A new beef steer grand champion emerged for the first time in three years at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair Beef Show. However, the title didn’t travel far.
It stayed within the Paetzel family.
Nichole Paetzel, of Hope, took the honors during Thursday’s competition at the 4-H Pavilion.
The past two years, her brother Brad was the undisputed king of the beef show. He took the grand champion honors in the beef steer category in 2017 and 2018. But since he concluded his 10th and final year with 4-H last year, a new grand champion was inevitable.
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“When the judge (chose) me I was relieved. …To follow in my brother’s footsteps meant a lot,” said Nichole Paetzel, 17, who will be a senior at Hauser High School in the fall.
She estimated working with her winning steer for about 10 months, and said it was a relief to know her efforts paid off.
“It shows the younger kids hard work pays off, and how you have the opportunity to win,” Paetzel said.
The nine-year 4-H participant earned grand champion honors in beef showmanship last year and repeated that title again this year, while adding the beer steer crown to her mantle. Her many months and hours of work paid off with other titles, too, this year. Paetzel also claimed Class 2 champion honors in beef steer, and the expert champion title in beef showmanship.
The money from the sale of her winning steer in the livestock auction will go toward her college expenses. Paetzel said she plans to attend Purdue University and pursue a career as a veterinary technician or an orthodontist.
Some of the beef entries will be among the more than 200 animals set to be auctioned during the 4-H Livestock Sale at 8:15 a.m. today in the 4-H Pavilion.
A number of beef competition classes only had one entry. Show organizers said that reflects the high cost of feeding and raising cattle until they reach market weight, which takes longer than other livestock exhibited at the fair.
That contributed to only 72 heifers, steers and calves being exhibited during the Beef Show — seven fewer than last year.
But, the show still attracted a crowd of about 200 spectators, including many relatives who watched with pride as 4-H’ers showed the steers weighing between 951 and 1,683 pounds.
Although 56 young exhibitors were listed in this year’s event, show organizers said the actual number was smaller because some teens had multiple entries in either the same or different categories.
One was Kendrick Crowder, 13, who raised the champion Charolais heifer this year. That animal was one of two that Crowder had placed in the same competition. Since he couldn’t handle both heifers himself, he allowed his little brother, Kaleb Crowder to show one of the two heifers.
“The one my brother was handling was named champion,” said Kendrick Crowder, who attends Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School. “I would have preferred being the one who was handling the winning heifer, but … oh, well.”
When asked what he’s learned about raising heifers, Kendrick Crowder said it begins with breeding the proper animals, followed by keeping the commitment to work and train the calves as each matures.
In the Angus heifer competition, the judge picked 9-year-old Ava Dempsey as the champion in a category with seven entries. The Hope Elementary School student said she has been working with her heifer for more than a year, and is confident about handling animals much larger than her.
Another one of the youngest competitors received the banner for raising the champion mini Hereford. Jonah Sciano, a 10-year-old Whitecreek Lutheran School student, said he has been showing cattle for half of his life.
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7:30 a.m.: Livestock Auction Buyers Breakfast, Pavilion
8:15 a.m.: 4-H Livestock Sale, Pavilion
5 to 9 p.m.: 4-H Community, Family Arts, and Commercial buildings open
5 to 10 p.m.: Midway Opens – $20 wristbands until 10 p.m.
7 p.m.: Demolition Derby, Grandstand
7 p.m.: Blacksmithing Demonstration, Heritage Building
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The following won their classes in the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair Beef Show:
Beef heifer
Grand champion: Jake O’Connor
Reserve grand champion: Ava Dempsey
Grand champion county born and raised: Jake O’Connor
Reserve grand champion county born and raised: Ava Dempsey
Beef steers
Grand champion: Nichole Paetzel
Reserve grand champion: Joe Acree
Grand champion county born and raised: Nevaeh Paetzel
Reserve grand champion county born and raised: Emily Harker
Beef showmanship
Grand champion: Nichole Paetzel
Reserve grand champion: Makena Jackson
4-H Dairy
Grand champion overall female: Maddie Beyer
Reserve grand champion: Maddie Beyer
Dairy showmanship
Grand champion: Josie Burbrink
Reserve grand champion: Abbi Schiefer
4-H Dairy Starter Calf
Grand champion: Emily Hoene
Reserve grand champion: Ethan Hall
4-H Dairy Starter Calf showmanship
Champion: Abbi Schiefer
Reserve: Drew Schiefer
Rookie: Sydni Schiefer
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