Oglethorpe County youth weren’t the only ones competing in the Oglethorpe Area Winter Livestock Show on Saturday — six Oglethorpe County celebrities also competed for the title of Champion Celebrity Showman.
They were paired with student mentors to learn the basics of livestock showing, before entering the ring themselves with a breeding doe to compete in the celebrity showmanship event at the county extension office.
“This is my first time in the ring with a goat,” Oglethorpe County School System Director of Operations Paul Thiel said. “It was actually a little bit intimidating.”
Other celebrities included Oglethorpe County Board of Education members Guillermo Camacho and Susan Robinson, Oglethorpe County High School Principal Bill Sampson, OCHS CTAE Director Ean Sonnier and vice president of the Oglethorpe County Farm Bureau Dan Brubaker, who took home the “Champion Celebrity Showman” title.
“It’s nice to kind of experience what the kids go through,” Thiel said. “I followed the recommendations that (my student mentor) had given me to keep my chin up, keep my eyes on the judge, you know, keep the animal between me and the judge.”
While these local celebrities only had to showcase breeding does, students from Oglethorpe and surrounding counties up to the 12th grade showed breeding does, breeding ewes, dairy heifers, beef cattle and market hogs.
Students were also given the opportunity to show dairy goats, even though this isn’t a program recognized by Georgia 4-H and FFA, UGA Extension agent Shanna Reynolds said.
The students, who had been preparing their animals for months, competed for prize money and champion titles.
Winners included Camden Huff, a sixth grader at Oglethorpe County Middle School, who received the Reserve Champion Dairy Heifer title after winning Showmanship and first in weight class.
Her brother, Luke Huff, a sophomore at OCHS, was named Overall Champion Dairy Showman and Grand Champion Dairy Heifer.
Henry Throne, a senior, received the Reserve Champion Steer title for beef cattle.
Raegan Poulnott, a junior, won Grand Champion Market Barrow and Grand Champion Market Gilt in the market hogs competition.
The students will attend the Georgia Junior National Livestock Show in Perry, Georgia, next weekend.
