Lights, Camera, Action! It’s Show Time at the Junior Fair

Ramona Home Journal File Photo

By Johnny McDonald

It’s show time again. It marks the culmination of many weeks of preparation, as youngsters put their animals up for high scrutiny in Junior Fair showmanship competition, Aug. 3, 4, 5 and 7.

Major awards will be the announcements of grand and reserve champions in beef, swine, lamb and veal.

Fair secretary Nancy Christensen said there should be over 300 entries this year. The animals will come from Future Farmers of America, 4H and Grange groups.

Ramona’s youngsters have produced strong results elsewhere, taking home seven grand and reserve champion honors in recent years at Del Mar.

There are some strong entries this year.

FFA’s Hanna Payne, who took reserve champion lamb honors last year, has entered a steer, pig and lamb. The Ramona senior is FFA chapter president and has been showing since elementary school.

Other prominent FFA entries include 2003 reserve champion Ariana Guzman, with a steer and three goats, and Jessica Clark, with a pig, two lambs and two veal. Clark shows but sells her animals privately outside the auction.

Others will be Chelsey Watson, who has shown a Suffolk lamb champion; Tristian Monterastelli, who claimed first place master and was best first year showman; and Lindsey Dreyer, third in advanced beef showmanship, at Del Mar.

“Most of the champions come from my seniors and my alumni,” said Kimberly Smith, Ramona High FFA adviser for five years. “Just kinda worked out that way...I’m kinda glad it does.”

“We have a fifth-year program for those who want to show one more year.”

Cindy Zeigler, leader of the 4H Wranglers, said she has four prominent showers.

“They are Douglas Chaves, reserve champion in veal at Del Mar; Paula Martinez, who is considered a good veal showman, as is Shannan Smith, with sheep; and Gunnar Peterson, with swine.”

Besides Ramona FFA and 4H, animals will come from Grange and single participants from Fallbrook, Valley Center, El Capitan and El Camino (Oceanside).

Advisor Dale Fullerton’s Julian FFA students will be represented with three steer, 10 pigs, two sheep and one goat.

“Quite a few of our kids who showed champions never came from families with backgrounds that would help them obtain quality animals,” Smith said. “They are from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.”

“Student loans are made available by the Bank of America and Ag credit. There also is private sponsorship from time to time.”

“Finally, for a student who has been a truly dedicated team player and worked hard, we can usually set them up with a private sponsorship from a breeder.”

Students are required to be at the fairgrounds at 6 a.m. for morning chores and 6 p.m. for evening chores, in addition to scheduled barn duties. They watch for everybody’s animals.

“There are more pigs than anything else,” Smith said. “Lamb and goats are an even split, veal and beef are about even.”

At Ramona, FFA and 4H members compete against each other.

“Del Mar has enough kids to compete in separate divisions (FFA and 4H), but we’re too small,” said Zeigler. “Cost-wise, it would be pretty expensive. Frankly, I don’t want to be as large as Del Mar. It’s too much work.”

“You can enter as many as six animals for breed but not for market. Maybe a couple market animals and the others must be breeders.”

Ramona has five 4H clubs with such names as Stars, Wranglers, Roughriders, Ramona Valley and Pizanos. There are others from San Ysabel and Warner Springs.