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