In a summer of weirdness, it was nice to have some normalcy for a change…even if it was just for one weekend. The Dodge County Youth Livestock Expo recently took place in Beaver Dam at the Dodge County Fairgrounds, wrapping up on Sunday evening.
The Expo featured hogs, sheep, and both beef and dairy cattle. This event served as a replacement show for kids that were planning meat animal projects for the Dodge County Fair, which was unfortunately canceled due to the pandemic. Though there weren’t as many exhibitors as a normal fair, the turnout was very good considering the circumstances. There were individual shows for each species, with a champion and reserve champion named within each just as would be at the regular fair. A live auction also took place during the event.
For Drew Benninger, 13 years old, of Reeseville, this show made a summer of working with his market lamb worth it. Drew walked away from the event with a Supreme Champion Market Lamb banner under his arm, a big accomplishment for a young man that just started showing sheep this year. Drew says he had high hopes for his 144 pound lamb and it was an amazing feeling to win Champion Lamb. “It was a hard show all the way through…but when he (the judge) came over to shake my hand I was really surprised,” Drew explains.
Drew’s mother, Kendra, says she was just glad her kids were able to get back a little piece of an otherwise lost summer. She says that the event featured activites such as Ag Olympics, a watermelon eating contest, and a fitting contest as well. Even if it was just for a short amount of time, things felt normal for once. It is also worth nothing that from what the Mid-West Farm Report observed, the auction went very well. Bids were nonstop from community businesses and individuals with a huge amount of support for Dodge county Youth exhibitors.
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