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The Mercer County Fair hosts its second Share the Ring Showmanship at the Coldwater Young Farmers Arena at the fairgrounds on Tuesday evening. Participants with developmental disabilities, with the help of 4-H members, showed their sheep to the crowd.
CELINA - The second Share the Ring Showmanship event was deemed a smashing success with twice the number of people with differing and junior fair 4-H members showing animals at this year's Mercer County Fair.
Mercer County Board of Developmental Disabilities (DD) Superintendent Shawn Thieman feels the event will only grow further in succeeding years and become as much a part of the fair as all the other long-running FFA and 4-H projects attendees look forward to enjoying.
"It was awesome. I would say we probably had over 70 people participate," he said. "I think we're just building on the prior year and everybody's excited to show up and they kind of know what to expect."
Share the Ring Showmanship is a free livestock show, where those with differing abilities or developmental disabilities were paired with junior fair 4-H members to show a species.
The Mercer County Fair hosts its second Share the Ring Showmanship at the Coldwater Young Farmers Arena at the fairgrounds on Tuesday evening. Participants with developmental disabilities, with the help of 4-H members, showed their sheep to the crowd.
The Mercer County Fair hosts its second Share the Ring Showmanship at the Coldwater Young Farmers Arena at the fairgrounds on Tuesday evening. Participants with developmental disabilities, with the help of 4-H members, showed their sheep to the crowd.
Participants ranging in age from 10 to 70 showed rabbits on Saturday, dairy animals on Monday and sheep on Tuesday.
"They kind of get to know the sheep's name, get to know a little about maybe what they eat and some of the process of getting it ready for the fair, so they have some of those conversations prior to coming out into the ring," Thieman said.
Each contestant who shuffled into the Coldwater Young Farmers Arena alongside their 4-H partner and sheep on Tuesday night spoke with a judge, had a medal draped around their neck and were handed a ribbon. They were also met with robust roars of support from the audience.
"That's the key part of this whole thing is having animals and having people behind those animals that are willing to share them tonight," Thieman said. "I couldn't believe how many of our individuals wanted to show for all three animals. I didn't know we would have that kind of excitement about it."
Including people with differing abilities or developmental disabilities in a livestock show makes sense as many of the men, women and children served by Mercer DD have an affinity for animals and volunteer with dog grooming and veterinary services, Thieman noted.
MD provides for about 500 eligible children and adults in the county through a wide range of programs, supports and services.
The Mercer County Fair hosts its second Share the Ring Showmanship at the Coldwater Young Farmers Arena at the fairgrounds on Tuesday evening. Participants with developmental disabilities, with the help of 4-H members, showed their sheep to the crowd.
The Mercer County Fair hosts its second Share the Ring Showmanship at the Coldwater Young Farmers Arena at the fairgrounds on Tuesday evening. Participants with developmental disabilities, with the help of 4-H members, showed their sheep to the crowd.
