Sixteen champions gathered in the ring Friday at the Trade Center Building for the Round Robin Showmanship Competition. 

Round Robin competitors are the cream of the crop senior and junior showman at the 2016 Northwest Montana Fair. Each competitor had already proven the capabilities of winning grand champion by showing one type of animal earlier during the fair. 

The Round Robin takes showmanship skills to the next level. 

Participants must prove their ability to handle different animals from poultry to rabbit, lamb to dairy, steer to goat and horse to miniature horses. 

The animals are of champion quality themselves and belong to the competitors. But that doesn’t mean an animal isn’t  having one of those days and being uncooperative. 

Competitors have to brave nerves and be ready for anything, such as the feisty lamb who went rogue on one handler and gave chase, the rabbit that escaped from underneath a participant’s hands and tried to hop away, or the steer that required competitors to lean into its head to get it to turn with them.

Competitors spend five minutes at each station. Judges watch them carefully and ask questions about the animal for 

Goat judge Sam Newton said showmanship is less about the animal and more about the handler. 

“They have to be good general showmen, handle themselves well, handle the animals well. Kids will be nervous because they aren’t handling an animal they are familiar with,” Newton said, noting that earlier in the day participants met the different animals and got a crash course in showing them.

Behind the Trade Center, Dillon Jewett, 11, walked a miniature pony to a trailer and back. After answering some questions he waited for the emcee to announce the next rotation. He is the junior grand champion in hog showmanship. 

“A lot of things that are the same,” Jewett said about showing one animal to another. “You kind of just have to adapt to your animal.”

Round Robin announcer Kelly Morrow said showmanship is also about confidence.

“I think confidence in handling animals safely,” Morrow said. “The more animals they’re able to handle, the more practice they have, the more confidence they have.”

4-H leader Kim Morrison added: “And dedication. Typically your top showmen are going to be the kids that went and raised the bar and took the extra time to spend with their animals throughout the project year. They’re the ones you’re going to find in the barn until dark and back in the barn at 6 a.m.”

That confidence and dedication translates to “real life,” according to Morrison.

“4-H is all about real-life experiences and what it can teach them and so it teaches these kids, as adults, you’re always coming into different situations — and to have that confidence you’ll be able to know that you can get through whatever life throws at you,” Morrison said.

After the Round Robin was finished, stacks of judge’s score sheets were tallied. Thirteen-year-old Bailey Lake hung out with her fellow competitors and nervously chewed on a fingernail awaiting results. She was a senior grand champion in lamb showmanship.

“I think I did pretty good in all the animals except chicken and rabbit. I’m scared of chickens and the rabbit you have to flip it over,” Lake said with a laugh.

Her strongest suit was the lamb, and she thought she did well showing the steer and goat.

“You just have to be confident and do your best,” Lake said.

Finally the results were tallied. The competitors gathered in the ring once again and Morrow announced the senior and junior grand and reserve champions.

“And your 2016 overall showman is Kaitlyn May,” Morrow said.

A smile spread across May’s face after hearing her name announced as the overall livestock showmanship senior grand champion. People around her patted her arm in congratulations. May, 17, is also the senior grand champion showman in steers and is the grand champion in market beef.

May said she has shown other animals before including a hog and lamb. The toughest animal to show for May during the Round Robin was the goat.

“Goats aren’t my thing,” May said with a laugh. “I felt the strongest with the steer, lamb and hog.”

To prepare, May was one of those competitors Morrison described earlier, a dedicated person who spends a lot of time working with animals.

“Throughout the year I’m trying to improve my knowledge,” May said. “It takes hard work, dedication and a lot of time to be well-rounded in all areas.”

The time and effort spent learning about livestock is worth it. It’s May’s passion.

“I want to pursue this as a future career,” May said.

The award caps a successful year for May.

“This actually has been the best year for me,” May said.

Overall livestock showmanship

• Senior grand champion – Kaitlyn May
• Senior reserve champion – Bethany Lyford
• Junior grand champion – Kaylee Fritz
• Junior reserve champion – Anna Morrison

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.