Alex Kinney, 2024 Showman of Showmen Winner, pictured fourth from the left, holds the traveling trophy. Fellow showmanship winners who competed Saturday are, from the left: Caleb Altstaetter, Cyrus Cummins, Carter Crumm, Carter Seeley, Layna Nessler, Jay Young and Kayla Smith. (EXAMINER PHOTO | NIKKI BURKHAMER)
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By Nikki Burkhamer
Examiner Contributor
The Logan County Junior Fair hosted prestigious finale contest Saturday, July 13, with a special event in the show arena — The Showman of Showmen contest.
Each prospective species procures its own “Best Showman” by the end of the week, and then those who have attained that practiced role, for each of the different animals shown at the Junior Fair, rise to compete in this interesting event.
Not every fair is privileged enough to host an event like this one, announcer Joel Penhorwood related.
“This is a great way to cap the fair, it’s an eclectic show that brings together so many different areas of knowledge.
“They crown the King and Queen at the beginning of the fair, and this event ends the week with the crowning of the best showman, if you will.”
Concluding the contest Saturday, Alex Kinney was named the 2024 Logan County Fair’s Showman of Showmen. She was impressive above all others in the knowledge and mechanics of showing every fair animal.
“I feel really good. I’m really excited, and it has definitely been an accomplishment,” the incoming Indian Lake High School junior said of her win.
Alex has eight years of experience showing her many animals at the fair, but she explained, “I was definitely nervous with the goat. I’ve shown pretty much everything else, but not the goats.”
A member of The Cool Clovers 4-H group, Alex will enjoy the traveling trophy for the year. Her nameplate will be added to the Dave Seeley Memorial Trophy along with the many other showmen who have been given this title.
In 2017, this traveling trophy was created to bring honor to Mr. Seeley, a local farmer who delighted in the Logan County Fair, and now has many grandchildren showing there today.
Each species had a knowledgeable judge to look over the performing showmen. Madi King has been judging this event for two years. Her specialty is with the Beef Cattle.
Nostalgically, she stated. “I won showmanship for eight years here at the Logan County Fair, and I was top 10 Showmen at Ohio State, at least, three times.”
King has had an extensive bunch of experience showing her cattle and horses throughout the country, even on a national level.
Micah Ackley, who says he has been showing dairy cattle since he was five, judged the showmen during their dairy cow segment of the competition.
The swine showmanship was judged by Valerie Rapp and T.J. Lyden. Drew Kreis judged the exhibitors during their showing of horses, and it was Julie Karg that looked over and judged the showmen for their goat-showing knowledge.
Janet Sidders, from DeGraff, judged during the rabbit segment.
“I grew up showing rabbits,” she said. “I’m part of the rabbit committee and we host a showmanship clinic as well as a general clinic that covers all aspects of owning and showing rabbits every spring.”
Sidders, a former Ohio State Fair Rabbit Queen, was impressed with the knowledge the showmen had, this year, and she added, “We had several exhibitors who had worked with rabbits this year. They were all very polite and respectful.”
Marshall Jackson has been judging chickens for three years, now. He travels all over Ohio judging at Junior Fair events, and he may have opportunities to travel out of state, next year.
When asked what he thought of this year’s crop of showmen, he said, “They really showed me that a lot of these kids that do not show poultry really knew what they’re talking about.”
Shelbie Snoke grew up showing sheep, and she shared that “as the years went on I started placing high in showmanship.”
Snoke, who works for the Logan County Extension Office, judged the showmen as they worked with sheep for this year’s show.
Putting this show all together was Allison Rison. Another employee of the Logan County Extension Office, she is a Logan County 4-H educator. Rison had nine years of experience showing horses, sheep and goats.
She felt like the event went well, and added, “We did not have this type of competition in my home state of Tennessee, but I think it is really cool, and it is a great event for kids to show all of their knowledge.”
Snoke was happy to have the help of local Ag teacher, Lora James. She has been teaching Ag for 25 years, she is the FFA adviser and ag teacher at Benjamin Logan Schools.
“I’m here to do whatever is needed,” James said humbly.
They pulled off a wonderful and unique event, this year, with the talents of Kayla Smith (horses), Carter Crumm (goats), Cyrus Cummins (sheep), Alex Kinney (poultry), Layla Nesser (rabbits), Caleb Altstaetter (dairy), Jay Young (beef), and Carter Seeley (swine).
