Beloit siblings win top awards at Ohio State Fair

BELOIT -- Two West Branch Local School District students won prestigious prizes at the recent Ohio State Fair in Columbus.

Zayden Wooten, 13, who will be an eighth grader at West Branch this year, was named Southdown Breed Champion in the Junior Market Lamb Show on July 29. For junior exhibitors, winning the Southdown Breed Championship is a mark of excellence in breeding and showing, according to the state fair website.

Winning the breed championship at the Ohio State Junior Market Lamb Show is a significant achievement. Zayden's win placed him among the top overall finishers, as the competition showcases grand champions and reserve grand champions in nine various breed categories -- a total of 18 lambs -- making it to the final drive with their exhibitors.

The show, judged by Wade Franklin of Texas, featured 553 market lambs from across Ohio.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to have made it to the final drive at the Ohio State Fair Junior Market Lamb Show with my Grand Champion Southdown market lamb. My lamb and I are a team. The bond we built through all the hours in the barn made us stronger in the ring. Just like in any sport, we put in the work, were ready to compete and trusted each other when the pressure was on," Zayden said.

His sister, Kenzie, now 16, who will be a junior at West Branch High School, was named the 15-year-old Outstanding Market Exhibitor in the Junior Market Lamb Show. She was recognized at the Sale of Champions on Sunday.

The Outstanding Market Exhibitor (OME) award at the Ohio State Fair recognizes top-performing youth exhibitors in market livestock categories who excel in both academic and showmanship skill and live animal competition, according to the state fair website.

To qualify for OME, youth must compete in their species in an in-person skillathon, participate in and use their own animal for showmanship and exhibit their market animal in their species category. The OME score is calculated by combining the skillathon score, showmanship score and live animal class placing.

"I've worked really hard all spring and summer, so having the opportunity to be invited to the Sale of Champions at the Ohio State Fair as the 15-year old OME felt really rewarding. If there's one thing I could say to other kids in 4-H, it would be that pressure is a privilege and not something to be afraid of. It means you've put yourself in a position where something worth achieving is on the line," Kenzie said.

To show livestock at the Ohio State Fair, participants must meet project eligibility, ownership and compliance requirements set by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State Fair. The youth must be enrolled in the livestock project they are showing and be a good standing member of either Ohio 4-H or Future Farmers of America, the website states.

Zayden and Kenzie are members of the Goshen Good Growers 4-H Club, where Kenzie serves as the club president. She is also a member of the West Branch High School FFA chapter, where she has served as a student adviser and is the sentinel.

This is the siblings' fifth year in 4-H and they have raised and trained 12 lambs this year. It was their second year showing at the state fair.

"They developed a love for this 'sport' and wanted to set a new goal and take on a new challenge," their mom, Kristi Lawson, said.

They will exhibit their lambs at the upcoming Canfield Fair at both the Junior Market Show as well as the Open Show. Kenzie also will be showing a Beef Feeder in the Junior Market Show. They will sell their lambs at the Junior Fair Auction in the Event Center at 7 p.m. Sept. 3. Kenzie will sell her Beef Feeder at the auction at 11 a.m. Sept. 7.

"They'd like to invite everyone to consider attending the shows and sales at the fair this year and supporting the youth there. Purchasing a 4-H animal is about more than buying livestock -- it's an investment into a young person that often affords them the opportunity to continue showing the following year," Lawson said.

"These kids have months of hard work, responsibility, dedication and commitment that go into their projects. If you're not interested in purchasing an animal but still want to support the 4-H member, the Mahoning County Junior Fair offers an 'add-on' option for additional financial contributions. This form can be found on the Market Livestock page of the website www.mcjrfair.com. Supporting a 4-H member means investing in the future of the young people and the community."