Lambs become new entry into HC Fair carcass show
Several of the top-10 placers in the Holmes County Fair market lamb carcass show smile after becoming part of the first group to ever participate in the lamb carcass show.
A new animal showed up at the annual Holmes County Fair carcass show at Sugar Valley Meats on Thursday, Aug. 18, where presenter and judge Dr. Lyda Garcia of the Ohio State University did the honor of judging and grading the newest addition to the show, the market lambs.
Grand champion Kaitlyn Klink was honored to become the first-ever market lamb carcass show grand champion, with Addyson Miller’s lamb taking home the reserve grand champion banner.
Rounding out the top 10 from third through 10th were Chloe Patten, Taelor Patterson, Derek Coleman, Sophia Stitzlein, Cora Crilow, Jessilyn Miller, Chloe Shumaker and Camryn Miller.
When it came to yield grade and fat content, Klink’s lamb was a runaway winner, and Addyson Miller left little doubt that she had earned the reserve sheep.
Garcia said with this being the first time the market lambs were involved in the carcass show, it was a great way to set the bar high for future 4-Hers who are raising lambs for the fair.
“It’s just an amazing, balanced group of animals,” Garcia said of the top-10 lambs. “You can be proud of the way you represented your county.”
Holmes County 4-H sheep committee member Nate Klink said seeing the 4-Hers enjoy the same opportunity as the steer have had over the many years was encouraging. He said there was plenty to glean from listening to Garcia talk about what goes into making a quality lamb.
“The kids did really well this year,” Klink said. “Getting a chance to see how the carcass show operates and being able to learn from it was a brand-new experience for all of us.”
Klink said the kids raising lambs were eager to share the experience, if not a little uncertain as to what was going to take place. It also was difficult for them to see their sheep carcass hanging in the cooler after having invested countless hours, days, weeks and months with their animal.
He said one of the questions it brings into the discussion for kids raising lambs is do they raise their animal solely for the fair show or do they invest in making sure their animal shines at the carcass show.
“This was a great experience for the kids and for all of us, and we have been hoping to have this time come for a while now,” Klink said.
His daughter Kaitlyn has been raising lambs for many years, and she said it feels good to hang the first-ever grand champion banner at home.
“They take work,” Kaitlyn Klink said of raising and working with lambs. “It can be difficult to halter break them when you first get started. You don’t want to have them as pets because then they don’t tend to brace as easily.”
As for seeing her lamb in the cooler, she said it wasn’t too difficult because she knew all along her market lamb was bound for this destiny.
In terms of what she learned, she said there was plenty of knowledge dispensed by Garcia to give all of them a better understanding of what it takes to develop a strong, healthy lamb that can compete in the carcass show.