Top-placing youth in 4-H showmanship events at the Yellow Medicine County Fair went on to compete in the senior premier showmanship event, where they each handled a variety of animals. Magen Tol placed first in senior premier showmanship.

CANBY — For many area youth, the Yellow Medicine County Fair was a chance to show their animals – whether that meant a calf, pigs, or even a puppy. On Saturday, events at the fair included the annual small animal show, where youth could bring their pets, and the 4-H senior premier showmanship competition.

Showmanship events are where 4-H members get a chance to show their skill working with animals, said Alicia Webb, interim 4-H Extension educator. There are showmanship events for all the different livestock species shown at the fair.

“What (showmanship) has to do with is, how well the young person shows their animal,” Webb said. Where other livestock events focus on judging the animal, showmanship looks at how young people handle their animals, and how much they know about them.

The senior premier showmanship event brings together 4-H senior showmanship champions for each of the animal species shown at the fair. The young people go in a round-robin showing all the different types of animals at the fair, from cattle to rabbits, Webb said.

“It’s a fun competition, and it has grown in our county,” she said.

This year, Magen Tol placed first in the senior premier showmanship event.

Webb said it was good to see the level of participation in 4-H events at this year’s fair. The number of horses and swine shown at the Yellow Medicine County Fair has grown, and the beef cattle project is also doing well, she said. This year, 4-H members also entered a wide variety of general projects.

“We had really full tables and display cases,” she said.

One of the positive things about 4-H at the fair was that kids and youth could explore their interests, and then learn from the judges, Webb said.

“The fair provides an opportunity for a young person to visit with someone who has expertise in those areas,” she said.