ASHLAND — Two of the best Ashland County Junior Fair showmanship winners captured one more title late Thursday night.
Emily McGovern, 16, took the fair’s Little International title for senior showmanship.
McGovern said winning Little International “pretty rewarding,” even after all her other achievements throughout the week.
The Hillsdale High School junior earned her stripes in the showmanship ring on Monday when she placed first in the Supreme Dairy Showmanship. She also placed first in a number of other projects, along with raising a third place market hog.
“When you don’t really know about all the other animals, this is pretty rewarding,” she said.
Little International is a fun way to get kids to learn about all the other animals at the fair. Belinda Weber, a junior fair board advisor, said the event also tests students’ knowledge of each animal — some of which the student may not have shown before.
“It’s like, ‘who did their homework?’” she said.
When McGovern won her showmanship event, the junior fair board invited her to compete in Little International, along with around 70 others. The event tests students on their knowledge of animals like goats, dogs, chickens, rabbits, horses, pigs and sheep.
McGovern’s experience revolves around cows and hogs, she said.
So it was up to her to learn about the animals and how to show them before Thursday’s event.
Katie Griffey, 13, earned the blue ribbon in the intermediate category. The second-year 4-H student from Ashland Christian School won best of show in dairy cattle, first place in showmanship for goats and third overall in her class.
To prepare for Little International, she visited other barns to learn about the animals.
“I just talked to some people today,” Griffey said.
McGovern and Griffey represented two of 32 participants in Thursday’s Little International event.
McGovern said she is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field — but eventually she wants to earn enough money to buy her own farm, she said.
