Group of livestock, fashion revue, and cake decorating kids at State Fair displaying their well-deserved awards. L to R: Addisen Shults (cake decorating), Trevor Gould, Jada Gould, Teagan Smith, Charlie Rogers, Klayton Carroll, Josh Simmons (friend of RBC 4-H), Hayden Garcia, Cienna Rogers (livestock and fashion revue), Cambrey Rogers, Whitney Carroll, Brooklyn Griggs.
Success can mean achieving a goal, a purpose or a positive result. This may look different depending on your perspective or what you are working toward, but we can all agree that success is spending every day doing what you love. This is what many Rio Blanco County 4-H’ers experienced at the Colorado State Fair this year. Colorado State University Extension’s Rio Blanco County 4-H program sent a total of 40 4-H’ers who met the criteria in their divisions or classes to compete against other counties throughout Colorado. Additionally, RBC had 11 4-H’ers compete in livestock events, with six market animals earning spots in the Colorado State Fair Junior Livestock Sale. Whether on the range, in the ring, on the stage or through exhibition, our county’s 4-H members gave their all at the Colorado State Fair. Their dedication, commitment and skills were noticed and acknowledged by spectators and judges alike throughout the state.
State Fair is a multiweek opportunity to highlight 4-H members who have brought their best to their given areas of expertise and risen to this level of competition. Competitors take part in a tradition with deep historical roots. The State Fair is a more than 150-year-old celebration, which is older than the state of Colorado itself. While most fairs started as a way to showcase livestock, today’s fairs have become events, taking on new meaning. Both at the county and state level, our fairs maintain historical and cultural practices, as well as bring entertainment, education and excitement to communities. With agriculture being integral to our roots in Rio Blanco County, the ability to exhibit and compete at the State Fair level is the epitome of success for these competitors.
COLORADO STATE FAIR INDOOR 4-H PROJECTS
4-H members create indoor exhibits or displays for a wide range of projects, allowing 4-H’ers to find their niche. Indoor creations range from educational poster boards or portfolio displays to stand-alone exhibits such as a bow stand, electrical project or diorama, or a decorative item related to a discipline – think shotgun-shell lights or horseshoe welding projects. The opportunities are endless for kids in this space. We are proud to have sent the following Rio Blanco County kids to the State level with their Rio Blanco County Fair indoor creations:
INDOOR PROJECT RESULTS
Natural Resources
Shooting Sports – Archery Display Board (Senior): Dawn Arnold – 3rd.
Shooting Sports – Shotgun Display Board (Junior): Kaisley Sanford – Class Reserve Champion, 2nd.
Shooting Sports – Shotgun Display Board (Intermediate): Jesus Guzman – 4th.
Shooting Sports – .22 Stand-Alone (Intermediate): Jacob Olson – 8th.
Shooting Sports – .22 Stand-Alone (Senior): Liam Olson – 3rd.
Gardening – Unit 1 (Junior): Addisen Shults – 5th.
Entomology – Insect Collection (Intermediate): Waylon Tuck – Division Champion/Class Champion/1st.
Wildlife – Managing in a World (Intermediate): Melody Miller – Class Champion/1st.
State Qualifying Projects: Ethan Hicks – shooting sports (archery – stand-alone); Klayton Carroll – shooting sports (archery – stand-alone).
Family and Consumer Science
Clothing Construction – STEAM Simple Bottom (Junior): Whitney Carroll – 5th.
Artistic Clothing – Recycle Clothing (Intermediate): Cambrey Rogers – 5th.
Heritage Arts – Crochet Unit 1 (Senior): Aidyn Kirkpatrick – Class Reserve Champion, 2nd.
Heritage Arts – Crochet Unit 3 (Senior): Aidyn Kirkpatrick – 3rd.
Cake Decorating – Edible Cake (Intermediate): Melody Miller – 7th.
Cake Decorating – Single Layer (Junior): Addisen Shults – 8th.
Foods and Nutrition – Scones (Intermediate): Blake Smith – 3rd.
Foods and Nutrition – Outdoor Cooking and Living (Intermediate): Blake Smith – 3rd.
State Qualifying Projects: Cienna Rogers – artistic clothing (upcycle); Ellie Rundberg – cake decorating (two layer).
Communication Arts and Leisure Sciences
Visual Arts – Painting and Printing (Senior): Brooklyn Griggs – 8th.
Global Citizenship – Study Another Country (Senior): Cash Leischer-Fromang – Class Champion/1st.
