Published: March 24, 2009 11:46 pm      

Herod repeats as champ

Trenton Herod won grand champion in lambs for the second year in a row Tuesday at the 2009 Navarro County Youth Expo. Herod said winning this year felt even better, but putting a cap on his win, he also won the Senior Showmanship award. Trenton, who is with the Blooming Grove FFA, won with a 136-pound sheep in the Class 2 division.

Winning second place in senior showmanship was Trey Davis, of Emhouse 4-H; and Katie McGraw, of Blooming Grove/Barry 4-H, won third in senior showmanship. In order to win the showmanship ribbons, Judge Billy Zanolini, county agent in Madison County, asked the students about their animals, and made them show their knowledge of sheep, to boot.

Brody Owen, also of the Blooming Grove FFA, won the Reserve Champion award with a 157-pound sheep, that showed in the Class 4 division.

Winning the Junior Showmanship ribbon was Keller Southard, also of Blooming Grove FFA. Steely Southard, Blooming Grove FFA, won second in junior showmanship, while Cody Carroll, Navarro County 4-H, won third in junior showmanship.

Lambs are judged according to their balance and how well they carry their muscle mass, and Navarro County’s animals were among the best in the state, Zanolini told the students.

“Sheep are extreme,” said Randall Arnett, who’s followed sheep judging at the Expo for years. “This is probably the hardest animal to show.”

To demonstrate how well they’ve worked with their animals, the students are expected not to use halters or ropes, although some of the sheep weighed in as much as 190 pounds. With just a hand under their chins, the sheep are led around the arena, handled by the judge, and should remain calm even through the noise and distractions of the audience and loudspeakers. The showmanship competitions included how well the students had trained their sheep, and how well they showed off their sheep’s best features, Arnett explained.

For tiny Morgan Dawson, who wore a pink plaid shirt and jeans, and wore her hair in pigtails and ribbons, her ninth-place finish in the Class 2 division was bittersweet. She made the sale, but she’ll have to part with Stockings, her lamb, with whom she’s worked so many hours over the last year.

As they waited to have their official photo taken, Morgan explained to Stockings that no one would eat her.

“If anybody tries to eat her, I’m going to kick them and tell them she’s not to eat, she’s a pet,” Morgan said. Stockings is a good lamb, Morgan added.

Top placers in each division are as follows: Class 1: First place, Keller Southard, Blooming Grove FFA; Second place, Trey Davis, Emhouse 4-H; Third, Phillip Page, Frost FFA; Fourth, Justin Jordan, Blooming Grove/Barry4-H; Fifth, Natalie Jordan, Blooming Grove/Barry 4-H.

Class 2: First place, Trenton Herod, Blooming Grove FFA; Second and Third places, Kyle Armstrong, Blooming Grove FFA; Fourth and Fifth places, Cody Carroll, Navarro County 4-H.

Class 3: First place, John Gage, Corsicana 4-H; Second place, Steely Southard, Blooming Grove FFA; Third, Trey Davis, Emhouse 4-H; Fourth, Miranda Morris, Corsicana 4-H; Fifth, Parker Teel, Corsicana 4-H.

Class 4: First place, Brody Owens, Blooming Grove FFA; Second place, Keller Southard, Blooming Grove FFA; Third, Katie McGraw, Blooming Grove/Barry 4-H; Fourth, Trenton Herod, Blooming Grove FFA; Fifth, John Gage, Corsicana 4-H.

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