By GLEN WERLING
So what does winning the 2022 Wells County 4-H Royal Livestock Showmanship mean to Brooklyn Moore?
“Everything,” a beaming Moore said as she held onto the Jack Sills Memorial Trophy and Captain Family Belt Buckle Wednesday night in the show arena.
“It’s an honor to win this because it’s all about how hard a person works,” she added.
Moore is the daughter of Mike and Tara Moore of rural Poneto. Her brother, Wesley, won Royal Showmanship four years in Blackford County.
The moment she was announced the senior showman winner at Sunday night’s sheep show, Brooklyn started preparing for this moment. She put in two to three hours daily since that moment learning how to show all of the different species.
The nine-year 4-H member had shown swine and meat goats but Wednesday night she was put to the test, along with her seven fellow showmen, in having to show eight different species.
“Beef or dairy beef were the most difficult to show tonight because the cattle weren’t cooperating,” Moore said.
Few of the animals were. Although there was a good breeze outside of the arena, the day’s 90-degree heat was caught inside the arena as it was packed all around with spectators.
One of the show’s organizers, Leah Sills, observed the contest was close among the eight competitors.
Also participating in the event and the animals the species showmanship they won to qualify for the contest were: Catalina Tucker, dairy; Hallie Mounsey, dairy beef; Rachel Bauermeister, dairy feeder; Bailey Sliger, swine; Ella Wheeler, dairy goats; Emma Bailey, beef cattle; and Fletcher Wenger, meat goats.
None of the participants are allowed to show their own animals nor the animals of a sibling.
The two-hour long contest wrapped up shortly before 9 p.m. Judges this year were Ryan Herrell from Frankton, Justin Siefler from Delphos, Ohio, and Mike Ott from Albion.
glenw@news-banner.com
