A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 26, 2002
Rockingham County Fair Junior Exhibitors Show Six Breeds
GAY BROWNLEE
Virginia Correspondent
HARRISONBURG, Va.
Joanie Wills summer yearling
“Kristina,” was named grand
champion Jersey at the junior
dairy show at the Rockingham
County Fair.
Born June 3, 2001, Kristina
was also the reserve grand cham
pion of the open show. Brandon
Horn, Mt. Solon, had the Jersey
open show grand champion.
“Angie,” a junior 2-year-old,
was reserve grand champion of
the junior show for Will, who is
17 and lives in Bridgewater. Will
said Kristina was bred on their
own farm by a bull.
Jenny, IS and Charlotte, 13,
her sisters, each showed two heif
ers in the junior show.
The three each placed first in
showing and fitting in her respec
tive age division of competition.
The siblings are members of the
Rockingham County 4-H Dairy
Club and all have been showing
for the last four years.
Joe and Beverly Will, their
parents, with Wills granddad and
uncle, conduct a dairy operation
at two locations parted by a few
miles. Wills dad also maintains
two poultry houses and watches
dry cows and heifers. Twice daily
at the other location, he milks
some 60 Holsteins and 30 Jerseys.
As the Virginia State Dairy
Princess and part-time waitress,
Will said in a few weeks she and
“Kristina” will be in Richmond
where she expects the show to be
very competitive at the Virginia
State Fair.
Will said since acquiring her
new title in January 2002, she
and several dairy maids have vis
ited the state capitol, met the
state commissioner of agricul
ture, attended DHIA meetings in
several counties and, during June
Joanie Will, 17, Bridgewater, has the
grand champion Jersey “Kristina” a
summer yearling, born June 3, 2001.
YORK FAIR
JUNIOR SHEEP
SHOW RESULTS
Sheep blocking and grooming 16 and
up: 1. Mark Brown.
Sheep blocking and grooming 13-15' 1
Rebecca Butt. 2 Tony Haugh.
Sheep blocking and grooming 10-12; 1
Matthew Bankert.
Sheep blocking and grooming 8-9:1. An
drew Bankert. 2. Emily Butt.
Champion blocking and grooming: Re
becca Butt.
Reserve champion blocking and groom
ing: Mark Brown.
Shepherd's bred and owned 16 and up:
1. Travis Flory. 2. Mark Brown. 3. Kelly Jo
Bankert.
Shepherd's bred and owned 13-15: 1.
Brandy Bankert. 2. Rebecca Butt. 3. Rick
Jones.
Shepherd's bred and owned 10-12: 1.
lasha Flory. 2. Matthew Bankert. 3. Tiffany
T lory.
Shepherd's bred and owned 8-9: 1. An
drew Bankert. 2. Cortney Flory. 3. Emily
Butt.
Sheep decorator funniest; 1. Nicole
Gemmill. 2. Rebecca Butt. 3. Susan Rich
ardson.
Sheep decorator most onginal: 1.
Sarah Doyle. 2. Shane Butt.
Sheep decorator most attractive: 1.
Maggie Noonan. 2. Emily Butt.
Sheep lead line 16 and up: 1. Maggie
Noonan. 2. Megan Heath. 3. Hope Long.
Sheep lead line 13-15:1. Mary Zeigler. 2.
Shane Butt. 3. Rebecca Butt.
Sheep lead line 10-12:1. Julia Vadas. 2.
Claire Vadas. 3. Sarah Doyle.
Sheep lead line S-9: 1. Emily Butt. 2.
Cortney Flory.
National Dairy Month, delivered
“Got Milk” items to the first baby
bom in each Rockingham Coun
ty and Augusta County.
Recently, an event promoting
dairy at the Valley Mall in
Harrisonburg, generated enough
interest to surprise the princess
because kids and adults respond
ed very eagerly to the cute calves
inside the mall and the cows in
the parking area.
“It was popular. We had kids
coming from everywhere,” Will
said.
Some years ago Will “acciden
tally” scored a soccer goal in
physical education class and,
since then, has played soccer in
school and for a travel team that
competes primarily in Virginia.
