Local youth excel at Fryeburg Fair

Four youth with ties to Franklin County took part in the 4-H Dairy Junior Showmanship class at Fryeburg Fair Saturday, Oct. 5. Pictured from left are Amelia Ross, Jason Bagley, judge Garritt Sammons, Samantha Davis, an unidentified youth and James Davis Jr. Pam Harnden/Franklin Journal

FRYEBURG — Four youth with ties to Franklin County did well in the 4-H Junior Showmanship class at Fryeburg Fair on Saturday, Oct. 5.

James Davis Jr. and Samantha Davis live in New Sharon. Jason Bagley is from Farmington while Amelia Ross of Auburn leases Ayrshire cattle from the Hardy Farm in Farmington.

At the end of the class, Amelia placed first, Jason second, Samantha third and James fifth from among the nine juniors in the ring.

In type classes, the conformation of the animal and the exhibitor’s ability to enhance the animal’s positive features while downplaying less attractive ones are used to determine the placings. In showmanship classes it is the ability of the exhibitor that is being judged.

The exhibitors parade their animals around the outside of the show ring. When signaled by the judge, each showman must stop and pose the animal as quickly as possible to show it off to its best advantage. The youth should keep an eye on the judge and its animal at all times to be ready to follow the judge’s directions or bring the animal back to its pose should it move.

The judge was Garritt Sammons, a Holstein breeder from Johnstown, New York. After several times around the ring with numerous stops throughout, he lined the youth up. He then stopped at each showman and gave tips to work on that could improve their performance.

Prior to entering the show ring James said he would be showing a red and white Holstein winter calf while Samantha’s black and white Holstein was a junior calf. Jason would be working with his junior yearling Milking Shorthorn heifer and Amelia’s animal was a summer yearling Ayrshire heifer.

Each year many people from Franklin County can be found at Fryeburg Fair. Some exhibit their livestock and others are involved with the horse races. People from this area have articles they created on display in the Exhibition Hall or serve as officials for various departments. Others can be found at booths where they display items for sale or on the midway selling food items.

Fryeburg Fair is the last fair of the season and the largest in Maine.

Amelia Ross of Auburn shows the Ayrshire summer yearling heifer she leases from Hardy Farms of Farmington during the 4-H Dairy Junior Showmanship class at Fryeburg Fair. Pam Harnden/Franklin Journal

Jason Bagley of Farmington at right and behindhimSamantha Davis of new Sharon were seen exhibiting their animals in a showmanship class at Fryeburg Fair on Saturday, Oct. 5. Pam Harnden/Franklin Journal