MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—Friday night saw the end of competition for the week with the showmanship sweepstakes featuring Marin McGuire, Addison Jordan, Abby Isler, Logan Isler, Jacob Isler, Maycee Muselin, Hannah Staton, and Abby Wickham.
The night featured the top showmen competing against each other while showing hogs, goats, lambs, dairy feeders, beef feeders, market steers, rabbits, and chickens.
This year’s winner?
Addison Jordan, who worked her way up from the reserve overall showman last year.
Jordan, a 14-year-old student at River Valley High School, is a member of the Whetstone Barnstormers 4-H club, through which she takes market hogs, market steers, and beef feeders.
“It’s pretty good to know that I can be consistent and do well year after year, and not worry about doing well for only one year. It was pretty exciting to win this year,” Jordan said of taking the champion spot this year.
Jordan’s favorite to show was the cattle because she knows them the best, while chickens were her least favorite to show because they scare her.
Advice she said she would give to others looking to do better in showmanship or to get to compete in the showmanship sweepstakes was to watch other classes and not be afraid to ask for help.
“I would definitely go look at each class or the senior classes and see what they are doing and listen to the judge’s reasons. If you really want help, you could ask one of the seniors for help, and they’re usually more than willing to come to your house and help you with your animal, and that helps me a lot.”
Aside from those her age who have helped her along the way, Jordan thanked those closest to her for their support along the way – her parents.
“I’d like to thank my parents for helping me break my animals and always encouraging me in showmanship and telling me I can do it, and they believe in me and that they’re just always proud of me no matter what place I get.”
This year’s reserve champion, Maycee Muselin, is no stranger to the competition, having been in it last year as well.
Muselin, a 16-year-old student at Elgin High School, is a member of Elgin FFA, through which she shows dairy feeders, breeding lambs, and market hogs.
Her favorite to show in the competition were the market lambs, a project she will be doing next year, and much like Jordan, her least favorite were the chickens, stating hers pooped on her hand.
Getting into the showmanship sweepstakes is no easy feat, and her advice is to stick with it.
“Keep practicing and putting in the time because it’ll show off in the arena.”
Muselin thanked her family and friends for getting her through the whole thing.