By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The third time was a charm for the two “best of the best” showmen in the 2026 Bill Buchman Showmanship Sweepstakes Saturday night at the Wood County Fair.
Morgan Wiechman, a 10-year member of the Beaver Creek Boosters 4-H Club, came out of the pack of nine competitors to be named the Grand Champion of the showmanship sweepstakes. She earned the grand champion belt buckle, sponsored by the Belleville Family in memory of Jamie Belleville.
Emma Reid of Winning Edge 4-H Club earned Reserve Champion honor that is sponsored by the Bostdorff Family in memory of Jim and Nancy Bostdorff.
The contest pits all the top senior showmen in the various livestock departments—beef, dairy beef, dairy goats, horses, market goats, poultry, rabbits, sheep and swine. They show all the animals except the species in which they won.
This year’s contestants included Alexis Ault, Klover Kids, representing the dairy beef department; Macie Baltz, Klassy Kids 4-H, representing the swine department; Logan Burtchin, Blue Ribbon Rangers, representing the beef department; Maddie Evans, Horses R Us, representing the horse department; Emma Reid, Winning Edge 4-H, representing the dairy goat department; Gavin Richards, Livestock Unlimited 4-H, representing the sheep department; Avery Sautter, Simply Stock 4-H, representing the market goat department; Micaela Wiechman, Beaver Creek Boosters, representing the poultry department; and Morgan Wiechman, Beaver Creek Boosters, representing the rabbi department.
The judges tested the junior fair members’ handling skills, watching how they present their animals, as well as their ability to maintain composure, use proper showring etiquette and demonstrate control and awareness of what’s going on in the arena.
Participating in the sweepstakes for the last two years provided Morgan with experience to ease her nerves a bit.
Yet, she knew previous experience didn’t guarantee her anything. Wood County Junior Fair members have a reputation for being top-quality animal handlers in the show ring.
“Winning it all is pretty awesome,” she said. “I didn’t expect to win. I was gobsmacked when they called my name. There are so many good people in Wood County, which is known as a competitive county.”
She thought she ruined her chances when her sheep got away from her.
Her expertise is more in small animals—rabbits and poultry—so handling the bigger animals “is different.”
When she caught her sheep again, she focused on getting the animal braced for the judge to see its conformation.
“I was a little worried after that, but I knew I had to remain calm. That’s the biggest thing with animals and judges,” she said. “You’ve got to keep your cool, even when you want to freak out.”
One of her goals throughout the contest was to keep making good eye contact with the judge.
“That’s the big thing – to have a really good brain presence, keeping your eye on that judge. Make sure you are staring a hole through them,” she said. “I was just making sure they saw me and saw me good.”
Emma also had participated in the sweepstakes the previous two years. She knew that helped, “but it wasn’t enough,” she admitted.
“As soon as I found out I would be in the showmanship sweepstakes, I started to practice,” she said. I figured out who else won so they could teach me how to show each animal.”
Emma represented the dairy goat department but also showed pigs at the fair.
Surprisingly for her, showing the pig in the sweepstakes was the hardest category for her. “He wasn’t responding to what I was doing, how I show my pig,” she said. “That’s what I felt the worst about.”
For future showmen, she encouraged them to work hard. “As soon as you figure out you’ve won for your department, go and learn as much and as hard as you can.”
