After winning her class in the Fayette County Junior Fair Swine Showmanship contest for the very first time since she began showing hogs, 17-year-old Kasi Payton was already on cloud nine.
However as the show at the hog barn advanced well into Tuesday evening, circumstances got even better for Payton, who has been showing hogs since she was in third grade. Following a very competitive championship drive, Payton was announced as the best overall showman by Brian Down, the judge of the showmanship contest.
“It’s unbelievable,” Payton said following the show. “To never have a won a class and then to win overall showman, it was just unbelievable.”
Payton added that her hog was cooperative during the show – likely because of the amount of time she spends training for nights like Tuesday.
“Every morning and every evening we walk them up a long drive,” she said. “It’s been a lot of work.”
The individuals who placed in the top five were: Payton, second place Kylan Knapp, third place Zander Ivey, fourth place Aubrey McCoy, and fifth place Kendal May.
The winners of their respective classes were: Kendal May, Kasi Payton, Meri Grace Carson, Aubrey McCoy, Kylan Knapp, Zander Ivey, Hillary McCoy, Konner May, Hunter Havens, Emily Reeves, Kaden Bryant, and Ethan Parsley.
The judge, Down, said he was very impressed with the performance of the exhibitors in the showmanship contest.
“It’s a great group of young people,” Down said. “They have good skills, are very driven and are very respectful.”
He added that Payton was “very consistent from start to finish. She asserted herself very well and earned the victory.”
