Locals excel at Illinois State Fair
Following up on the success of this year’s Monroe County Fair, locals continued to make names for themselves at the Illinois State Fair, which took place Aug. 7-17 in Springfield.
Several from Monroe County trekked to the state capital to enter in a variety of competitions and see the sights.
Abby Kern of Prairie du Rocher; Hank and Amanda Marquardt of Waterloo; Nicholas Heimos of Waterloo; Amanda, Alexis and Ashley Hartman of Waterloo; Devin Scheibe of Prairie du Rocher; Renee Ellegood of Millstadt; Sophie Ziegler of Columbia; and Kevin and Joyce Fuhr of Columbia all placed with their cattle, rabbits and horses throughout the duration of the state fair.
Lisa Schwarze is inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame on Aug. 10. (submitted photo)Monroe County Fair Queen Lisa Liefer also attended the state fair on Aug. 9, where more than 70 county fair queens from across the state were represented during the fair’s opening day.
Other locals who attended the state fair included longtime 4-H leader Lisa Schwarze, who was inducted to the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame on Aug. 10, along with more than 60 other inductees.
She has served for 24 years as leader of the Maeystown Clovers 4-H Club.
According to a press release, the group of 65 inductees was the largest Hall of Fame class ever.
“These longtime volunteers fully embody what 4-H strives to instill in youth,” Angie Barnard, director of the Illinois 4-H Foundation, said in the press release. “They are caring, dedicated, generous leaders. The Illinois 4-H Foundation is extremely proud to be able to provide this honor to each and every one of them, and we thank them for their service to this wonderful organization.”
Overall results:
- Kern won Junior Champion Ayrshire Cow in the Junior Supreme Champion Dairy Cow competition with her heifer Family-Af-Ayr R Ariel.
- The Marquardts won a variety of first, second and third place ribbons for both doe and buck rabbits they entered and received first places in categories of the Championship Premiums and the Mini Rex division.
- Heimos also won a variety of first, second and third place awards for both doe and buck rabbits, including first place in categories of Youth Best of Show and the Youth Championship Premiums.
- Amanda Hartman won Reserve Champion Showman in the Special Dairy Showmanship/Supreme Champion category, along with first and second places in the New Zealand rabbit category.
- Ashley Hartman took second place in Junior Showmanship for her rabbit and a third place in the Holland Lop rabbit category.
- Alexis Hartman took third place in the New Zealand junior rabbit category with her doe.
- Scheibe took second place in the New Zealand senior rabbit category with a doe.
- Ellegood took first place in the English and Western Division 5 category of the Junior Horse Show for the costume class and a third place in the category of the Pony Hunter Division 1 as well.
- Ziegler received first and second place ribbons for categories under the Pony Hunter Division 1 of the Junior Horse Show.
- The Fuhrs took first place in a category of the Paint Performance in the Western Horse Division IV show.
