812-Uincmar Farming, Saturday, Octobar 10, 1998 Sarah Zuiin reigns as Manhelm Farm Show Queen. Top Gun Award LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Farming Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Five teen-age boys, four from Pennsylvania and one from Mary land, are celebrating a national victory. The Gve received the Top Gun Award at the National Junior Show held recently at the All American Show in Indiana. According to reports, it is unusual to have so many win ners from this area because the show is dominated by western exhibitors. More than 1,000 exhibitors attended the show and 300 youths competed for the Top Gun Award, which is determined from an accu mulation of points attained by par ticipating in various activities. The scores reflect the most well rounded individual for sheep promotion, shepherding, market ing, and speaking. These are deter mined from showing the breed, preparing an essay, an ad layout, designing a logo, and video with script. the five Top Gun winners arc Kyle Flecncr, representing the Hampshire breed; Jesse Rohrer, representing the Shropshire breed; Eric Cowden, representing the Dorset breed; Billy Leib, repre senting the Rambouillet breed, and Jacob Gargas, representing the Oxford breed. Jesse Rohrer is the 16-year-old son of Jeff and Julie Poffenberger of Shaipsburg, Md. The family lives on a beef farm, but Jesse has Sarah Zurin Reigns At Manheim Farm Show raised his own sheep since he was 8 years old. He now has 40 head of Shropshires, Suffolks, and Hamp shires. but won the award for the Shropshire species. “I love showing, but lambing is also an exciting time because it’s interesting to see what I’m going to have to work with the next sea son,” Jesse said. Eric Cowden, 17, is the son of Bruce and Sandy Cowden of Pros perity. It was the third year, Eric won the Top Gun award in the Dorset breed. He also had his introduction to sheep through 4-H and begin rais ing sheep when he was eight. Eric has 60 registered Dorset ewes. “I like the Dorset breed because they are easy to keep, hardy, and not much maintainence. I think they’re the prettiest breed,” Eric said. After graduation, Eric plans to go into ag business and hopefully attend Penn State University. Billy Leib. 17. is the son of Bob and Susan Leib of Mechanicsburg. Billy’s parents started a flock of sheep under the name Shepherd’s Crook before he was bom. As a toddler, Billy remembers shows being lots of fun. Billy now owns 25 Rambouillets, seven South downs, five Oxfords, and 30 Boer goats. In addition to winning the Top Gun Award, Billy also won show manship in his class at the national show. At Cumberland Valley High School, Billy is a senior FFA LOU ANN GOOD Lancaster Fanning Staff MANHEIM (Lancaster Co.) Monday night at the Manheim Farm Show should have been named Sarah Zurin night First the petite 17-year-old captured the crown as Manheim Farm Show Queen then she led her spunky ewe lamb Katie in fashionable style to clinch top placing in the She pherd's Lead Line Contest Her achievements were no fluke. Sarah has spent years com peting in lead line competitions and in sheep-related 4-H projects. A qualification for entering the queen contest requires contestants to be in volved in some type of agri culture and to present an essay on what the Farm Show means to her. With seven years in the county 4-H Woolics Club, Sarah has been an active competitor at Farm Show events. And, lead line experience helps her gain ease before a crowd and remain calm when handling a rambuctious lamb. The Lead Line requires contes tants to dress in an attractive outfit that is at least 80 percent wool and lead a yearling ewe or lamb that is clean and neatly groomed. Contes tants are judged on poise and presentation. For her lead line outfit, Sara selected a brown plaid wool skirt with a matching brown vest over a classy white shirt (Pictures and additional winners will appear in next week's issue). Sarah lives with her parents Gary and Judy Zurin and two brothers at Newcomer Road in Mount Joy, which is in the Man heim Central School District She plays trumpet in the March ing Barons Band, and is a staff membe.' of both the schools liter ary magazine and the yearbook. Sarah is also the secretary of the school’s National Honor Society. At Calvary Bible Church, Sarah Winners Compete Nationally | member and both chapter and Cumbcrland-Dauphin-Pcrry Area FFA present He plans to study at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona. “I’ve always been into cook ing,” said Billy, who thinks he can promote lamb cooking when he becomes a chef. Jacob Gargas, 17, is the son of Paul and Eileen Gargas of Telford. Jacob and his brother Issac raise Merinos and Oxfords. They have 50-60 head. Jacob is a junior at Christopher Dock High School. He isn’t sure what he will do have high school luadon exr he ' Top Gun Award winners included these contestants, from left, Kyle Fleener, Rohrer, Billy Leib, Jacob Gargas, and Eric Cowden. After being crowned Farm Show Queen, Sarah Zurin made a dash to change into a wool outfit in order to partici pate in the Shepherd’s Lead Line, where she captured the grand champion prize in the senior division. . ™f mbcr puppet team, me drama team, and a core Bible study group. For the past three summer’s Sar ah has participated in mission pro jects with Habitat for Humanity and on missions teams to Jamaica, Ukraine, and Romania. After high school graduation, Sarah plans to attend Bible college “I’ll always keep sheep." At 14-ycars-of-age, Kyle Fleen er is the youngest winner. He grew up in a well-known sheep family who operate BluAcres in Robeso nia. His Brubaker grandparents raised Hampshires and now his parents Sarah and Tim Fleener breed sheep. They have 100 head in all. Kyle owns about 10 of his own. Kyle said that it’s been reward ing to accomplish his goals. “I wanted to show the champion or reserve at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and I got a reserve in 1995. When I went to the All American ' r , r and then go into full-time mission work in Eastern Europe. As Fair Queen. Sarah received a $lOO savings bond and $5O in cash. In addition to handing ou| ribbons at livestock events, shqj will ride in the Farm Show parade? and receive an all-expense paid trip to the State Farm Show Queen- Pageant to be held in January. last year, I decided I really wanted the Top Gun Award and now I got that,” Kyle said. Kyle recently began showing cattle and showed at the Shorthorn Junior National Show. “Cattle are a lot easier to wort with than sheep. They get calm anl tame easier,” Kyle said. A ninth grader at Eastern Leba non County High School. Kyle plans to go to college. He hopes to become a realtor and auctioneer. “I’m having fun going to shows, but it's difficult to get enough peo ple to help show a flock,” Kyle’ said. isse j
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