She plays the wing position.
“I like playing for schools bet
ter,” she says, comparing the two.
“It is more competitive and down
to earth. I don’t know why I play
soccer I just like it.”
In the Red and White breed,
Frannie Crawford’s 3-year-old
was named grand champion.
Crawford, 14, is from McGahey
sville. ‘Sunshine” doubled as
grand champion of the open
show as well.
“Snowflake,” Crawford’s aged
cow was, likewise, reserve grand
champion in both the junior and
open shows “Every morning I
have to wake up and feed calves
with Grandma Shirley Smith,”
Crawford said.
The Stoney Run Farms dairy
herd, according to her granddad
Fred Smith, finds 95 percent of
the 1,000-head dairy are Hol
steins, milked three times a day.
“The double-16 milking parlor
is hardly big enough anymore,”
said Fred Smith.
Matt Switzer, 20, Bridgewater,
showed the Holstein grand cham-
York Fair Junior Sheep
Sheep showmanship 16 and up: 1. Travis
Floiy. 2. Megan Heath. 3. Kelly Jo Bankert.
Sheep showmanship 13-15: 1. Brandy
Bankert. 2. Tony Haugh. 3. Kim Long.
Sheep showmanship 10-12: 1. Matthew
Bankert. 2. Tasha Flory. 3. Dalton Flory.
Sheep showmanship 8-9: 1. Andrew
Bankert. 2. Emily Butt. 3. Cortney Flory.
GRAND CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Travis Flory
RESERVE GRAND
CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Megan Heath
Sheep fitting 16 and up: 1. Lindsay
Jones. 2. Mark Brown. 3. Travis Flory.
Sheep fitting 13-15: 1. Rick Jones. 2.
Nicole GemmilL 3. Brandy Bankert.
Sheep fitting 10-12; 1. Tasha Flory. 2.
Matthew Bankert. 3. Tiffany Flory.
Sheep fitting 8-9: 1. Emily Butt. 2. An
drew Bankert. 3. Cortney Flory.
GRAND CHAMPION FITTER
Rick Jones
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FITTER
JUNIOR SHEEP BREEDING
SHOW RESULTS
CHEVIOT
Ram lamb under 1 year 1. Tony Haugh.
2. Tony H^ugh.
Champion ram; Tony Haugh.
Reserve champion ram: Tony Haugh.
Yearling ewe 1 year under 2: 1. Tony
Haugh. 2. Tony Haugh.
Ewe, spring lamb: 1. Tony Haugh. 2.
Tony Haugh.
Champion ewe; Tony Haugh.
Reserve champion ewe: Tony Haugh.
Pair of breeding rams or awes: 1. Tony
Haugh.
Rachel Smith, 13, McGaheysville, poses
with her grand champion Brown Swiss
3-year-oid, “Skye” at the Rockingham
County Fair.
Tasha Flory
YORK FAIR
pion with a senior 2-year-old
named “Bea.” Switzer’s sister,
Megan, a freshman at Blue Ridge
College, had the Holstein reserve
grand champion with an aged
cow named “Monique.”
The grand champion in the
open show belonged to John
Welsh of Keezletown and the
Holstein reserve grand champion
was owned by Monta Vista Farm,
Harrisonburg.
In 2001, Switzer earned the
prestigious American Farmer De
gree through the Tumer-Ashby
FFA. At the National 4-H Dairy
Judging event in 1999, Switzer
was the 13th high individual and
helped his team achieve third
place overall.
Switzer is on the first dairy
judging team at Virginia Tech,
where he is a junior studying
dairy science and ag economics.
The team has been practicing at
venues such as Maryland State
Fair at Timonium, Md.
Prior to the national competi
tion in Madison, Wis., the team
will compete at venues in Massa
chusetts and Pennsylvania.
“I’m pretty excited. I never did
it before,” Switzer said, referring
to the collegiate level of competi
tion.
His parents, William and
Sandy Switzer, are co-chairper
sons of the Rockingham fair
dairy bam. Fifteen years have
passed since they began and still
they love doing it.
