Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:14 PM CDT
Pigs more cooperative in show ring than lambs and cows, one 4-H winner claims
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
MARTINSVILLE — With a little prodding and a promise of oats, Thomas Crome got his 270-pound pig, Speckle, to stroll across the fairgrounds Wednesday.
The 9-year-old said plenty of practice walks for him and Speckle, a crossbred, likely helped them win the grand champion barrow award this week during the Clark County 4-H Fair.
“We walk him two times a day,” Crome explained. Crome, who joined 4-H this year, is the son of the son of Aaron and Mary Ann Crome of Marshall.
Crome was one of dozens of youths who took home top honors during the 4-H fair, held this year at the Martinsville fairgrounds. The fair concluded on Wednesday.
Chance Rector, 17, of Marshall won the grand champion steer award with his 1,385-pound Simmental, Izzie. Rector said he named the steer after Kirk Isbell of Charleston, from whom he purchased Izzie.
Rector won the grand champion steer award during the beef show Wednesday morning, when rainfall turned the fairgrounds into a muddy mess. Rector said he needed to take extra care to ensure Izzie was clean for the show ring, but he would still take a rainy day over a hot day.
“It’s hard to take cattle out in the heat,” Rector said. He is the son of Gary and Sally Rector.
Mitch Morecraft, 15, of Marshall, son of Fred and Angie Morecraft, said hot weather earlier in the week made his sheep uncooperative. Still, they did well in the sheep show. Morecraft won the grand champion market lamb award with a 133-pound Suffolk crossbred.
This was the first time Morecraft has won grand champion market lamb. The youth said he spent a lot of time caring for and practicing with his 16 sheep in preparation for the show.
“I worked at it a lot harder. It takes quite a bit of work,” Morecraft said.
Many of the youths enter animals in two or more livestock shows during the fair. Justin Lewis, 13, of Marshall won grand champion gilt in the swine show while also competing in the beef and sheep shows. The gilt is a 220-pound crossbred.
Lewis said he has actually found his pigs are more cooperative for him in the show ring than his cows and sheep.
“I just think (pigs) are the easiest to show.” Lewis said. He is the son of Jeff and Carrie Lewis of Marshall.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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