Hayden Walters had a big day at the Fayette County Junior Fair Goat Show on Tuesday.
During the dairy meat goat competition, Hayden won the grand champion trophy for his goat, with Thomas Bondurant taking the reserve champion dairy meat goat. Hayden has been showing goats for five years and is a member of the 4-H Fun Bunch.
Then later in the day, Hayden qualified for the overall Boer goat showmanship competition after taking first place in the intermediate showmanship competition. Along with Hayden, Riley Evans qualified for the overall showmanship competition by winning the senior showmanship class, Austin Etzler qualified by winning the beginner showmanship class, and Taylor Sisson qualified by winning the novice showmanship class.
“Sometimes a younger showman surprises me and wins the overall showman,” said Charles Robinson, the judge of the competition, before announcing the winner. “Today, that happened.”
Robinson then shook Hayden’s hand and congratulated him on taking the top showman honor.
“The judge told me that I was very good with the set-up of the goat,” Hayden said. “He told me that I was calm and relaxed, and made good eye contact. I also knew the different body parts of the goat.”
Riley Evans also had an extremely successful goat show by winning the overall Boer goat grand champion prize and by winning the Boer goat senior showmanship class. Justin Wines took home the Boer goat reserve champion prize.
Victoria Schappacher also had a big day by winning the overall grand champion senior doe dairy goat and the reserve grand champion senior doe dairy goat prizes. She also won the grand champion junior doe dairy goat trophy with Kyle Mullins claiming the reserve champion junior doe dairy goat trophy.
Other winners included Kaleigh Swayne as the overall dairy goat showman; Cheyenne Williams won the grand champion percentage doe; and Drew Pontious won the grand champion full-blood Boer goat prize.
Also Tuesday was the first-ever Fayette County Performance Class, which included a number of different factors that were calculated together in coming up with a winner. With 31 goats entered in this class, Alexa Woods came out on top with Drew Pontious finishing as the runner-up. The Fayette County Meat Goat Association presented $200 to the overall winner and $5 to each participant.
“I really enjoy the quality of the goats at this fair and all of the showmen are very impressive,” said Robinson. “You all did an amazing job.”
See Page 4 for more photos from the Junior Fair Goat Show.
