BY CHARLEE BEASOR
DANVILLE — One thing Mike Peters likes about the 4-H Supreme Showmanship competition is that each of the contestants is willing to lend their expertise to other contestants.
“One thing I really enjoy is that they help each other,” he said. “It’s not a cut-throat competition. If they don’t know (how to show something), one of their friends will know somebody and they’ll ask for help. It’s kids helping kids.”
Each of the five competitors in the Supreme Showmanship competition — Devon Cox, Micha Williams, Katie Stewart, Kendall Smith, and Kelsey Covey — had to beat out 25 to 35 other showmen to compete in the culmination event.
The five categories — dairy, beef, swine, sheep, and horse — held competitions earlier in the week to determine the senior showmen that would compete in the event on Thursday night at the North Salem State Bank Arena at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Center.
Though the 4-Hers all work together and try to support their other competitors, there is only one person each year who takes home the Supreme Showman title.
This year it was Kendall Smith, who won the swine senior showman title Tuesday night and went on to take the overall Supreme Showmanship title.
“I really didn’t expect to win,” Smith said. “All of us were deserving. It was a surprise. I’ve never shown dairy, beef, or horse before. There was a lot of practice and time (that went into the competition).”
Smith, who will be a 10-year 4-H member next year, said winning a competition of this magnitude has been a goal of his since joining 4-H.
“This is an awesome thing,” he said. “It’s been my goal to win a competition like this.”
The Decatur Central senior will next compete with his swine at the Indiana State Fair in August. He also plans to attend Purdue University after graduating from high school.
His parents, Lori and Rex Smith, were in attendance at the competition. As soon as she saw 4-H Fair Queen Meagan Barrows present her son with the winner’s belt buckle, Lori burst into tears.
“This is just incredible,” she said. “It’s the culmination of 4-H for him. It’s been a very good day for him.”
Peters said he’s known Smith for a long time and is happy for him, as well as the other competitors.
“I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “He’s very deserving, and he did a very nice job. But I thought they all did a good job, and tonight it went to Kendall.”
For more fair coverage, turn to the B section of today’s Hendricks County Flyer.
charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com
