Excitement filled the air all day Friday at the Montezuma County Fair, as children’s events took place throughout the day, and hardworking 4-H youths put their skills and animals to the test in the swine and sheep shows.
Children shrieked as one of their peers won the Oreo eating contest and eager toddlers chased after IFA employees dressed as chickens for their chance at a gift card. Outside the main barn, attendees strolled through the food trucks offering lemonade, gyros, coffee and snow cones, while others savored nachos from Lunch Lady Catering in the concessions area of the main barn.
The swine barn, down a small hill and slightly away from the main barn, was bursting with activity right from the start of the day’s events. Youths of all different ages competed with the swine they had lovingly and painstakingly raised for months, hoping for their shot at the fair’s top honors.
A mother named Monica watched a portion of the junior swine show next to me, pointing out her son, who was competing. Monica said that many of the 4-H kids had gotten their pig in December and had been working with the pig ever since to prepare for this moment. Despite the effort, many pigs didn’t make the weight requirements, which disqualifies them from the sale on Saturday.
Not only does the child have to raise their animal, but they have to practice teamwork with the animal and prepare to present it to the judge. In today’s competitions for swine and sheep, two divisions were utilized. One was showmanship, where the handler and their animal were judged on their teamwork and the handler’s skills with their animal in the arena, and the other was market, where the animal was judged on its body conformation.
After champions and reserve grand champions were named in the senior, intermediate and junior divisions, the champion and reserve in each division were invited back into the ring for judge Madi Shults to choose the overall grand champion and reserve grand champion.
Intermediate competitor Kaydence Spruell and her pig, Ares, were named overall grand champions. Jasper Gilliland and his pig were overall reserve grand champions. Daniel Philpott placed third, Tinley Philpott placed fourth, Abrie Spruell placed fifth and Silas Herman placed sixth.
“I was so happy,” Spruell told The Journal after her win. “It’s really stressful.”
Spruell also spoke of the practicing and hard work it took all summer to prepare for this moment.
In the barns adjacent to the swine barn, chickens, goats, rabbits and cows relaxed in their pens away from the heat, some boasting their grand champion and reserve grand champion posters hanging on their stalls. In one stall, a baby goat had an audience of adoring people oohing and ah-ing over the tiny animal.
Back at the main barn, the sheep showmanship competition commenced. The competition was stiff in the senior divisions, so much so that Shults asked the handlers to switch sheep to give her a better idea of who stood out in the showmanship division.
“A real showman can show anything,” Shults said.
After watching the students with a different sheep, Taylor Garner was named grand champion and Dannika Goodall reserve grand champion.
In intermediate, Lexi Simmons was named grand champion, and reserve grand champion went to Kaydence Spruell. Corbin Traweek and Wyatt Nolan rounded out the grand champion and reserve grand champion for the junior division.
After an intense round with all of the grand champion and reserve grand champion sheep in the overall round, Simmons and her sheep Big were named the overall grand champions. Garner was named overall reserve grand champion.
“I’m just really happy. It took a lot to get here,” Simmons told The Journal.
Between shows, the competitors could be seen hugging their sheep, and giving them the occasional kiss on the nose, while receiving tips and encouragement from their family and friends before heading back into the ring.
Next, Garner was named grand champion for her breeding ewe, and Zoey Cummingham reserve.
After seven heats of the marketing class, Spruell’s sheep was declared overall grand champion, and Simmons’ sheep was the reserve grand champion.
The fair will round out its 2025 festivities with more events for the community on Saturday, concluding with the livestock sale, which starts at 6 p.m.