COLORADO STATE FAIR CONTESTS
The Colorado State Fair allows 4-H’ers to compete in contests within their projects. This is an opportunity to showcase a culmination of their skills and training throughout the 4-H year. This year was especially exciting as we had 4-H youth compete in the following contests: Shooting Sports Championship, Master Showman, Cake Decorating, Fashion Revue and Dog Trials. Although our numbers were small in some contests, our results were mighty!
SHOOTING SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP
The Colorado State Shooting Sports Championship is for 4-H members who qualified at the Rio Blanco County Fair Shoot in their respective disciplines. These include archery (compound and traditional bow), .22 (pistol and rifle), air (pistol and rifle) and shotgun (trap, skeet and sporting). Due to the large number of 4-H shooting sports competitors throughout the state, the events are held over two separate weekends. Members are placed individually and by teams. A team consists of four competitors, with the team placing determined by the top three individual scores.
Shotgun – Junior Trap (117 competitors): Ace Behunin – 19th; Kenton Manchester – 64th; Tyler Urie – 68th. Team placing: 21st out of 33 teams.
Shotgun – Senior Trap (136 competitors): Matthew Morgan – 71st.
Archery – Compound Limited Senior (85 competitors): Taylor Kirkpatrick – 7th (personal best); Kassidy Sanford – 61st (personal best).
Archery – Recurve Traditional Junior (42 competitors): Lee Kirkpatrick – 2nd (personal best).
Archery – Compound Limited Junior (125 competitors): Hudson Hummel – 2nd (personal best); Ethan Hicks – 10th (personal best); Sawyer Hummel – 14th; Jacob Olson – 67th (personal best). Team placing: Champion (1st Place) out of 24 teams.
.22 Rifle – Hunt Scope Senior (52 competitors): Luke Olson – 40th.
.22 Rifle – Hunt Junior (111 competitors): Blake Smith – 24th.
.22 Rifle – Hunt Scope Junior (76 competitors): Jacob Olson – 25th (personal best); Gabriel Rosales – 40th.
Air Rifle – Utility Junior (48 competitors): Blake Smith – 37th.
Air Pistol – Junior (53 competitors): Blake Smith – 36th.
MASTER SHOWMAN
It is an honor to be awarded the opportunity to attend the Colorado State Fair Master Showman Contest. Youth eligible to attend this contest must have won the Large Animal Round Robin Contest at their county fair. Those awarded the opportunity to attend must have demonstrated a mastery of showmanship skills in five different livestock species: market beef, market goat, market lamb, market hog and horse. At the state contest, competitors take a written test covering general knowledge of the industry, accounting for 30% of their score, and show each species in the show ring, accounting for the remaining 70% of their score. This contest showcases a member’s versatility in handling livestock and overall knowledge of the agricultural industry.
Teagan Smith: Senior Champion Round Robin Rio Blanco County Fair; Qualifier Colorado State Master Showman Contest.
CAKE CONTEST
This timed event requires participants to decorate a cake based on the class and standards they have entered. 4-H’ers bring all of their materials and supplies to the contest, making sure to have water, smoothing knives, icing, piping supplies and anything else needed to create their masterpiece.
Addisen Shults: Grand Champion/1st.
FASHION REVUE
Offered to senior members, the Fashion Revue allows 4-H’ers to showcase their hard work in clothing and sewing projects by creating a runway experience and wearing their projects for the judges.
Cienna Rogers: Judge’s Special Award – Most Enthusiastic.
COLORADO STATE FAIR DOG TRIALS
Our 4-H’ers and their companions typically compete in three different disciplines within the dog project. Showmanship judges the kids’ handling abilities; obedience looks at how well dogs listen and perform various routines, emphasizing the dogs’ ability to be well-mannered companion animals; and rally is where kids and dogs work together to maneuver through a course and perform various tasks. The rally team portion consists of four youth-dog pairs that run through the same course, and the team score is compared with others. The rally team also has a costume contest that is judged separately, providing a fun opportunity to watch the teams work the course in unusual attire.
DOG TRIAL TEAM RESULTS
Rally Team Costume Contest, Theme Cops and Robbers – Champion Team, 1st: Ben Olson (Bodie); Brooklyn Kirkpatrick (Ripley); Aly Healy (Shawnie); Dani Osborn (Bear).
Rally Team Costume Contest, Theme Harry Potter – Reserve Champion Team, 2nd: Dixie Hall (Moose); Melody Miller (Sadie); Landree Tate (Ellie).
