By Brad Johnson

Did you go to the Rowan County Fair? Yes, the weather was a little rainy, but after the most brutally hot and humid summer in most folks’ recollection, temperatures were beautifully mild, and the fairgrounds looked great as the Rowan County Fair Association, entertainers, exhibitors and vendors put on a beautiful display of fall decorations.

The food was great, the entertainment made a person smile and forget their troubles for a little while, and most folks met at least one old friend they hadn’t seen in quite a while (maybe since last year’s fair). There were many phenomenal exhibits, from vegetables to food preservation and crops, and from horticulture to baked goods and crafts. Some really neat stuff.

Did you see the Allis-Chalmer’s toy tractor made from an old sewing machine? And great educational displays, highlighted by the North Carolina Goodness Grows, numerous Rowan County Cooperative Extension displays, and the fair-goer interaction at the South Rowan FFA Children’s Barnyard.

No, I haven’t forgotten what are easily the biggest highlights of the fair for me: the livestock and the children. The Rowan County Fair has gained a reputation for some of the highest quality, most competitive livestock shows in North Carolina, headlined by a group of amazing, extremely hard-working exhibitors. The children can’t help but make you smile.

The 2011 Rowan County Fair livestock shows broke a number of records for entries and caused a number of headaches trying to figure out where to stall all the critters (great headaches to have). The breeding ewe, meat goat and market lamb shows are closed to Rowan County exhibitors only, while the beef and dairy cattle are “open to the world.”

Beef and dairy numbers held steady, with 91 beef (from as far away as Castalia) and 150 dairy (mostly Rowan County, but also Davidson, Davie and Iredell County exhibitors). Meanwhile, small ruminant numbers exploded, with 76 breeding ewes (20 more than 2010), 36 meat goats (12 more than 2010), and 86 market lambs (30 more than 2010).

Kayla Hampton of China Grove exhibited both the Supreme Champion and Reserve Supreme Champion Breeding Ewes, which were also the Grand and Reserve Champion Hampshire Ewes.

Other Breeding Ewe winners include:

• Grand Champion Black Face Cross: Abigail Wilson, China Grove.

• Reserve Champion Black Face Cross: Cindy Connolly, Mt. Ulla.

• Grand Champion Speckle Face: South Rowan FFA.

• Reserve Champion Speckle Face: South Rowan FFA.

• Grand Champion Scottish Black Face: William Jones, Salisbury.

• Grand Champion Shropshire: Josie Correll, Cleveland.

• Grand Champion Tunis: Matthew Jones, Salisbury. The Grand Champion Meat Goat was exhibited by Abigail Wilson, while the Reserve Champion Meat Goat was exhibited by Cindy Connolly. Other Meat Goat winners include:

• Champion Junior Showman: Abigail Wilson.

• Champion Intermediate Showman: Sam Hager, Mooresville.

• Champion Senior Showman: Shanna Phillips, Mt. Ulla. Abigail Wilson exhibited the Grand Champion Market Lamb, while Bubba McLaughlin of Mooresville exhibited the Reserve Champion Market Lamb. These lambs were also named Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Black Face Cross Market Lambs, respectively. Other Market Lamb winners include:

• Grand Champion Speckle Face: Joshua Wilson, China Grove.

• Reserve Champion Speckle Face: Clarke Phifer, Cleveland.

• Champion Pee-Wee Showman: Matthew Connolly, Mt. Ulla.

• Champion Junior Showman: Cindy Connolly, Mt. Ulla.

• Champion Intermediate Showman: Ryan Menius, Woodleaf.

• Champion Senior Showman: Bubba McLaughlin.

• Lamb Dress-Up: First, Riley Corriher, China Grove; second, Emry Starnes, Mooresville; third, Ben Starnes, Mooresville.

One of the most incredibly heart-warming events of the fair takes place Thursday morning — the Rowan County Fair Exceptional Children’s Lamb Show. Thirty Exceptional Children took part in this year’s show, with the expert guidance of more than 30 school-age volunteers. Beverly Hampton (Mt. Ulla) organized this show for the first time in 2010 as her senior project for West Rowan High School and has continued the show’s organization.

The Grand Champion Broiler Pen of Three was exhibited by Bryan Bettis, China Grove, while the Reserve Champion Broiler Pen of Three was exhibited by Jamie Rivenbark, Salisbury. The Broiler Pen of Three project would be impossible to conduct without the great support of Piedmont Research Station and the Agriculture programs at Jesse Carson, East Rowan, South Rowan and West Rowan high schools.

TX Enterprises (Winston-Salem) exhibited the Supreme Champion Beef Female, which was previously named the Grand Champion All Other Breeds Female. Karl and Cortney Holshouser (Castalia) exhibited the Reserve Supreme Champion Beef Female, which was the Grand Champion Angus Female. Green Hills Gelbvieh (Mt. Ulla) exhibited the Supreme Champion Bull (was the Grand Champion Gelbvieh Bull), while Birdsell Livestock (Turnersburg) exhibited the Reserve Supreme Champion Bull (was the Grand Champion Charolais Bull).

