Grand champions were selected Sunday night at the 2021 Indiana State Fair 4-H Grand Drive presented by Farm Credit Mid-America. Fourteen-year-old Colton Kephart from Johnson County exhibited the grand champion meat goat wether.
“It feels awesome. It’s a lot of work to just get this goat out here. I’ve been working a while to make this goat my buddy so he’d work out and it’s just been great. It’s awesome.”
2nd year 4-H’er Parker Miller from Boone County had the grand champion meat goat wether dam. He explains why 4-H is so important to him.
“4-H means a lot to me because my family raises goats, and it really feels good to finally be a part of it.”
Noble County’s Warner Ott told HAT that he’s on cloud nine after finally achieving his goal of supreme champion beef heifer. He talks about the work he put in to get the win.
“Well, every day we wake up between 5 and 5:30, two calves will walk, one calf will get rinsed, and once the calves are done walking, we’ll start rinsing and we’ll blow them out, get their hair all worked, and we’ll work them for about 20-30 minutes. Then we’ll feed them, water them, and hay them.”
Fourteen-year-old Harlee Henney from Steuben County exhibited the grand champion beef steer back in 2019 and did it again this year.
“This time was definitely more exciting than last time because this steer is like my best friend. I was with him all the time and he means so much to me.”
Sixteen-year-old Kelby Roberts is an 8-year 4-H member from Rush County who exhibited the grand champion market lamb. She says there’s nothing like the feeling of showing, and winning, on the dirt at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. A lot of hard work went into being champion.
“For the past month I’ve been pretty much living in the barn. Then, this past week, it’s kind of crazy because I started school on Wednesday. I went to school and came home, we got ready to pack the trailer. We sheared my lamb and we packed up on Thursday morning and came. I think from the time I stepped foot onto the fairgrounds I knew it was going to be a different year, but I never imagined this happening.”
Monroe County’s Shelby Martin won grand champion market barrow. You can hear from Martin and the other champions in the video at hoosieragtoday.com presented by Farm Credit Mid-America.
Reserve Champion (2nd place) was awarded to the following:
- Reserve Champion Dairy Steer: Emily Alma, Class 4, White County
- Reserve Champion Meat Goat Wether: Spencer Goettemoeller, Heavyweight, Randolph County
- Reserve Champion Meat Goat Wether Dam: Parker Miller, Heavyweight, Boone County
- Reserve Champion Market Lamb: Chayenee Tennant, Hampshire, Wabash County
- Reserve Champion Market Barrow: Eli Wischmeier, Reserve Crossbred, Jackson County
- Reserve Champion Beef Heifer: Braydon Reibolt, Angus, Franklin County
- Reserve Champion Beef Steer: Spencer Goettemoeller, Crossbred, Randolph County