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History for Haddons in Round Robin?
When Emmie and Bailey Haddon step in the show ring together on Thursday, they just might make a bit of Putnam County history.
By both qualifying for the Supreme Showmanship Round Robin, daughters of Jerrod and Melissa Haddon have quite possibly become the first set of siblings to compete against each other in the event.
It actually came to be when Emmie won the Senior Showmanship title for both the dairy and sheep barns. Bailey was her reserve champion in sheep, so when Emmie chose to represent dairy, the spot opened up for her sister.
Having consulted a braintrust with a lot more Putnam County Fair experience than I, no one could come up with a prior instance of siblings in the event in the same year.
While the lack of such a coincidence is hardly surprising, when the history of Putnam County showmanship is discussed and names like Fry and Hodgen and Carrington, among several others, start getting mentioned … well, anything is possible.
Of course, the contest does date back to 1952 in Putnam County, so we could be wrong. Inaugural winner Kenny Torr is still kicking around. Maybe I’ll run into him today and he can correct us.
If anyone knows better than we do, feel free to email me at jjernagan@bannergraphic.com or call 653-5151 ext. 21. I’d love to talk a bit of Putnam County Fair history.
The Haddons won’t be the only ones potentially making history. Your 2022 Putnam County Fair Queen, Miss Handley Everman, will also be in the competition, making her the first reigning fair queen to also qualify for Supreme Showmanship.
Everman will try to become just the third young lady to win both titles at any point. Jenney Jessup Taylor won the Round Robin in 1987, followed by Miss Putnam County in 1989. Likewise, Lauren Johnston Flanders was Supreme Showman in 2014 and Miss Putnam County in 2016.
But if Everman manages to do both tonight? Well then, it’s her world and we’re all just living in it.
And that’s not even the half of it. Among the seven competitors this evening, the Haddons and Everman constitute three of the four first-timers, along with horse and pony champ Kyley Pelfrey.
They will all have to deal with others returning with experience.
Representing the swine barn, Ethan Hamm is back for his third straight shot at Supreme Showmanship, while Allison Skirvin will represent llama and alpaca for the second straight year. (This year, Skirvin is replacing Kenley Campbell, who has State Fair obligations.)
And all eyes are likely to be on Jayden Simpson, who will represent the Beef Barn for the second straight year. Last year he was runner-up to Bree Mahoney-Sutherland, which just might make him the betting favorite tonight – that is if Vegas gave us odds on the Putnam County Fair.
It should be a fun night. The competition begins at 3 p.m. in the outdoor arena for the horse and pony portion. Things resume at 7 p.m. with the other six species in the indoor arena.
Be there if you want to see history.