Michaela Eades, of Jonathan Alder Junior High School, is pictured at center at the 2022 Ohio State Fair. Eades was named the first place outstanding market poultry exhibitor and was awarded $1,000 with the title.
(Photo submitted)
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Union County was well represented at the 2022 Ohio State Fair with 38 livestock participants, including youth and adult exhibitors.
Kyle Stacklin, Wyatt Stacklin, Morgan Evans, Emma Arver, Wyatt Arver, Kinley Balzer, Kylee Balzer, Camdyn Burns, Troy Buyer, Chloe Dickey, Danielle Eades, Holly Eades, Michaela Eades, Linsey Eddy, Emma Griffey, Anna (Christina) Headings, Dennis and Rebekah Headings, Julianne Headings, Stephenie Headings, Sylvia (Madeline) Headings, Roger High, Colby Hoffman, Olivia Jenkins, Glade Jolliff, Audrey Lahmers, Ava Lahmers, Elaina Lahmers, Phelps Farms/Dave Phelps, Avery Poling, Silver Mist Quietcove, Noah Rausch, Evangeline Reidman, Austin Schlosser, Caden Smith, Allison Stacklin, Heidi Walls, Ethan Wendt and Dan Westlake competed in the livestock events at the annual fair, which took place July 27 to Aug. 7 at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave., Columbus.
Christy Leeds, a 4-H educator, said youth exhibitors enter themselves to show at the state fair.
“Youth have to be members in good standing of their organization,” she said.
Leeds added that the number of Union County exhibitors at the state fair “varies every year.”
Unlike the Union County Fair or Richwood Fair, only champions are sold at the state fair, Leeds explained.
Several exhibitors had notable success at this year’s Ohio State Fair.
Morgan Evans, of North Union High School, was named champion of the market Hampshire breed lamb. She also placed first in her class for market showmanship.
Dan Westlake, a lamb breeder in Marysville, competed in open show awards that are not limited to junior fair participants. He was named the Ohio Premier Exhibitor of the Open Breeding Hampshire Sheep. He also showed the Reserve Champion Ewe in the Open Breeding Hampshire Sheep category. Additionally, he showed the Champion Ram in the Open Breeding Hampshire Sheep category.
Linsey Eddy, who is a 2021 graduate of Fairbanks High School, was named premier exhibitor of the Open Breeding Polled Dorset. Eddy also showed the Reserve Champion Ewe in the Open Breeding Polled Dorset sheep category.
Michaela Eades, of Jonathan Alder Junior High School, was named the first place outstanding market poultry exhibitor. This award is based on how the market bird does in its class, market bird showmanship and the exhibitor’s skillathon score. Eades was awarded $1,000 with the title. Eades placed first in her class for poultry breeding showmanship. Furthermore, Eades was named outstanding in the 12-year-old division for the record book competition.
Her sister Danielle Eades, of Plain City Elementary School, placed first in her class for poultry breeding showmanship. Additionally, Danielle won the 8- to 9-year-old division for the record book competition.
Kyle Stacklin, of North Union Local Elementary School, was named a poultry outstanding market exhibitor. Additionally, Stacklin placed fourth overall with his pen of market broilers. His older brother, Wyatt, placed fifth overall with his pen of broilers. Their sister Allison Stacklin placed first in her class for market chicken showmanship.
Elaina Lahmers, of Fairbanks High School, showed the Reserve Intermediate Champion in the Open Brown Swiss beef category.
Ava Lahmers, of Fairbanks Middle School, showed the YRP Junior Champion in the Junior Ayrshire beef category. She also showed the Junior Yearling Female Champion in the Open Ayrshire category.
Glade Jolliff, of North Union High School, placed second for the YRP Reserve Champion Tunis Ewe in the Junior Breeding Tunis sheep category.
Anna (Christina) Headings, of Fairbanks Middle School, showed the YRP Senior Champion and the YRP Grand Champion in the Junior Milking Shorthorn dairy cattle category. Her sister Sylvia (Madeline) Headings, of Fairbanks High School, showed the best bred and owned Ohio Ayrshire cow in the Open Ayrshire dairy cattle category. Additionally, Madeline is the Ohio Junior Guernsey Queen of the state dairy breed association. Their sister Julie Headings is the Ohio Ayrshire Queen. Stephenie Headings, another sister, is the Ohio Milking Shorthorn Princess and the Ohio Ayrshire Princess.
Colby Hoffman, of North Union Elementary School, placed fourth overall in the prospect steer category.
For more competition results from this year’s fair, visit https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/get-involved/competition-results.
The Ohio State Fair is scheduled to return July 26 through Aug. 6, 2023.