RANGELY | From the barn at age 2 to the show ring this year, Ryann Mergelman’s 4-H journey ended with a double victory. She capped her career at the Rio Blanco County Fair by winning Grand Champion hog and Reserve Grand Champion lamb.
Mergelman has shown livestock since she was 2 years old, starting with open shows and Sheep Lead before joining 4-H 10 years ago and FFA five years ago. Over her career, she has shown hogs, lambs, cattle and goats, earning Grand or Reserve Champion lamb for eight consecutive years.
Her major titles include Grand Champion Lamb from 2019–2024, Reserve Champion Lamb in 2018 and 2025, and Grand Champion Hog in 2022 and 2025. This year’s hog weighed 264 pounds and her lamb 128 pounds.
“It feels absolutely amazing to wrap up my 4-H career with both the Grand Champion pig and the Reserve Grand Champion lamb,” Mergelman said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my final year — it truly feels like going out with a bang. Every ribbon and banner came from years of early mornings, long nights and hard work in the barn.”
Preparation this year was a team effort. After returning home from college in May, Mergelman resumed training her animals with the help of her parents and brother, following tailored feeding and exercise routines, skin and wool conditioning, and careful grooming.
“This year’s lamb was unlike any I’ve shown before,” she said. “At the start of the season, he became seriously sick, and there was a point we weren’t sure he would make it. Stepping into the ring knowing how far he’d come made his Reserve Grand Champion win incredibly rewarding.”
Mergelman said her most memorable accomplishments came in showmanship. “While I truly enjoy the excitement of winning in the market classes — and those wins mean a lot — showmanship has always held a special place in my heart,” she said. “It’s never been just about having the best animal; it’s about the bond you create with that animal and the time, patience and dedication it takes to work together as a team. I have competed in the Round Robin competition all 10 years, winning five times and earning Master Showman twice. I will now compete at the state level for Master Showman. I have also earned either Grand or Reserve lamb and pig showmanship every year I’ve shown. Winning showmanship is deeply personal because it reflects the hours spent in the barn and the small improvements made day after day. Being able to finish my 4-H career with showmanship wins feels incredibly rewarding — it’s proof that the effort I’ve put in over the years has paid off.”
Reflecting on her 4-H experience, Mergelman said the moments that stood out the most weren’t the banners or ribbons, but the journey that led to them. “The early mornings in the barn before school, the long hours working with my animals in the heat or cold, and the small breakthroughs that no one else saw but meant everything to me,” she said.
“Showing livestock has shaped me in ways that go far beyond the show ring. It’s taught me discipline, responsibility, and a work ethic that has carried over into every part of my life. The drive to constantly improve — to put in the effort day after day, even when it’s hard — became a habit that pushed me not only to be a better showman, but also to excel in my sports, academics and personal goals. 4-H has given me more than skills with livestock; it’s given me the mindset to chase success with determination and resilience in whatever I do.”
Her biggest supporters have been her parents. “From the very beginning, when I was little and they first introduced me to the livestock industry, they’ve been by my side every step of the way,” she said. “Even this year, 18 years later, we were still walking pigs together in the early mornings, just like we did when I was a kid.”
Looking ahead, Mergelman plans to continue her education at Northeastern Junior College, earning an associate degree in agriculture business and finance, as well as an advanced agriculture accounting certification. She then plans to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree. She said she will return to the fair to support her younger brother.
