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In a Class by Herself: Handley Everman becomes first reigning queen to win Supreme Showmanship
For more photos of the 2022 Supreme Showmanship competition, visit https://www.bannergraphic.com/gallery/40599
For all the hundreds of awards given out each year at the Putnam County Fair, two seem to rise above the rest.
Among the very first and very last prizes awarded respectively, the Fair Queen’s crown and the Supreme Showmanship trophy just shine a little brighter than the others.
Before this year, just three women had ever won both of the fair’s biggest awards.
Now there’s a fourth. And Handley Everman just did something Jenney Jessup Taylor, Kyleen Jensen Bushroe and Lauren Johnston Flanders never did by winning both titles in the same year.
For Everman, the daughter of Lyndsay and Jason Holmes and older sister of Haelynn Everman, both titles have been dreams come true.
“They both mean a lot,” Everman said. “I’ve wanted to win the queen contest since Lauren Johnston won it. And I’ve wanted to win Supreme Showmanship since my first year in 4-H. They both mean a lot to me.”
With those great expectations came plenty of nerves for Everman, who topped Reserve Supreme Showman Ethan Hamm and five others for the title.
“All of my family members just told me to go in and do my thing, but I was really nervous,” Everman said. “Knowing that it’s your last shot at one of your biggest goals is really nerve-wracking. Ethan is a great showman. I knew he’d give me a run for my money. I’m so proud of everyone who competed.”
That list includes seven 4-H’ers who represented their individual barns in the Round Robin competition of showing all seven species included Everman (goat), Hamm (swine), Jayden Simpson (beef), Kyley Pelfry (horse and pony), Allison Skirvin (llama/alpaca), Emmie Haddon (dairy) and Bailey Haddon (sheep).
The Haddons made a bit of history of their own by becoming, it is believed, just the second set of siblings to compete in Supreme Showmanship in the same year, joining Raymond and Kyle Crosby from 2001.
Despite any misgivings she may have felt, Everman showed the poise of a queen throughout.
“I had to practice horses a lot because horses are totally different than any other animal, and that was definitely my biggest struggle,” she said.
Like so much in the last two weeks, though, she took it in stride.
“I’m at an ultimate high right now, but I just need sleep, if I’m being honest,” Everman said. “It’s been a lot, but it’s really paid off.”
While her work has paid off in many ways, rest isn’t one that’s likely anytime soon, as the North Putnam graduate has the Indiana State Fair before heading off to college at Oklahoma State University.
“We have three weekends of State Fair, including this weekend coming up. And right after that I”m off to Oklahoma,” Everman said. “I will probably not be getting any sleep. School is going to feel like a vacation after this.”
A Greencastle High School student, Hamm is the son of Jodie and Ben Latham and Nathan Hamm and brother of Eli and Cora.
In his third year in the competition, Hamm broke into the top two for the first time, and will have one last year to reach the top of the mountain in 2022.
For now, though, he’s living in Handley’s world, just like the rest of us, considering that she’s now joined what one of the other three members is calling the “Queen Supreme Club.”
“I’m just very thankful and very blessed for everyone that’s helped me get here,” Everman said. “I’m thankful for every person that’s been in my life.”
Putnam County Supreme Showmanship winners
2022: Handley Everman, Goat
2021: Bree Mahoney-Sutherland, Goat
2020: Seth Ariens, Dairy
2019: Katie Fry, Beef
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: Jenney 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
For more photos of the 2022 Supreme Showmanship competition, visit https://www.bannergraphic.com/gallery/40599