Supreme Showman and Fayette Idol winners decided
The Grand Champion Showmanship awards for the 2011 Fayette County Fair was presented before the annual live stock auction. (from left) Cathy Brady, extension office educator; Sierra Emert, Grand Champion Showman; Jacob Diamond, Reserve Grand Champion Showman; and Walt Bumgarner, interim extension office director.
Champion Showman of the 2011 Fayette County Fair include: ( from left) Jacob Diamond, swine; Scott Gardner, beef cattle; Becky Perhach, dairy goats; Shelby Hawkins, dairy cattle; Tiffany Johnson, sheep; Kelly Potkul, horses; and Sierra Emert, market goats.
Nathan Fisher points to family and friends after being named this year's Fayette County Idol winner at the Fayette County Fair.
Katelyn Ritenour, 15, of Normalville is all smiles after winning the junior competition at Fayette Idol Saturday evening at the Fayette County Fair.
?DUNBAR TWP. 鈥� The Fayette County Fairgrounds saw two major competitions decided Friday.
Sierra Emert, 16, of Acme became 2011 Supreme Showman, while Jacob Diamond, 18, of Smithfield was named Reserve Supreme Showman in one of the most prestigious 4-H competitions at the fair.
Meanwhile, Nathan Fisher, 20, of Farmington won the 2011 Fayette Idol adult competition, while Katelyn Ritenour, 15, of Normalville won the Idol junior division.
鈥淚鈥檓 shocked. I didn鈥檛 think I was going to win,鈥� said Emert, daughter of Stephanie and Raymond Emert.
鈥淚t was a good competition,鈥� said Diamond, a son of Chris and Linda Diamond. 鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 win, I was glad it was Sierra or Scotty or anybody. They were all good competitors.鈥�
Champion showman from seven species competed for the honor. Emert came for market goat while Diamond, who won Supreme Showman last year, was champion in swine.
Other competitors included Scott Gardner, 15-year-old son of Bill Gardner and Jamie Trifiro, steer; Shelby Hawkins of Scottdale, 17-year-old daughter of Candy and Keith Hawkins, dairy cattle; Becky Perhach of Monongahela, 18-year-old daughter of Diann and Duane Perhach, dairy goat; Kelly Potkul of Uniontown, 16-year-old daughter of Debby and Stanley Potkul, horse; and Tiffany Johnson of Indian Head, 13-year-old daughter of Ronnie and Tawnia Johnson, lamb.
Meanwhile, Fisher won the Fayette Idol finals Friday, taking several prizes that included being opening act for Confederate Railroad the final night of the fair.
A crowd-pleaser, Fisher sang Tracy Byrd鈥檚 鈥淲atermelon Crawl鈥� and had the audience clapping along and applauding his efforts. This was Fisher鈥檚 first time singing in public, prompted by co-worker Doug Lecorchick Jr.
Fisher thanked his supporters and said, 鈥淚 was nervous, but it wasn鈥檛 as bad as I expected and I was excited when everybody started getting into it.鈥�
Ritenour won the junior division in a separate competition with an original song called 鈥淚ncredible Everything鈥� and accompanied herself on guitar. Her prizes included an opportunity to sing at the Confederate Railroad concert.
鈥淭hank you so stinkin鈥� much. It鈥檚 been a really fun thing 鈥� a great experience,鈥� Ritenour told the audience.
In the adult competition, Kelly Victor, 33, of Perryopolis, placed second while Rick Garlick of Smithfield took third. Other finalists included Cortney Johnson, 22, of Uniontown; Nakia Nicklow, 31, of Masontown; and Melody Varney, 25, of McClellandtown.
In the junior division, Veronica Glad, a 14-year-old freshman at Albert Gallatin High School, placed second and Rachel Barber, 16, of Smithfield, earned third. Other finalists included Sophia Jones, 14, of Connellsville; and Blake Victor, 13, of Perryopolis.