By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Young junior fair members have a lot to learn as they prepare to show their animals at a county or state fair.
Regardless of the type of animal, in the show arena there are two types of judging: judging the animal’s physical characteristics and judging showmanship, the exhibitor’s ability to present their animal and demonstrate their knowledge.
The Wood County Junior and Senior Fair Boards offered showmanship clinics prior to the fair to give some tips for young exhibitors showing poultry and rabbits.
Ashley Welling, who has shown rabbits as a 4-H member and as a professional for 20 years, walked Wood County 4-H members through the steps for showing their rabbits at the rabbit clinic earlier this month.
Junior Fair members Morgan Wiechman, Maddie Westgate, Jenica Rollheiser, Amelia Williams and Grace Miller talked about the finer points of showing chickens, ducks and turkeys.
“The minute you step into that ring, there is a smile on your face, and it never, ever leaves your face,” Welling stressed to the 25 young, but eager-to-learn rabbit exhibitors. “You look at the judge the entire time. Do not look at anybody next to you.”
Because how the animals are handled is a critical piece of showmanship judging, she demonstrated proper handling techniques for rabbits. Using their own rabbits, the young showmen practiced how to grip the rabbit’s scruff, position the rabbit and inspect various body parts.
Welling asked the older 4-H members to help younger members “who might be struggling” during the practice. “Help out the new kids at our fair; that’s what we do. We’re here to help each other get better,” she said.
Showmanship judges usually are not the same from year to year, Welling explained. The judges scheduled this year have immense knowledge and decades of judging experience.
“I’m going to try and give you some tidbits, but keep in mind, I only know about 95% of what they are going to ask,” she said.
The judges know that Wood County has a reputation for being well versed about rabbit showmanship. “They really dig deep to try and get questions help them pick their top 10 or top five,” she said. “It’s competitive, so it’s important to know as much about your rabbit and your breed as possible.”
In rabbit judging, exhibitors are expected to answer a lot of questions about their animals, such as diseases, the rabbit’s breed and characteristics.
In the poultry department, knowledge is also critical to showmanship judging.
“It’s important to remember the judges’ opinions fluctuate so much,” said Grace Miller. “It can be super difficult to know what they will ask.”
Her advice is to practice in advance. “I take a lot of time to practice what I want to say to the judge.”
Judges will often ask various questions about chickens or poultry, Morgan Wiechman said. “I’ve also been asked to point to a specific part of a chicken, but make sure that you know what breed of chicken you have. That’s a pretty important piece of the puzzle.”
A tip offered by Maddie Westgate as she handled Linguine the turkey, was to the wear white. “I often wore a polo or tank top and then had a white lab coat to put on over it,” she said. “It’s usually hot and hard to stay clean in this barn. That way, you put the lab coat on just before showing.”
Thinking outside of the box can be helpful for answering the judges’ questions.
“If the judge ever asks you to explain your bird, literally go all the way back from where your bird is from and all the different things you can learn about your bird,” Amelia suggested. “Being prepared is great, but definitely don’t stress out or get discouraged. You’re supposed to have fun with it. That’s the whole point.”
“I think for younger individuals, just take your first year to learn things and experience it versus worrying about trying to memorize every skilled thing,” Grace said. “Hearing the questions that the judge is going to ask you in the show is going to set an example of what to prepare for in the future. You never really know until you start.”
Welling agreed that keeping composure in any kind of showmanship judging is important. “If your rabbit decides to jump off the table or get scared, get your rabbit and bring it back and go through the steps,” she said.
“Don’t get overwhelmed with all of the information, stick to what you know and feel comfortable with,” she added. “It’s about connection with your animal and conversation with the judges.”
