Photo by Jenny Kirk After injuring her ankle earlier, 4-H’er Sophie Larson sought help to bathe her two sows, and a trio of volunteers — (from left) Brody Wixon, Ciera Tutt and Shelley Sweetman — pitched in to help during the Murray County Fair on Wednesday.

SLAYTON — When Shelley Sweetman got a call from her granddaughter on Wednesday morning, she was quick to volunteer — even if it meant scrubbing sows for an upcoming swine show.

“I used to do this 50 years ago, from age eight to 18,” Sweetman said. “I was in 4-H and showed pigs and cattle.”

Currie Poco-a-Poco 4-H’er Sophie Larson had sprained her ankle at volleyball practice and wasn’t up for bathing her animals for competition at the Murray County Fair, which officially started on Wednesday.

“I had to call in the recruits,” Larson said.

Along with her grandma, Larson received help from her friend, Ciera Tutt, and cousin, Brody Wixon.

“I’m in 4-H, but I don’t show pigs,” said Tutt, who is a member of Lakers 4-H club.

While some Murray County 4-H’ers were preparing for today’s lineup, others were busy showing rabbits, goats and sheep on Wednesday. Badger Lake 4-H’er Danyel Neilson was awarded junior showmanship champion during the rabbit show.

“It feels cool,” Neilson said about topping the competition. “I think it went pretty good. I’m glad I won with Eivie. She did good.”

While the junior group of eight were asked individual questions by judge Karen Dykstra, there were times where they could just shout out the answer to questions as well.

“The judge asked us what two different breeds of rabbits were except our own breed,” said Neilson, who will be a fourth-grader at Murray County Central this fall. “I have a Dutch. Her name is Eivie. Then they had some questions where whoever answered first got a point.”

Currie Poco-a-Poco 10-year-old Frederick Plaetz won a tiebreaker with Addy Dierks to earn reserve champion in junior showmanship with one of his nine rabbits he was showing at the fair.

“It’s the first time I’ve gotten two reserve champions for showmanship,” he said.

Also competing in junior showmanship competition were: Ryker Davis, Mia Wichmann, Cadance Miersma, Trevor Larson and Keaton Giesen. Slayton Shooting Stars 4-H’er McKenna Samuelson won senior showmanship honors, while Lakers 4-H’er Hannah Wichmann was awarded reserve champion.

Plaetz and Davis were also among those participating in the goat show on Wednesday. Davis edged out Plaetz to win junior division showmanship honors.

Davis wasn’t the lone winner in the family, though, as older sisters Regan and Jaysa Davis also did well showing their goats.

“It’s pretty hot, but it’s going good,” Regan Davis said. “I’m showing four goats (Wednesday), along with dairy and two pigs (today).”

Davis topped the senior meat breeding doe kid class.

“She was my one goat we bought at a sale, so we had a lot of confidence in her,” she said.

As a “super senior,” which means she is one year beyond high school graduation, Davis is relishing the 4-H experience one last time.

“It’s my last year in 4-H, so it feels sad,” Davis said. “But I know I’ll be back, so that’s nice. I like 4-H, so it’s a big part of me. I know I’ll be back for sure. I’ll be helping somebody.”

With several classes to go yet, Jaysa Davis had already picked up a reserve champion in the junior meat breeding doe kid class. Fenton Friends 4-H’er Matthew Mouw was awarded champion in the class.

While it’s a bonus to earn top awards, 4-H teaches youngsters the value of the process and experience. Non-competitive Cloverbud experience often hooks participants for the future.

“It’s a good program,” said Robert Swick, whose daughter, Paislee Swick, was among three Cloverbud participants in the goat show.

“Her name is Milkshake,” Paislee Swick said of her 4-month-old doe. “This is our first year.”

Tyler Kruse and Lucas Boerboom rounded out the cloverbud class.

Along with the livestock, Plaetz also brought fair projects in six different categories.

“I made two lap ropes, which are also called throw blankets, that I’m going to give to both of my grandmas,” the Westbrook-Walnut Grove Elementary School student said. “I also brought two Lego sets, one poster board about flooding at the pageant site, initials on a hanging board, two shelves I made and 12 pictures.”

Plaetz said the most challenging was the bookshelves.

“The only things I used were wood, nails and metal,” he said. “I used barn wood and barn roofing.”

For the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Flood 2018 project, Plaetz not only created an outstanding visual presentation using a poster board, he also organized photos, newspaper clippings and other information into a binder.

“I had pictures with captions and then a little book that told about what the pageant was about,” Plaetz said. “I also explained about the flooding and how only the sound booth, public bathrooms, concession stand and T-shirt shop were spared. There was 6-8 feet of water there and almost everything got ruined.”

Plaetz said there was at least $30,000 worth of damage to the outdoor theater and that a Go Fund Me page had been started. While the flood damage was devastating, Plaetz said he was grateful that a calf he led around while portraying Johnny Johnson in the pageant was saved.

“The calf named Spot was rescued,” he said. “It was way back by the creek in a trailer. Some of the crew saved him by putting him in a duck boat.”