“It’s a fun competition,” said
Switzer’s mother. ‘We get along
great in the dairy bam. They all
congratulate each other,” she
said, praising the youths who
participate.
Switzer’s sister, Mindi, has
graduated already from the East
ern Mennonite University.
Some 80-90 Holsteins in the
Switzer dairy are milked morning
Ram lamb under 1 year: 1. Matthew Ban
ked. 2. Julia Vadas.
Champion ram: Matthew Banker!.
Reserve champion ram: Julia Vadas.
Yearling ewe 1 year under 2; 1. Matthew
Bankert.
Ewe, spring lamb; 1. Matthew Banker! 2.
Mark Brown. 3. Mark Brown.
Champion ewe: Matthew Banker!.
Reserve champion ewe: Matthew Ban
kart.
Pair of breeding rams or ewes; 1. Mat
thew Banked 2. Mark Brown. 3. Claire
Vadas.
CORRIEOALE
Ram lamb under 1 year: ! Eric Banker!
2. Enc Banked
GRAND CHAMPION RAM
Enc Banker!
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RAM
Eric Banker!
Yearling ewe: 1. Eric Banked 2. Enc
Banker!.
Ewe, spring lamb: ! Megan Heath. 2.
Eric Banked 3. Enc Banker!
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Megan Heath
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Enc Banker!
Pair of breeding rams or ewes: 1. Eric
Banked «
HAMPSHIRE f
Yearling ewe 1 year under 2; ! Megan
Heath. |P
Ewe, spnng lamb: ! Lexie Grove. 2.
Lexie Grove. 3. Megan Heath.
Champion Hampshire: Lexie Grove.
Reserve champion Hampshire; Megan
Heath.
Pair of breading rams or ewes: Lexie
Grove.
NOMTAOAU
Ram lamb under 1 year 1. Tony Haugh.
Matt Switzer, 20, Bridgewater, shows Bea, a senior 2-
year-old, grand champion of the Holstein breed at the
Rockingham County Fair junior show.
and evening in a double-4 milk
ing parlor where a young woman
employee assists the operation.
Rachel Smith, 13, McGahey
sville, had the Brown Swiss grand
champion with a 3-year-old
named “Skye.” Smiths parents
are Jeff and Norma Smith.
“I felt happy,” said Smith, sec
ond oldest of four children.
Skye’s victory was duplicated in
the open show.
Also in the open show, Billie Jo
Swope of ChurchviUe showed the
Brown Swiss reserve grand
champion.
Skye was purchased at a sale
in Dublin Hills, Md. The first
time Smith showed her was last
year.
An eighth grader at the Mon
tevideo Middle School, Smith is a
member of the Rockingham
County 4-H Dairy Club. She
owns four Brown Swiss and three
Ayrshires, besides a quarter
horse, “Bonnie,” who has foaled
several times.
“I spend more time with her
babies than I do with her,” said
the teen-ager.
Although Smith and Frannie
Crawford are required to clean
the milking parlor at their grand
parents’ farm, the girls are get
ting a break owing to the opening
of school. On weekends and holi
days, they will be making up for
it.
Kelsey Morris, 14, Harrison
burg, had the Ayrshire grand
champion with an aged cow
named “Hunter.” The reserve
grand champion was “Heidi,”
Morris’s other dry cow. In the
open, show Hunter and Heidi
won the respective titles, as well.
A Spotswood High School
ninth grader and dairy maid,
Show Results
Champion ram: Tony Haugh.
Yearling ewe: 1. Tony Haugh.
Ewe, spring lamb: 1. Tony Haugh. 2.
Tony Haugh.
Champion ewe: Tony Haugh.
Reserve champion ewe: Tony Haugh.
Pair of breeding rams or ewes: 1. Tony
Haugh.
NATURAL COLOR SHEEP
Ram lamb under 1 year 1. Shane Butt. 2.
Shane Butt. 3. Emily Russell.
GRAND CHAMPION RAM
Shane Butt
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RAM
Shane Butt
Yearling ewe: 1. Emily Russell. 2. Emily
Butt. 3. Emily Butt.
Ewe, fall lamb: 1. Shane Butt.
