Putnam County 4-H'ers making their mark at Indiana State Fair

Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Winning Best in Show and a handful of other awards, Kaelynn Abner (center) and her long-haired Persian Wrigley had quite a day at the Indiana State Fair 4-H Cat Show on Monday. Supporting and assisting Abner at the show was her friend Bronwyn Spencer.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A rookie cat showman and a seasoned veteran of swine shows returned to Putnam County as Indiana State Fair grand champions on Monday.

Kaelynn Abner of Bainbridge showed the Grand Champion Cat, while Jaxon Parmley of Greencastle exhibited the Grand Champion Gilt in the 4-H swine show.

For Abner, Monday's result came as quite a shock, since not only had she never before shown at the State Fair, but the 15-year-old North Putnam sophomore had never shown cats before this year. The Abners had previously had outdoor cats, but nine-month-old Wrigley is the first show cat she's owned.

"I've never shown an animal before," Abner said. "This is my first time."

Inexperience did not seem to matter, as the duo had quite a day, with the long-haired Persian winning champion in his breed, Grand Champion long-haired and Best in Show. Besides this, Abner won reserve champion and reserve grand champion in showmanship.

Abner said showmanship made her especially nervous, as it involved not only a conversation with the judge, but a written test, something she had not seen at county.

"I do pretty well in school, but I'm not a test taker," Abner said. "But I thought the test was the less nerve-wracking part. I was more nervous talking to the judge."

She added that there is a certain lack of control at the State Fair show that adds some additional tension.

"Instead of me holding the cat and showing the judge, they just take the cat (at the State Fair)," Abner said. "So you really can't calm the cat down. They also go in a cage at the State Fair."

But Wrigley showed the grace under fire that has often been lacking in the stadium whose name he bears. The cat may have its name because of the Abners' affinity for the Chicago Cubs, but there was no billy goat and apparently not even a black cat on hand to curse the day.

Instead, Wrigley (who was purchased in St. Louis, no less) and Kaelynn walked away champions.

Kaelynn is the daughter of Tom and Monica Abner. She is a seven-year 4-H'er.

While Abner may have been a stranger to big shows, her counterpart in the swine barn had no such handicap going in.

Competing in his second straight Grand Drive at the Indiana State Fair, Jaxon Parmley reached a personal goal on Monday when his Duroc gilt won the title of Grand Champion Gilt.

Thirteen-year-old Parmley, a Greencastle Middle School eighth-grader, has an enviable background as a showman. Three times he's won Putnam County Grand Champion with either a barrow or gilt. This year, he showed the Reserve Grand Champion Barrow in Putnam County.

Last year, his Duroc champion finished sixth in the State Fair Grand Drive. The hog he was showing on Monday finished third in a national show in Louisville earlier this year.

However, the very same pig failed to make it out of the morning show at the Putnam County Fair, finishing second in class. What would be the judge's fancy on Monday in Indianapolis?

"I hoped I would at least make top five," Parmley said, "and I guessed that I would be up there.

"And then I won," he added with a laugh.

Parmley said all he could feel was relief after the announcement Monday evening.

"As soon as (the judge) said I was Grand Champion, I was so excited," Parmley said. "I didn't know what to do."

Apparently the seven-month-old Duroc, bred by Marty Fordice, knew exactly what to do, looking her best on the day that counted the most.

"It was a big goal for me to win Grand Champion," Parmley said. "Another thing that happened was there were two divisions of Durocs and the champion and reserve champion of each came out of Putnam County."

Parmley took champion in both junior and senior divisions, while Lindsey Hood was reserve champion in senior and Jacob Berry was reserve champion in junior.

After the State Fair, the gilt will return to the Fordice farm, where it will be bred for pigs early next year -- perhaps another generation of champions for Parmley.

Jaxon is the son of John and Jody Parmley. He is completing his fifth year in 4-H.

While Abner and Parmley are the only two grand champions from Putnam County so far, dozens of other local 4-H'ers have competed at the 2014 Indiana State Fair. The Banner Graphic will present complete official results when they are available.

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