Published 5:45 am Tuesday, September 20, 2016
The Western Idaho Fair in Boise gives the Meridian FFA chapter a chance to show and sell the livestock Supervised Agricultural Experiences — SAEs — they’ve been working with for the past several months.
Showing isn’t the only option at the fair; it also holds many other agricultural competitions such as tractor driving, livestock judging and dairy judging.
This fair is Ada County’s designated fair. Our chapter was also fortunate to be invited to show at the Canyon County Fair earlier in the summer.
Unlike Canyon County Fair, horses are added into the mix of large animals eligible to show through the Meridian FFA Chapter. The Western Idaho Fair started on Aug. 19 and ended on Aug. 28. While the fair lasts 11 days, the 4-H/FFA Livestock and Horse Show took place from Aug. 18 until Aug. 23. The Meridian FFA Chapter was represented by 42 showmen this year.
The following Meridian members showed horses:
•Ashlyn Schiers: Grand Champion English FFA Hi Point, Grand Champion Gymkhana FFA Hi Point, Grand Champion Ranch Horse FFA, Grand Quarter Horse Breed Award, Reserve Champion FFA Horse Showman, and Reserve Western FFA Hi Point.
• Loretta Lacy: Grand Champion Buckskin Breed Award and Reserve Gymkhana FFA Hi Point.
• Lauren Barker: Reserve English FFA Hi Point and Reserve Champion Ranch Horse FFA.
• Rachel Mansfield: Reserve Arabian Breed Award.
• Alexa Phillips.
• Amy Saleen.
• Mallie Miller.
The following members showed sheep:
• Zach Ball: Reserve Champion Lamb.
• Cody Ball: Reserve FFA Sheep Showman.
• Cameron King: FFA Run-off Showman.
• Dani Turnbough: FFA Run-off Showman.
• Dalton Turnbough: FFA Run-off Showman.
• Trinity Martin.
• Lauren Jackson.
• Kaitlin Muniz.
• Mollie Hiscox.
• Anna Jackson.
• Shelby Peugh.
• Ashton Shaul.
• Caydan Stirm.
• Kaitlin Steppe.
• Brock Shurtz.
• Tyson Hernandez.
• Blake Hilderbrand.
The following members showed swine:
• Ashlee Bowen: 3rd in FFA Swine Showmanship.
• Zach Kerby.
• Ashley Kerby.
• Maddie Bennett.
• Ryan Bennett.
Kate Johnson placed second in her Beef Market class.
The following members showed pygmy goats:
• Emily Pile: Grand Champion FFA Showman.
• Kiara Wetzel: Grand Champion Wether and Reserve Champion FFA Showman.
The following members showed dairy cattle:
• Zach Phillips: Grand Champion FFA Dairy Showman, Grand Champion Holstein & Sr. Cow.
• Siera Horton: Reserve Champion FFA Dairy Showman.
• Jordyn Bettencourt: 3rd in FFA Showmanship and Reserve Champion Jr. Cow.
• Mollie Hiscox.
• Kayla Schubert.
• Cameron King.
• Maddie Bennett.
• Ashton Shaul.
Makayla Buck showed meat goats.
Maddie Bennett — Grand Champion FFA Showman and Grand Champion Senior Nubian — and Ellie Higgins — Reserve Champion FFA Showman and Grand Champion Jr. Nubian — showed dairy goats.
Mikey Eilers won 1st place and Blake Hilderbrand was 2nd in tractor driving.
The following Meridian FFA members all made it to Large Animal Round Robin by being either grand or reserve champion showman in their animal areas through FFA: Zach Ball, Ellie Higgins, Ashlyn Schiers, Zach Phillips, Siera Horton, and Maddie Bennett.
Western Idaho Fair also features a 4-H/FFA Livestock and Dairy Judging Contest using showman’s animals. From Meridian FFA, Cameron King was 3rd in Livestock and Zach Phillips was 4th. For the Dairy portion of the contest, Siera Horton was 2nd and Jordyn Bettencourt was 3rd.
Members of our chapter also spend time preparing and running the Meridian FFA concessions fair booth. At this booth we sell drinks, sno-cones and some small food items during the entire week of the fair. This booth is a large fundraiser for our chapter. The money made here goes to helping members pay for attendance at state and national events.
It takes a large number of dedicated members to run this successfully. Thank you to all who donated their time to volunteer at the booth, as well as those fair competitors and spectators who supported our fundraising goals by making purchases.
The Meridian FFA Chapter would like to thank the 4-H/FFA Junior Livestock Co-Superintendents Dana Kolstad and Jack Blattner.
We also owe a huge thank you to all of the department supervisors of Meridian FFA showmen at this fair: Shane Stevenson and Joe Blackstock (Beef), Rhiannon Blum, Shawn Dygert and Michelle Ball (Dairy Cattle), Kim Moore and Ken Feaster-Eytchison (Dairy/Pack Goats), Lorraine Wikoff and Renee Peugh (Meat Goats), Paulette Henderson, Barb Recla, Brett Spencer and Liz Russell (Horse), Sandy Stevenson and Jessica Higher (Sheep), Jerry Berheim, Travis Edwards, Kelsey Bly (Swine) Dan Cecil (Pygmy Goat), Alan Heikkila (Tractor Driving), Brain Twait, Trish Stokes and Steve Wilder (Livestock Judging Contest), Leroy and Quyann Kerby (Large Animal Round Robin), as well as the Expo Idaho Board of Directors: Dave Moore, Steve Russell, Gary Johnson, Bob Batista, Bobbie Nida, Lonna Breshears, Hans Brujin and Kasie Morrison for continuing to make Western Idaho Fair a success.
Showmen who sold animals at the 4-H/FFA Market Sale this year would like to publicly thank Design Flooring, The Berheims, Les Schwab, and Western Heating and Air for being large buyers of our members’ animals at auction this year.
These buyers’ dollars often fund a member’s purchase of their next project animal, which allows that student to continue to develop their premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through FFA.