Ewe, spring lamb; 1. Emily Butt. 2. Emily
Russell. 3. Shane Butt.
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Emily Russell
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Emily Butt
Pair of breeding rams or ewes: 1. Shane
Butt. 2. Emily Russell. 3. Emily Butt.
RAMBOUILLET
Ewe, fall lamb: ! Mary Zeigler.
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Mary Zeigler
SHROPSHIRE
Yearling ewe: 1. Andrew Banked
Ewe, spring lamb: ! Andrew Banker! 2.
Andrew Banked
Champion ewe: Andrew Banker!.
Reserve champion ewe: Andrew Ban
ked
Pair of breeding rams or ewes; ! An
drew Bankart.
Ram lamb under ! year 1. Brandy Ban
kart. 2. KeHy Jo Bankart. 3. KeHy Jo Ban
kart.
Morris is a member of the Rock
ingham County 4-H Dairy Club.
She and brother Chad, 12, are
the children of Mark and Renee
Morris.
Morris assists her mom in
milking a mixed herd of some 45
Holsteins and Ayrshires owned
by Bob and Pat Shirey, her
grandparents. Morris’s dad holds
an outside job.
The coolest part of showing is
the generational aspect started by
Granddad Shirey in 1946.
Not only that, but he must re
ally like kids. After all, he’s been
a school bus driver for 48 years.
Morris’s Grandmother Shirey
recorded results of the dairy
show for more than 35 years and
would use her vacation time from
the bank to attend the fair. She
recently retired from several fair
related responsibilities, including
directorship.
Unexpectedly, Morris’s plan to
compete in showing and fitting
was aborted following the open
show. It seems the Holstein she
intended to use in the competi
tion brought a new calf into the
world instead, and attracted all
kinds of attention at the fair.
The Guernsey grand champion
was owned by Brett Brubaker,
15, from Dayton. The youth is a
member of the Tumer-Ashby
FFA. Jason Orebaugh, Broad
way, had the Guernsey reserve
grand champion.
In the open show, Audrey Ful
ler, Mt. Solon, had the Guernsey
breed grand champion and Jason
Fuller, Mt. Solon, had the reserve
grand champion.
In all, Matt Muckols from East
View Farm, Beaver Falls, judged
about 140 dairy animals shown
by 42 exhibitors.
Champion ram: Brandy Bankart.
Reserve champion ram: Kelly Jo Ban
kert.
Yearling ewe: 1. Tasha Fiery. 2. Tasha
Fiery.
Ewe, spring lamb: 1. Kelly Jo Banker! 2
Brandy Banker! 3. Brandy Banker!.
Champion ewe: Tasha Fiery.
Reserve champion ewe: Tasha Fiery.
Pair of breeding rams or ewes: 1. Kelly
Jo Banker!. 2. Brandy Banker!.
SUFFOLK
Ram lamb under 1 yean ! Rebecca
Bull. 2. Rebecca Bull. 3. Travis Flory.
Champion ram: Rebecca Butt.
Reserve champion ram: Rebecca Butt.
Yearling ewe: ! Travis Flory. 2. Rebecca
Butt. 3. Travis Flory.
Ewe, fall lamb:! Rebecca Butt.
Ewe, spring lamb: ! Rebecca Butt. 2.
Travis Flory. 3. Travis Flory.
Champion ewe: Travis Flory.
Reserve champion ewe; Rebecca Butt.
Pair of breeding rams or ewes; ! Travis
Flory. 2. Rebecca Butt.
OTHER WOOL BREEDS
Ram lamb; ! Rebecca Butt. 2. Rebecca
Butt. 3. Mary Zeigler.
GRAND CHAMPION RAM
Rebecca Butt
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RAM
Rebecca Butt
Yearling ewe: ! Rebecca Butt. 2. Emily
Butt. 3. Rebecca Butt.
Ewe, spring lamb: ! Rebecca Butt. 2.
Rebecca Butt.
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Rebecca Butt
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Rebecca Butt
Pair of breading rams or ewes; 1. Rebec
ca But! 2. Mary Zeigler.