Master Sheep Showman Grossman finishes up 4-H career

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Emmalie Grossman

Emmalie Grossman final year in 4-H included an appearance in the Supreme Master Showmanship Contest at the Fulton County 4-H Fair Thursday.

Grossman is a 10-year member of 4-H. She qualified for the contest by winning Master Sheep Showman earlier in the week.

Madisyn Douglass wound up winning the Contest, which involved each contestant showing a dairy cow, a sheep, a beef cow, a pig and a goat.

Grossman said she thought she did well.

Asked what animals are the most obedient and the least obedient, she said it can vary.

“That’s a hard one,” Grossman said. “It just depends on how the animal wants to work today. Sometimes the sheep can be the hardest. Sometimes the cows can be the hardest. It just depends on how the animals work.”

The competition was held under the Jud Hudkins Arena roof. Still, temperatures were in the 90s under a hazy, almost smoky sky.

“That didn’t affect me much, but the animals, it affected them a little bit,” Grossman said. “They didn’t really want to work, or they were anxious with the heat and stuff.”

Grossman was asked where her focus lies in a showmanship competition.

“Most of the time, I try to focus on the judge because you’ve got to watch stuff, but you’ve also kind of got to watch your animal just a little bit to make sure if they move to put them back in their spot how they’re supposed to be. Most of the time, you’re just watching the judge though.”

Grossman was asked about what she likes about sheep.

“I love working with the sheep,” Grossman said. “I love taking care of them and getting to show them. It’s just a lot of fun. … They are awesome just to work with. They have a good demeanor most of the time.”

Grossman has shown cattle, pigs, rabbits and goats in addition to sheep. She was asked what 4-H has meant to her.

“It has meant a lot,” Grossman said. “I’ve got to meet with a lot of great people with all the different barns. And just hanging around with people is a lot of fun.”

Grossman, who was homeschooled, is the daughter of Kyle and McKenna Grossman of Akron.