Rally Team – 5th: Ben Olson (Bodie); Aly Healy (Shawnie); Brooklyn Kirkpatrick (Ripley); Dani Osborn (Bear).
Rally Team – 7th: Melody Miller (Sadie); Landree Tate (Maverick); Dixie Hall (Moose).
DOG TRIAL INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Brooklyn Kirkpatrick – dogs Ripley and Georgie: Senior Novice Showmanship – Class Champion/1st (Georgie); Pre-Beginner B Obedience – 3rd (Georgie); Rally Intermediate A – 4th (Ripley).
Dixie Hall – dogs Moose and Ammo: Beginner Novice A Obedience – Class Reserve Champion/2nd (Moose); Pre-Beginner Novice B Obedience – 4th (Ammo).
Aly Healy – dogs Shawnie and Copper: Beginner Novice B Obedience – 3rd (Shawnie); Senior Open Showmanship – 4th (Shawnie); Rally Novice B – 10th (Copper).
Brodee Kilduff – dog Maggie: Intermediate Novice Showmanship – Class Reserve Champion/2nd; Rally Novice A – Class Reserve Champion/2nd; Pre-Beginner Novice A Obedience – Class Champion/2nd.
Melody Miller – dogs Sadie and Cookie: Intermediate Advanced Showmanship – 5th (Sadie); Rally Intermediate B – 5th (Sadie); Rally Novice B – 7th (Cookie).
Dani Osborn – dogs Bear and Butch: Intermediate Advanced Showmanship – 6th (Bear); Rally Intermediate B – 10th (Bear).
Landree Tate – dogs Maverick and Ellie: Novice B Obedience – Division Overall Grand Champion and Class Champion/1st (Ellie); Rally Excellent A – Division Overall Grand Champion and Class Champion/1st (Maverick); Rally Intermediate B – Class Reserve Champion, 2nd (Ellie); Intermediate Advanced Showmanship – 3rd (Maverick).
COLORADO STATE FAIR LIVESTOCK SHOW RESULTS
The livestock portion of the State Fair dates back more than 150 years. It is a way for individuals to exhibit both breeding and market stock, enabling them to receive valuable feedback from judges to improve their herds and 4-H projects. At the 2026 State Fair, 1,932 animals were shown, including 696 market animals. Of the market animals, only 93 went to the State sale, including six animals from Rio Blanco County 4-H’ers.
Cienna Rogers: 1st Lightweight Market Goats Class 1 (Nix) – made State sale; 3rd Medium Weight Market Goats Class 1 (Magic).
Cambrey Rogers: 3rd Lightweight Market Goats Class 4 (Tebow) – made State sale; 5th Medium Heavy Weight Goats Class 3 (Shaq); 6th Intermediate Showmanship (market goats).
Trevor Gould: Reserve Champion Berkshire Market Hogs, 2nd (Smalls) – made State sale; 8th Junior Showmanship (market hogs).
Klayton Carroll: Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog/Champion Light Crossbred Market Hog/1st (Spider Pig) – made State sale; Reserve Champion Chester White Market Hogs/2nd (Oliver); 3rd Overall Dark Cross Breeding Gilt (Prada).
Jada Gould: 3rd Breeding Gilt Class (Murr); 4th Breeding Gilt Class (Spot); 8th Spots Market Hogs.
Kassidy Sanford: 2nd Light Cross Breeding Gilt Class (Zuzu); 10th Dark Crossbred (Medium Weight) Market Hogs Class 3 (Elvis Pigsley).
Kaisley Sanford: 4th Overall Breeding Gilt and Champion Light Cross Breeding Gilt/1st (Bertha).
Brooklyn Griggs: 2nd Dark Crossbred (Heavyweight) Market Hogs Class 4 (Rodman) – made State sale.
Teagan Smith: 6th Black Face (Medium Heavy) Class 1 (Goose); 7th Black Face (Lightweight) Class 3 (Doc Hudson); 7th Black Face (Middleweight) Class 1 (Maverick).
Hayden Garcia: Grand Champion Market Rabbits/1st California Meat Pen Market Rabbits – made State sale; 3rd New Zealand Meat Pen Market Rabbits; 4th New Zealand Meat Pen Market Rabbits; 8th New Zealand Meat Pen Market Rabbits.
Charlie Rogers: Reserve Supreme Champion Junior Breeding Heifer/1st Maine-Anjou Heifers (Ella); 4th Senior Showmanship (Breeding Heifers).
