MANSFIELD – Kelsey Snyder ends her career at the junior fair on a high note.

The 18-year-old Shelby resident was named this year’s Showman of Showmen at the Richland County Fair on Friday.

“I was super excited,” she said. “I actually competed in this competition a few years ago, so it was super cool to be crowned champion.”

All eight competitors qualified by winning the Pro Showmanship title in the animal species they showed, with the exception of the horse representative.

The horse representative qualified through a competition with the winners of the draft horse, small horse and horse show categories. This year, alpacas took part in the competition for the first time.

At the Showman of Showmen event, each competitor showed eight species. Each competitor was judged by an independent expert.

In the end, Snyder emerged as the winner with the highest total score.

She is a member of the Shelby High School FFA chapter and the Rusty Riders 4-H Club. Snyder qualified by winning the Pro Showmanship among the lamb exhibitors, but also exhibited a pig and a goat at this year’s fair.

After winning the lamb showing championship on Thursday, she rushed to practice showing chickens, oxen and rabbits.

“I had some great people at the barn who helped me,” she said. “It was difficult to reach everyone, but it was worth it.”

Snyder is a graduate of Shelby High School, where she played soccer and softball. Next week, she will head to Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, to study agricultural economics. She will also be part of the school’s livestock judging team.

“Other junior colleges have teams and we compete against each other,” she said. “It’s a points system.”

Snyder says confidence was the key to her victory

Snyder has been showing animals at the Richland County Fair since she was nine years old. She says she enjoys the challenge.

“I’m super competitive,” she said. “I played sports all through high school.”

Snyder said the most demanding animal at the show was Clyde, a black Jersey Giant chicken.

“I couldn’t even hold it,” she said.

Poultry judge Mindy Rowlands said she sees many large animal exhibitors having difficulty handling chickens.

“I think they have a lot of sharp body parts and that scares them,” she said. “They are allowed to hold their animals on halters and leashes and walk them around in a controlled manner.”

“It’s just you and the animal and you have to hold it. It’s a completely different scenario.”

Rowlands said the show is about more than just controlling an animal – it is also about the exhibitor’s knowledge of the species.

“I find that show talent is one of the more important aspects of a show because it actually shows that the child has acquired knowledge in that area,” she said. “When you show that you have knowledge, it means that you have taken the time to understand what you are looking at to make sure you are breeding the best breed and raising the best, healthiest bird available.”

“If they can name the breed they are dealing with, handle it confidently and are able to name the body parts, that is the first foundation for show talent and chickens.”

Competitors were not allowed to work with their own animals in show competitions, so proper technique in handling the animals was crucial. Snyder’s advice to younger exhibitors is to stay calm and confident.

“Of course, the work begins at home, you have to reprimand the animals,” she advised. “Move smoothly. You have to be absolutely calm, but you also have to appear confident.”

“You want to go in there as if you knew what you were doing, even if you don’t.”

There were eight girls on the show list

All eight participants in this year’s Showman of Showmen competition were girls.

Carole Kirkpatrick, chairwoman of the Richland County 4H committee, said she can’t remember the last time this happened.

“I think it was great to watch, but I really want our boys to step up and challenge the girls,” Kirkpatrick said.

Kennedy Studer, also of the Shelby FFA, qualified for the show pigs and took second place. Jordan Tedrow of the Lucas FFA qualified for the show horses and took third place.

Other participants were Bergan Leonhardt (4th place, beef), Cailey Fairchild (5th place, poultry), Maddie Boyer (6th place, goat), Kaley Bowman (7th place, alpaca) and Lilly Heydinger (8th place, rabbit).