the judge described Policinski’s steer as solid and practical. It was raised on Policinski’s home farm in Butler and is the offspring of a sire named In God We Trust and a commercial cow.
With the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair canceled this week, the 4-H program is conducting its annual livestock shows in a limited format.
All 4-H shows are closed to the public. The remaining schedule, with starting times and expected duration:
• Friday — goats, 11 a.m., 3-4 hours; and
• Saturday — poultry, 11 a.m., 4 hours.
October 01, 2020 at 11:15PM
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