Representing the swine department, Hallie Frobose was consistent on Sunday earning the championship of
the annual Buchman Showmanship Sweepstakes event at the Wood County Fair. The event is held in the Beef
Show Arena.
Frobose, a member of the Livestock Unlimited 4-H Club, was the reserve champion in 2007 and used her
previous experience to take the top honors this year.
Reserve champion for 2009 was Jenny Warrick of Wood-n-Horses 4-H Club who represented the sheep
department.
For those not familiar, the Showmanship Sweepstakes is based on the competitor’s ability to show the
animal. While many fair events are based on the quality of the animal, winning a showmanship event is
contingent on the person’s abilities. The sweepstakes event is limited to the eight showmanship
representatives from the various animal departments at the fair.
In this event, those elite eight entrants show the other seven animals. They do not compete in their own
department, so versatility and a wide knowledge base is very helpful.
The judge of each species ranks the entrants from 1 to 7, based on their handling and showmanship of that
animal. CLICK
HERE TO VIEW PHOTO GALLERY
The scores are totaled with the low score winning. A perfect score would be a 7. Frobose totaled 18
points; while Warrick finished with 22 points. Third and fourth places were close behind with A.C.
Limes, Simply Stock 4-H, representing the beef department in third place with 24 points; while Dylan
Jacobs, Tontogany Four-Leaf Clovers 4-H, was fourth with 25 points as a representative of the poultry
department.
"This means a lot to me," Frobose said after her win. "It’s more important for me to be a
showman and a stockman, than to have a good animal," she said.
The difference for her was the knowledge and skill needed as a showman or stockman.
"It’s really harder to be a stockman," Frobose said. "A stockman knows all about the
species and the industry."
Before seeing the judges rankings for each animal, Frobose indicated she thought she had done her best
with the beef. She was correct as that was one of her two first place ranks. Her other first came in the
dairy department.
Despite that success, Frobose indicated the dairy show gave her the most problems.
"My dairy heifer wanted to go, but she did set up nice," she said.
The champion was also second in both goats and rabbits; and third with the horse and sheep. Interestingly
her only real struggle this year was a sixth place finish in the poultry show, an event she won in her
previous sweepstakes try.
Warrick won both the horse and goat divisions in the contest; and she was second in the poultry. The
horse win was not a surprise as she said she was originally a "horse girl." She has also shown
chicken previously, so that was a comfortable animal for her as well.
She knew she probably would not score well with her goat.
"My goat wasn’t agreeing with me," Warrick said. "But I did enjoy showing the pig. It was
kind of fun."
Warrick was fourth with the swine. She was third in rabbits, fifth in beef and sixth in dairy. Other
entrants who qualified to compete were Allen Jennings, Blue Ribbon Rangers, goats; Kristin Baumgardner,
Colorful Clovers, rabbits; Shelby George, Farmcrafters, dairy; and Alanah Abrams, Buckeye Buckaroos,
horse.
Limes was first in both poultry and swine; Jacobs was first with rabbits; and Jennings won the sheep
event.
Interestingly it was the second consecutive year a person from the swine department took top honors as
Amanda Morlock one last year. With those two victories, the swine department now boasts eight champions,
only one behind the beef department which leads after 29 years of competition in this unique event.
The event is named for the late Bill Buchman, a member of the Ohio 4-H Hall of Fame and a longtime 4-H
adviser and supporter.
Frobose’s father, Dan Frobose was a winner of this event in 1975.