RBC | Rio Blanco County 4-H’rs entered 12 animals for state fair competition in Pueblo at the end of August. Macy Collins took eight animals and came home with 10 ribbons and better. Her goats, Tipo Percy and Pacha Chaka, placed third and fifth in heavy weight market goats while Kusco placed fourth in medium weight market goats. Collins’ lamb Bruce Jacques placed third in black face medium heavy weights while her lambs, Rudder Gerald, Hank Crush and Nemo, placed third, fourth and fifth in black face heavy weights. Collins scored big with her shorthorn heifer, Frosty Revival, placing first in summer yearling heifers (calved May-August 2016) and being named the champion shorthorn plus heifer.
Halle Ahrens placed sixth in cross-bred market hogs with Pua. Marryn Shults, with her steer Creed, placed sixth in intermediate division (11-13 year olds) showmanship market beef and eighth in market beef steers. Hayden Shults with his heifer, Socks, won the championship in junior division (8-10 year olds) prospect showmanship and placed second in the prospect heifer calved in 2017 class. Samantha Lapp of Rangely also took her hog Fez.
For shooting sports indoor exhibits, Whitney Rusher, Jace Vroman, Sarah Kracht, Jacob Roberts, Riley Boydstun, Teagan Sheridan, Cameron Preciado, Kiyoko Thelen, Andrew Dorris, Paityn Myers, Keihlin Myers, Dalton Dembowski, Hailey Scott, Landin Lopez and Austin Lopez all qualified projects for state fair. Sheridan earned a third place for his metal quiver stand in the intermediate archery division while Boydstun earned a ninth place with his senior archery display board. Dorris won eighth in his intermediate shotgun display. Landin won the grand championship in western heritage with his junior division “Meeker massacre” display while Scott won the reserve championship in western heritage with her intermediate “Sarah Montgomery” display.
In competitive shooting, three RBC 4-H’rs qualified in the state archery contest. Finals were held at Lake Pueblo State Park in late August. Riley Boydston competed in senior compound traditional archery and was ranked third in the state of 22 entrants. Kiyoko Thelen won fourth place out of 88 contestants in senior compound limited archery. Sarah Kracht ranked 29th of 108 entrants in junior compound limited archery.
Amy Jo, Rowdy, and Kasey Rosendahl did extremely well with their creative stamping leather craft entries. Rowdy placed third with his intermediate rifle sling, Amy Jo won the junior reserve championship with her handbag, and Kasey won the grand championship in senior leatherwork with a breast-collar.
In clothing construction, the county qualified six entries: Jessica Pelloni, Chloe Goshe, Neveah LeBlanc, Aimee Shults, Hadley Franklin and Kolbi Franklin. In class 1, Goshe scored a reserve championship for her intermediate shorts while Pelloni scored sixth place with her junior skirt and top. In Class 2, Shults earned a fourth place with her junior two-piece pajamas. LeBlanc won ninth place with her intermediate one-piece dress. In Class 3, Kolbi won the reserve championship with her senior dress.
Cooper Arnold qualified in sportfishing and earned the junior reserve championship with his fishing display. Mackenzie Keetch, Said Valeriano and Sierra Gomez qualified in intermediate, junior, and senior unit 1 foods and nutrition. Gomez earned fifth place in her class while Keetch won the grand championship with her cake.
Skylar Grimes’ junior insect collection earned ninth place in entomology class. Cade Greager and Kayla Scott had entries in Model Rocketry. Scott won sixth place in her class with her silver rocket. Sidney Keetch qualified in junior gardening with a display board on medicinal plants.
RBC 4-H coordinator Tera Shults told the Herald Times, “The county was very well represented at the state fair in all aspects—livestock, indoor exhibits and shooting sports. RBC 4-H is extremely proud of our state fair entrants for working so hard in order to compete at the state level.”