Other Beef Show winners include:

• Supreme Champion Showman: Austin Teeter, Mt. Ulla.

• Reserve Supreme Champion Showman: Brooke Harward, Richfield.

• Champion Pee-Wee Showman: Salem Sifford, Snow Camp.

• Champion Junior Showman: Madison Sifford, Snow Camp.

• Champion Intermediate Showman: Austin Teeter.

• Champion Senior Showman: Brooke Harward.

• Grand Champion Feeder Steer: Austin Teeter/Green Hills Gelbvieh.

• Reserve Champion Feeder Steer: Justin Ridenhour, Salisbury.

• Grand Champion Angus Female: Karl and Cortney Holshouser.

• Reserve Champion Angus Female: Castalia Cattle Company, Castalia.

• Grand Champion Angus Bull: Vandemark Angus, Spring Hope.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Charolais Female: Birdsell Livestock.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Charolais Bull: Birdsell Livestock.

• Grand Champion Gelbvieh Female: Austin Teeter/Green Hills Gelbvieh.

• Reserve Champion Gelbvieh Female: Carson Hall/Green Hills Gelbvieh.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Gelbvieh Bull: Green Hills Gelbvieh.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Hereford Female: Roseview Cattle Farm, Snow Camp.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Hereford Bull: Roseview Cattle Farm.

• Grand Champion Santa Gertrudis Female: Flatwillow Farm, Statesville.

• Reserve Champion Santa Gertrudis Female: Colt Sherrill, Mt. Ulla.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Santa Gertrudis Bull: Flatwillow Farm.

• Grand and Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Female: TX Enterprises.

• Grand Champion All Other Breeds Bull: TX Enterprises.

• Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Bull: Justin Ridenhour.

• Grand Champion Commercial Female: Carson Hall/Green Hills Gelbvieh.

• Reserve Champion Commercial Female: Twin B Farms, Denton.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Commercial Bull: Herbert Dooley, Mocksville.

• Beef Dress-Up: First, Ben Starnes; second, Payton Lemly, Salisbury. Corey Foster and La-Foster Farm (Cleveland) exhibited the Dairy Supreme Champion, which was also the Grand Champion Holstein. Kylie and Salem Ward (Lexington) exhibited the Dairy Reserve Supreme Champion, which was the Grand Champion Ayrshire.

Other dairy show winners include:

• Supreme Champion Showman: Steven Wetmore, Mt. Ulla.

• Reserve Supreme Champion Showman: Kylie Ward, Lexington.

• Champion Pee-Wee Showman: Lauren Hayes, Mooresville.

• Champion Junior Showman: Jonathan Luther, Mt. Ulla.

• Reserve Champion Junior Showman: Hannah Baysinger, Mocksville.

• Champion Intermediate Showman: Micki Jo Grubb, Ramseur.

• Reserve Champion Intermediate Showman: Kylie Ward.

• Champion Senior Showman: Steven Wetmore.

• Reserve Champion Senior Showman: Adam Moore, Mt. Ulla.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Ayrshire: Kylie and Salem Ward.

• Junior and Reserve Junior Champion Ayrshire: Kylie and Salem Ward.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Brown Swiss: Jonathan Ward, Lexington.

• Junior Champion Brown Swiss: Jonathan Ward.

• Reserve Junior Champion Brown Swiss: Sam Hager.

• Grand Champion Guernsey: Goldprint Farm, Linwood.

• Reserve Champion Guernsey: Brianna Leonard/Shady Oaks Farm, Lexington.

• Junior and Reserve Junior Champion Guernsey: Goldprint Farm.

• Grand and Reserve Champion Holstein: Corey Foster/La-Foster Farm.

• Junior and Reserve Junior Champion Holstein: Corey Foster/La-Foster Farm.

• Grand Champion Jersey: Shelby Karriker/Karrimont Farm, Mocksville.

• Reserve Champion Jersey: Dusty Road Jerseys, Statesville.

• Junior Champion Jersey: Steven Wetmore.

• Reserve Junior Champion Jersey: Lauren Luther, Mt. Ulla.

• Dairy Dress-Up: First, Tally Medina; second, Abbie Raffoldt; third, Madison Noble.

Last, but not least, a huge thank you to: Rowan County Fair Association, Carolina Farm Credit, Cross Creek Cattle, Rowan County Farm Bureau, Sunset Feeds, R.S. Braswell, Myers Forest Products, The Garden Greenhouse, all the Market Lamb and Broiler Pen of Three Sale buyers and bidders, Lazy 5 Ranch, and anyone that attended the fair! See you next year!

Brad Johnson, Cooperative Extension Agent, Livestock and Dairy, Rowan County Cooperative Extension; 704-216-8970.