LIVESTOCK AND HORSE JUDGING TEAM RESULTS
Prior to the State Fair, overall livestock judging points were tabulated from contests attended by members throughout the year. Livestock judging requires a lot of van time with teams and coaches, traveling to multiple competitions and practicing their craft. While horse judging skills were honed throughout the year, 4-H held a separate statewide competition in June at the Colorado State 4-H Conference in Fort Collins.
Paisley Potter: All-State Top 10 Junior Livestock Judge; 3rd overall 4-H livestock judging.
Milo Brennan: 13th overall 4-H livestock judging.
Aly Black: 19th overall livestock judging.
Joslin Spieth: 4th overall 4-H horse judging; 5th Halter Judging; 5th Oral Reasons; 6th Performance Judging.
COLORADO STATE FAIR WOOL SHOW RESULTS
Additional Rio Blanco County success came through the Wool Show. Although some of these individuals may not be current 4-H members, their families and livestock are ingrained throughout the county and, in some cases, have provided the foundation for many 4-H projects. We want to recognize the success of these ranches and individuals in the State Fair Wool Show:
Wool – White Commercial
70’s & Finer Combing – Ewe Fleece: Theos Swallow Fork Ranch – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th; Macy Collins – 4th; Sawmill Livestock – 5th, 8th; Chintala Family – 10th.
64’s & Finer Combing – Ewe Fleece: Macy Collins – Champion Ewe Fleece/1st; Sawmill Livestock – Reserve Champion Ewe Fleece/2nd, 3rd; Chintala Family – 4th, 7th.
64’s & Finer Combing – Ram Fleece: Sawmill Livestock – 4th; Dessa Watson – 7th; Eric Wellman – 8th.
62’s Combing – Ewe Fleece: Macy Collins – 1st; Cora Lewis – 3rd.
58’s Combing – Ewe Fleece: Kilduff Family – 1st.
56’s Combing – Ewe Fleece: Kilduff Family – 2nd, 3rd.
56-54’s Combing – Ram Fleece: Cox Family – 1st.
50-54’s Combing – Ewe Fleece: Cox Family – 1st; Kilduff Family – 2nd.
50-54’s Combing – Ram Fleece: Cox Family – 1st.
36-48’s Combing – Ewe Fleece: Eric Wellman – 1st.
Wool – White Handspinning
56-58’s Combing – Ram Fleece: Eric Wellman – Champion Ram Fleece/1st.
Wool – Variegated Solid Color
56-58’s Combing – Ram Fleece: Eric Wellman – 1st.
As you can see, success for Rio Blanco County 4-H members, families and local ranches looks different for everyone. For some, it’s competing at the State level or having a project go to the State Fair; for others, it’s making the State Livestock Sale or showcasing the quality of their ranch. Regardless of what that definition of success looks like, the amount of time, effort and support needed to get to this level is something to applaud. The results speak for themselves. We have so many talented and committed 4-H members, families and supporters in Rio Blanco County; their hard work and dedication have been noticed by many. It is also exciting to see each 4-H’er excel in their area of interest, find new ways to challenge themselves and grow to better themselves, their club, their community, their country and their world.
By MEGHAN DAVIS
CSU Extension Director
Rio Blanco County
.22 rifle shooting sports 4-H’rs at the range. L to R: Blake Smith, Luke Olson, Gabriel Rosales, Jacob Olson.
Photo of Kaisley Sanford with her champion light cross gilt, Bertha, which was also 4th overall open breeding gilt. This gilt will enter into the Sanfords’ breeding pen, with the goal to produce better offspring than the parents.
Cienna Rogers sporting her handmade sweatshirt at State Fashion Revue You must be a senior to compete in this portion of State Fair, and Cienna has enjoyed every opportunity given for fashion revue.
Brooklyn Griggs and her hog Rodman in the livestock show ring at State Fair. Rodman was 2nd in his class and earned a spot at the Junior Livestock Sale.
Working with livestock throughout the year is critical in having them look their best when being judged. Cambrey Rogers has her goat set just right, and is making eye contact with the judge letting them know she has the best in the ring.
Addisen Shults showing off her cake and ribbons at the State Cake Contest. This contest is timed and judges evaluate the kids’ cake at the end. Addisen was crowned champion for her beautiful creation.
Senior 4-H member, Hayden Garcia, showing off her Grand Champion banner for her pen of 3 market rabbits.
Paisley Potter, who was ranked 3rd in the State for the Junior All State Judging Team.
Master Showman, Teagan Smith, and one of his market lambs during down time around the ring. This photo captures the amount of care these kids have for their animals – no matter how long they have them for.