WADSWORTH WINS FAIR’S DAIRY SHOW
Plenty of honors awarded at event
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Blake Wadsworth, 16, of Burnt Hills won Grand Champion of all breeds with a 3-year-old Holstein in the 4-H Youth Dairy Show at Saratoga County Fair.
Reserve Grand Champion honors went to Lauren King of Kings Ransom Farm in Northumberland.
Wadsworth and his father work at Eildon Tweed Farm in Charlton, a dairy with more than 2,000 animals.
He will be a junior at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School this fall, and would like to attend Cornell University with a major in dairy science.
Wadsworth and King also won Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion in the Holstein class, and Wadsworth’s cow had the Best Udder in Show.
King was recognized for having the best animal bred and owned by its exhibitor.
In the Ayrshire breed, Dawson Smith had the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion.
In the Jersey breed, John Luke had the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion.
Libby Swatling is this year’s recipient of the Fred Sanders Award for 4-H Youth.
Sanders exhibited dairy cattle at the Saratoga County Fair and New York State Fair for many years. He enjoyed watching young people grow up with the same passion for animals that he had.
This award, dedicated in his name, is based on a points system throughout the entire year. Points are based on participation in events such as dairy club meetings, public presentations, dairy bowl, dairy judging, and county fair participation.
Several other animal shows were held during the fair, too.
Winners in their respective categories are: dog, Lydia Boekeloo; rabbit, Fran Fantauzzi; poultry, Anna Nikiforov; sheep, Andrei Rench; goat, Natasha Czizik; beef, Jay Gannon; pig, Jacob Perkins.
The horse show had five divisions. Winners are Miriam Evans, Nikki Stark, Randi Stark, Madison Evans and Caitlynn Reohr.