Grace Fry wins 2018 Supreme Showmanship

Thursday, July 26, 2018
Taking part in what is now a Fry family tradition, Grace Fry (green shirt) celebrates the 2018 Putnam County 4-H Fair Supreme Showman title with (from left) sister Katie, dad Dan, great-grandpa Noble, sister Sarah and mom Paula.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

In hindsight, Grace Fry’s win in the 2018 Putnam County 4-H Fair Supreme Showmanship competition should have been obvious from the start.

Let’s begin with the fact that Fry won showmanship for both the beef and sheep projects, giving her the choice of which barn she would represent Thursday evening (she chose sheep).

On top of that, history seems to have been on Fry’s side. The daughter of Dan and Paula Fry, she is the third Fry to win Supreme Showmanship, joining her late grandpa Ralph Fry (the 1965 winner from the dairy barn) and great-uncle Phillip Fry (1973, swine).

Representing the best each of six barns has to offer, the 2018 Supreme Showmanship contestants line up their sheep Thursday night. The six contestants are (from left) Whitney Boswell, horse and pony; Grace Fry, sheep; Seth Ariens, dairy; Dalton Scott, swine; Ethan Harcourt, goat; and Jonathan Poynter, beef. Fry was named the 2018 Supreme Showman, with Boswell taking the runner-up position.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

She even has history from the other side of the family, as aunt Jenny Merkel won in 1988, representing the beef barn.

Grandpa was on Grace’s mind as she celebrated with a large family contingent in the middle of the show ring.

“My grandpa passed away four years ago and hasn’t been here to see me show in a really long time,” Fry said, saying she knew her grandpa always wanted her to compete in Supreme Showmanship.

Grace Fry
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

“It means a lot to me,” she added later. “It shows all my hard work and how much I’ve taken from him and learned.”

Even in Ralph’s absence, there were plenty of Fry and Merkel family members to celebrate with, including her parents, sisters Sarah and Katie, grandparents and a number of aunts, uncles and cousins.

Even great-grandpa Noble Fry had a ringside seat for the action. At 98, Noble has been a staple at the fair for as long as anyone can remember.

Whitney Boswell shows off her runner-up trophy in Supreme Showmanship.
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

Another well-established tradition in Supreme Showmanship is the dominance that the North Putnam community has on the title. Fry is the sixth straight winner from North Putnam High School and 15th since the year 2000.

Overall, North Putnam students (or predecessors Bainbridge, Roachdale or Russellville) have won 37 of the 67 Supreme Showman crowns.

This tradition was made obvious Thursday by the number of orange T-shirts in the audience, shirts that Principal Jason Chew had printed, with the 66 past winners listed on the back, with the North Putnam kids highlighted with an asterisk and white type.

North Putnam students who have won the Putnam County Supreme Showmanship title include (from left) Neal Knapp (2004), Terry Tippin (1972), Lauren Johnston (2014), Jessica Hays (2016), Jim Bowling (1991), current champ Grace Fry, Nolan Ensor (2015), Kyle Alcorn (2008), Garret Porter (2010) and Preston Porter (2013).
Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN

Several of those past winners also gathered with Fry for a photo, including Terry Tippin (1972), Jim Bowling (1991), Neal Knapp (2004), Kyle Alcorn (2008), Garret Porter (2010), Preston Porter (2013), Lauren Johnston (2014), Nolan Ensor (2015) and Jessica Hays (2016).

Traditions or not, none of it can take away from the credit that goes to Fry for years of hard work. In the truest test of livestock exhibitor’s ability in the ring, this high school junior and eight-year 4-H’er topped the best that each of six barns had to offer.

Fry performed so well, in fact, that the judges placed her first in the sheep, beef, swine and goat portions of the competition, as well as second in horses and third in dairy.

That was more than sufficient to top runner-up Whitney Boswell of the horse and pony club, as well as Dalton Scott (swine), Ethan Harcourt (goat), Seth Ariens (dairy) and Jonathan Poynter (beef).

Even with the advantage of having won two barns earlier in the week, Fry said she was “definitely still nervous” and the moment before the announcement a bit stressful.

“My heart was beating very fast,” Fry said. “I didn’t know if I was going to win or not.”

Heading into her junior year, Fry says her ag classes are her favorites, and she plans to continue that education at Oklahoma State, Purdue or another ag school.

Courtesy Jason Chew

Putnam County Supreme Showmanship winners
2018: Grace Fry, Sheep
2017: Brynne Shuee, Swine
2016: Jessica Hays, Goat
2015: Nolan Ensor, Swine
2014: Lauren Johnston, Sheep
2013: Preston Porter, Dairy
2012: Emily Gilley, Horse & Pony
2011: Logan Pell, Horse & Pony
2010: Garret Porter, Dairy
2009: Brock Jones, Sheep
2008: Kyle Alcorn, Beef
2007: Dakota Parent, Sheep
2006: Kalen Brattain, Swine
2005: Jordan Berry, Sheep
2004: Neal Knapp, Sheep
2003: Ashley Clifford, Beef
2002: Dustin Thornberg, Swine
2001: Rhonda Gottschalk, Beef
2000: Keri Jackson, Swine
1999: Tiffany Tippin, Beef
1998: Ryan Hendricks, Sheep
1997: Tammy Gottschalk, Swine
1996: Kyleen Jensen, Beef
1995: Paul Hodgen, Beef
1994: Sara Stanley, Beef
1993: Mike Jackson, Swine
1992: Robert Hodgen, Beef
1991: Jim Bowling, Swine
1990: Doug Parent, Beef
1989: Brent Branneman, Swine
1988: Jenny Merkel, Beef
1987: Jenny Jessup, Goat
1986: Jeff Stanley, Sheep
1985: Charles Poynter, Swine
1984: Tony Stanley, Beef
1983: Brian Williams, Beef
1982: Andy Beck, Beef
1981: Brad Davies, Swine
1980: Lisa Sutherlin, Horse & Pony
1979: Jeff Davies, Swine
1978: Jake Zaring, Beef
1977: Gary Williams, Beef
1976: Brad Cash, Dairy
1975: Jerry Torr, Beef
1974: Gordon Smith, Swine
1973: Phillip Fry, Swine
1972: Terry Tippin, Dairy
1971: David Bruner, Sheep
1970: Beverly Hurst, Sheep
1969: Steve Judy, Dairy
1968: Kent Brattain, Swine
1967: Ken Carrington, Beef
1966: Robert New, Sheep
1965: Ralph Fry, Dairy
1964: Keith Carrington, Beef
1963: Bill Judy, Dairy
1962: Noble New, Sheep
1961: Tommy Hendricks, Sheep
1960: Frank Hartman, Beef
1959: Ted Britton, Beef
1958: Neil Irwin, Swine
1957: Byron Gough, Beef
1956: Bowen Akers, Beef
1955: Charles Nicholson, Dairy
1954: Bernie Harris, Sheep
1953: Gordon Whitman, Beef
1952: Ken Torr, Beef

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