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November 2008 |
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Raising contenders to become champions |
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Monday, 04 August 2008 |
Youth share success secrets to raising winning livestock
By KAREN CAMPBELL
Staff Writer
A brother and sister from New Knoxville achieved in the same year what many youth at the Auglaize County Fair strive to achieve throughout years of showing animals.
Mitchel Heidt, 13, and Tiana Heidt, 14, had the Grand Champion Barrow and Reserve Grand Champion Gilt, respectively, in the Market Swine Show held on Wednesday.
Once his older sister already claimed one of the top honors in a show earlier that day with her hog, Bessie, Mitchel admitted that he didn’t think his hog, Skittles, stood a chance.
The likelihood of them both winning top prizes was too unlikely.
Later that afternoon, though, Mitchel walked away with the highest honor in his class.
“I couldn’t breath,” Mitchel said. “I was too excited. I still can’t get over it. It’s a pretty good feeling.
“And I’m kind of glad I won, too, cause she’d be bragging,” he said.
Tiana, who took Reserve Grand Champion a couple years ago, said she wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“It’s not normal for this to happen,” Tiana said.
Doug Heidt, the teens’ father, said they were all in shock.
“When you think about it, there are 470 hogs shown here, to have two of the top four is unreal,” Doug Heidt said. “This is one of the more competitive fairs in the state, too.”
Even though the family raises hogs, their two champions were no relation.
The teens said every judge looks for something different but this particular judge seemed to be looking at muscle, shoulders even with the butt, and a smooth top.
Like most showmen of champion animals at the fair, the Heidts said there is not anything they can do to change the genetic composition of their hogs, but they can feed each pig differently according to its needs and walk them to get them conditioned for the ring.
“When we pick them out in April, we try to get them a little muscular, but not too much,” said Tiana, explaining that the hogs will gain 200 pounds between then and when they are shown at the fair.
The two worked with their hogs two to three hours a night before the fair to get them show ready.
Logan Badertscher, 14, of Waynesfield, said she was surprised that her hog, Rosebud, earned Grand Champion Gilt.
Knowing that her family bred and raised the hog makes it that much more special that the judge thought of it as ideal.
Logan said she and her sister usually take turns picking the top seven piglets back and forth at home and then watch them grow for a little while before deciding on which one to take to the fair.
She said Rosebud stood out because of her larger structure.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Logan said. “I never thought I’d ever win. A lot of people spend thousands of dollars for a hog like that. This is something everyone hopes to achieve in their career.
“Judges are looking for something different each year,” Logan said. “You have to do what you can to get your hog the best it can be.”
Doug Heidt said the work doesn’t happen at the fair, it happens long before that.
“It’s a lot of luck, but you have to start with a good pig,” said Chuck Badertscher, Logan’s father. “Sometimes you hit it. Sometimes you don’t.”
Nathan Turner, 15, of Waynesfield, who showed the Grand Champion Steer at the fair on Wednesday night, said it was as much about how his steer, Otis, performed that night as anything.
“I was shocked,” Nathan said. “I didn’t expect it.
“He worked real good and set up perfect. It was a real good night,” he said after the win.
Otis also captured Grand Champion Born and Raised Steer on opening night of the fair.
“This is always your goal, but I don’t obsess over it,” Nathan said. “I definitely did the same thing I’ve always done this year and will do the same thing next year.”
Blake Knueve, 9, of Wapakoneta, certainly wasn’t expecting to win Grand Champion Born and Raised Goat his first year taking an animal at the Auglaize County Fair.
“We were just hoping he would place in his class,” said Blake’s dad, Scott Knueve.
“My family was all crying,” Blake said. “I did, too.”
Blake said he thinks what made the difference was how he worked with Ivan from day one. Blake, who walked his goats every day down his grandmother and grandfather’s lane, said he’s not really planning on changing anything about how he raised them, maybe just trying to put some more meat on them and set them better during the show.
“Some days are hard to go out when it’s hot, but the hard work pays off,” Blake said.
While he had thought about maybe trying another animal, Blake said he thinks he’ll stick with goats for a while.
The hardest part though, would be saying goodbye, Blake said last week.
“We talked about that before we even began the project,” his father said.
Blake countered back, “They’re really nice goats. Every time he brings it up I tell him to stop talking about it.”
Scott Knueve told his son he could keep proceeds from the goats and use them to start a college fund or pay for a car someday. Next year, the cost for more goats is on him.
Tyler Shipp, 19, of Wapakoneta, who showed the Grand Champion Dairy Steer at the fair Wednesday night, said it was a good way to end his last year.
“It takes a lot of hard work and time commitment,” Tyler said. “It’s great to see that pay off.”
Tyler, who has shown dairy cattle for 10 years, said judges are looking for a sharpness when they judge them. The sharpness refers to being able to see the rib, if they are too fat, that won’t show.
For sisters, LeeAnn and Aprille Steinke, the daughters of Kim and Richard Steinke, of Wapakoneta, showing champion dairy cattle at the county fair is just one week of their year spent raising the 80 Holsteins they have on a farm started in 1959 by their grandparents on Fox Ranch Road.
LeeAnn, 15, showed the Reserve Champion Holstein in an open show, while Aprille, 13, showed the Grand Champion in the open class of the Junior Holstein Show.
Ty Etgen, 18, also of Wapakoneta, who works with the family on its farm, showed the Grand Champion Holstein and Brown Swiss as well as the Supreme Champion Dairy Cow and the Reserve Supreme Champion Dairy Cow.
Ty said in addition to sharpness, judges are looking at a dairy cow’s feet and legs.
Most showmen empty their cows’ udders 16 hours before showing and then bag them, so they are nice and full for the judging.
Ty said he enjoyed working on the Steinkes’ farm and taking dairy projects so much that he intends to major in it at the Ohio State University this fall. Eventually, he’d like to buy his own farm.
“This is a good way to finish the year,” said Ty, who still has one more year left he could show, but isn’t sure how possible that will be with school next year.
LeeAnn, who has brought the same Holstein to the fair for seven years, said that is another thing that is unique about the cattle. They are not sold each year.
She said they keep the animals tame and show ready by starting when they are calves feeding them with bottles and playing with them.
They walk them around the yard two to three times a day to keep them moving slow.
The teens said not only have they learned about what makes a champion animal by showing at the fair, but have grown as people.
Ty said it builds character and LeeAnn said its a lot of responsibility but she likes that she’s helping her parents.
“It’s fun, but it also takes patience and instills maturity,” LeeAnn said. “A lot of kids may have jobs, but not very many understand a job like this.”
She said when she gets older she hopes to take over her parents farm, and they say that’s what they are working towards, too, keeping the farm in the family. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 05 August 2008 )
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