TWINS WIN WITH STELLAR LIVESTOCK
County fair continues through the weekend
GRIDLEY >> The Butte County Fair livestock barns were filled with young competitors Thursday. Maxine Naphan sat in the bleachers with her chihuahua, Teeny, and watched her daughter, Joelle Naphan, 17, take home the Supreme Champion Ewe Butte County Fair prize for her ewe, Jury. Joelle’s fraternal twin brother, Zane Naphan, also won prizes.
Joelle has competed in several competitions in Fresno, Paso Robles and Turlock. She competed in the May District Fair and the Silver Dollar Fair. She won champion ewe at the Silver Dollar Fair.
“This gives me the experience to reach my goals,” Joelle said
The Butte County Fair continutes today at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley and will be open 3 p.m. to midnight today; noon to midnight Saturday; and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday.
while cooling off with Jury in her tent while her mother watched.
Zane especially loves cattle. He does Future Farmers of America project shows with his Angus heifer, Fancy. He has been showing for eight years. Zane won Grand Champion goat at The Silver Dollar Fair, as well as Champion FFA, Overall Showman and Champion Breeding Heifer.
“I’ve had really good opportunities and have met really good people,” he said.
Maxine Naphan enjoys watching her kids compete.
“I’m proud of my kids,” Maxine Naphan said. “They’re good equestrians and they rope.”
Joelle does horse jumping and jumped for quite a few years. She rides western.
Joelle and Zane don’t play video games and didn’t get cell phones until they were 15 years old. Their mother is very invested in letting her kids find their strengths and never telling them “no” when they express interest in doing different activities.
Zane also plays chess and received a scholarship to his school, CORE Butte Charter School. He went to the chess finals in Santa Clara. He finished at No. 19 in California.
Both students plan to major in agriculture in college. Zane has his eye on Oklahoma State, Cal PolySan Luis Obispo, UC Davis and of course, Chico State. Joelle hopes to attend Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
Zane has also been “fitting” or grooming or trimming animals for clients for the last two years. “I’d like to continue showing goats,” he said. “I’d like to continue to progress in fitting and showmanship and be hired by more people.”
Zane started showing one of their heifers Violet when he was just ten years old as an independent.
Zane won the Grand Champion Overall Market Goat and the Champion FFA Market Goat competition.
He just won his class first place in breeding with his huge black heiffer named Fancy (or MurMur). Zane proudly displays his banners in his house.
The Butte County Fair continues today at 199 E. Hazel St. in Gridley and will be open 3 p.m. to midnight today; noon to midnight Saturday; and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, contact the Butte County Fair at 846-3626 or visit the website at https://buttecountyfair.org.