Richmond County 4-H Showmen Are Great!!

It's been another busy couple weeks for our Richmond County 4-H Goat Showmen! Several of them recently competed at the Cumberland and Anson County Shows and did very well. It's hard to believe that we only have 2 more shows before the State Fair. Be sure to tell these 4-H'ers how proud you are of them the next time you see them!

On a windy night at the Cumberland County Fair, Christin Deese and Jordan Carroll finished 1st & 2nd in the Junior 9-10 class. Junior 11-13 is always a tough class to judge and had Ryan McInnis in 1st, Sarah Maske 3rd, Elizabeth Deese 4th, and Grayson McQueen 7th.

The Anson County Agricultural Expo was also held last weekend and Richmond County 4-H was again in the top placings! The Junior 9-10 class finished with Christin Deese in 2nd, first year showmen Madelyn Chappell in 3rd, and Jordan Carroll in 6th place. Richmond County took 4 of the top five spots in the Junior 11-13 class where Ryan McInnis took 1st place, Elizabeth Deese came in 2nd, first year showmen Trey McInnis finished 4th and Sarah Maske took 5th place. The Senior division found Abby Allen in 1st place, Michael Ezzell in 3rd and Nathan Ezzell in 7th.

We continue to be amazed by the growth and responsibility that these young people are showing through these projects! Great Job!!

Richmond County Showmen Continue to Show Their Class!

Richmond County 4-H Livestock Showmen continue to do an outstanding job at the 4-H Farm Credit Showmanship Circuit Shows! Recently members again took top prizes at shows in Union and Stanly Counties.

At the hot & sunny show in Union County, NC, 8 Richmond County Showmen were in the line-up, including Jordan Carroll, Elizabeth & Christin Deese, Michael & Nathan Ezzell, Sarah Maske, Ryan McInnis, and Grayson McQueen! Showmanship classes are always a tough call, and show judge Brent Jennings did not have an easy decision to make in any class. Jordan Carroll won the Junior 9-10 division, with Christin Deese coming in second. The Junior 11-13, always a big, tough group to place, found Ryan McInnis in the top spot, followed by Elizabeth Deese in 2nd, Grayson McQueen in 4th and Sarah Maske in 11th. Michael Ezzell took home 1st place Senior showman and Nathan Ezzell came in 4th in the class. Everyone did a fantastic job showing in the heat & sun! Hope no one got burned!!

At the Stanly County Show, Richmond County Showmen again took many top places! Junior 9-10 Showmanship found Christin Deese in 3rd place, Jordan Carroll in 4th, and first year showman Madelyn Chappell in 5th! The Junior 11-13 group finished with Ryan McInnis in 1st, Elizabeth Deese in 2nd, Grayson McQueen in 3rd, Sarah Maske in 4th, and Trey McInnis in 10th place. Richmond County showmen also took the top spots in the Senior Showmanship class, with Michael Ezzell in 1st, Nathan Ezzell in 2nd, and Abby Allen in 3rd!

We could not be more proud of all the hard work that you all put into these projects! We look forward to seeing how the last couple shows before the State Fair goes! For more information on supporting these 4-H'ers as they plan to compete at the NC State Fair or about the 4-H Program in general, please contact Michelle Stumbo at michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu.

JCPenney Day of Giving Back

Help raise money for Richmond County 4-H by saving on your JCPenney purchases!

When you shop at Richmond Plaza JCPenney between September 14 and 28, you can purchase a $5 coupon good for 20% off* almost all JCPenney store, jcp.com and catalog purchases made on Sunday, September 28. The JCPenney Afterschool Fund will then donate your $5 to Richmond County 4-H!

Also, join us for the Day of Giving Back at Richmond Plaza JCPenney on Sunday, September 28 to redeem your coupon and celebrate the important work that Richmond County 4-H is doing for kids in our community.

Shopping while helping others…
it’s a winning combination!

*10 or 15% discount on certain purchases; some exclusions apply. See coupon for details.

For more information, please contact Michelle Stumbo at
910-997-8255 or michelle_stumbo@ncsu.edu.

"Herd" What Happened at the 4-H Goat Show?!?

Most people will tell you that “office hours” do not include Saturdays, but the Richmond County Cooperative Extension Office was hard at work this past Saturday hosting the 2008 Richmond County Goat Show. The Richmond County Show attracted youth from 8 counties, including Anson, Columbus, Hoke, Lee, Moore, Montgomery, Richmond and Union Counties. A total of 35 4-H’ers brought more than 60 animals to the farm of Dale Dewitt in Ellerbe.

The Richmond County 4-H Livestock Club really showed their stuff on Saturday by competing strongly in every event. Richmond County 4-H’ers took home all of major awards of the show. The club members are: Trey McInnis, Savannah Chappell, DeLani Reep, Christin Deese, Taylor Chappell, Jordan Carroll, Sarah Maske, Grayson McQueen, Nathan Ezzell, Madelyn Chappell, Abby Allen, Bobbie Martin, Ryan McInnis, Elizabeth Deese, Michael Ezzell, Brianna Hamilton and Abigail Hamilton. Everyone in the club did a fantastic job and is looking forward to the rest of the show season.

Abby Allen was awarded the Senior Showmanship award, while Elizabeth Deese was the Junior 11-13 Showmanship winner and Christin Deese won the Junior 9-10 Showmanship division. The Showmanship classes are designed to gauge the 4-H’ers knowledge, skill, and hard work logged with the animal before the show. 4-H’ers can be asked questions about their animals and how they are cared for while presenting the animal to the best of their ability for the judge.

Ryan McInnis, a 4-H’er from Richmond County, showed the Grand Champion Doe. Jordan Carroll of Richmond County showed the Reserve Champion Doe. Does are females who will be bred and will continue production on the farm. Does are judged on their frame and structure based on how they would carry the extra weight of being pregnant and the stress of milking.

Both the Grand and Reserve Champion Market Wethers were from Richmond County. Wethers are judged on the total marketability of the animal. The Grand Champion Market Wether was shown by Christin Deese of Richmond County. Elizabeth Deese, also of Richmond County, showed the Reserve Champion Market Wether.

We would like to again thank our Richmond County 4-H Goat Show Sponsors who have already contributed: Richmond County Farm Bureau, Inc., Richmond County Tourism Authority, Iron Horse Auction Co., Mrs. Leeann Crump, Champion Ford, E.E. Vuncannon, Inc., Fiesta Brava, Triple L Farms, Hideaway Farms, Wal-Mart, Jordan & Jordan Enterprises, Robinson's Diesel Shop, Carolina Farm Credit, Andrews Farm Produce, Awards Plus & Kitty Kat’s Embroidery, Wiley Mabe, and Ellerbe Pharmacy. Several individuals and businesses donated funds that were used to purchase pens to be used at the show, including: John McInnis Farm, Danny & Glenda McInnis, Scotland Motors, Inc, Lee Howell & family, and Fidelity Bank. Special thanks to Edwin Richardson of Farm Bureau for awarding plaques and ribbons and to Dale & Melanie DeWitt for donating outstanding show facilities and serving as the ring steward and show announcer for the day.

To join these youngsters as "Future 4-H Showman" please contact Michelle Stumbo, 4-H Extension Agent, or Tiffanee Conrad-Acuña, Livestock Extension Agent at 997-8255. United Way of Richmond County also supports Richmond County 4-H Club activities.