Stories of the fair: Fifty-six exhibitors show 83 lambs during the open market lamb show
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on October 1, 2016 10:09 PM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
A lamb receives a soapy bath just before the Junior Open Market Lamb Show at Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair on Saturday.
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Live stock judge William Morris smiles and gives the thumbs up to 5-year-old contestant Macon Parker during the Open Junior Market Lamb Show at Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair on Saturday.
Schyler Crocker is calling out commands to his sister, Lydia, and her lamb, May.
"Side.
"Other side."
"Walk."
Lydia leads May in a small circle just outside the livestock shelter at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair Saturday.
Though Lydia is only 9, she has already competed in eight shows this year.
She said she wasn't nervous about competing Saturday.
Schyler said he competes in competitions that show cows, and he is giving his sister advice on how to impress the judges.
"We grew her out and sheared her and worked her leg hair," Schyler said about what was done to prepare May for Saturday's Open Junior Market Lamb Show. "We combed her leg hair, too."
Both Schyler and Lydia are from Johnston County, and traveled to Wayne County Saturday to compete in livestock shows.
Lydia competed in the first class of 10 total classes of the Open Junior Market Lamb show, which is for lambs weighing 98 to 101 pounds.
The man judging the competition, William Morris, is from Virginia, and gives each contestant a full run down on why their lamb took the place it did at the end of each class.
Morris analyzes the muscling of the lambs, how they feel to the touch, what their flanks look like, the girth of the animal and how it walks, and so on.
Lydia and May, after Morris described May as an impressive animal that was elegant and smooth, take third in the first class of Saturday's show.
In all, there were 83 lambs and 56 exhibitors in the various classes for the open market show, which was followed by a showmanship show.
Each contestant made their rounds through the ring in the livestock shelter, and likely began preparing for the competition well ahead of Saturday's events.
Jason Thomason is holding three lambs -- Spring, Leroy and Breaux -- that belong to his two children, Rachel, 10, and Jacob, 7.
Both have been competing for several years. Thomason said Rachel has competed for five years, while Jacob has competed for two.
Thomason said his family is from Wilson county, and that his children's mother, Amber, passed down her love of competing in lamb shows to her children.
"We've competed all up and down the east coast," Thomason said. "We're in the Eastern North Carolina showmanship circuit, so we compete all over."
Fair Manager Eddie Pitzer said the stakes were particularly high at Saturday's event, because the Wayne County Open Junior Market Lamb show is the last in the eastern North Carolina circuit, and it will determine who the champion of the circuit is.
Then, the champions from every circuit in the state will converge at the North Carolina State Fair next week, Pitzer said.
And the key to success in these shows, Thomason said, is preparation.
"We prepare way before the day of the event," Thomason said. "Most people start prepping in May. These kids spend several hours each night with these lambs. You can tell who's worked and who hasn't."
The Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair will continue today with the Beef Heifer Show at 1 p.m., with 48 beef heifers and 28 exhibitors.