TOPS IN HIS CLASS — Dustin Francis took top honors with his Grand

Champion Steer in Monday's Junior Livestock Show and Sale. Here he is

shown with his Reserve Champion Steer which was sponsored by Bridgett

Fallen.

 

Dustin Francis took top honors with his Grand Champion Steer in

Monday's 50th Annual Halifax County Junior Livestock Show and Sale,

held at the Halifax County Fairgrounds. The winner was sponsored by Dr.

Phil Ward. Francis also took Reserve Championship honors with his steer

sponsored by Bridgett Fallen. Courtney Garland showed the Grand

Champion Breeding Heifer which was sponsored by Farm Credit. Rebekah

Slabach showed the Reserve Breeding Heifer sponsored by Richard J.

Sterne, III, DDS.

Taking top honors in the Replacement Doe division was Kati Thurston

whose goat was also sponsored by Richard J. Sterne, III, DDS. Nicholas

Fears whose goat was sponsored by Carr Brother Farms was second in that

division.

Rusty Thurston, whose goat was sponsored by Donnie Duvall, took first

place in the Market Goat Division with Trenton Dodd placing second with

his goat sponsored by Southside Homes.

Cameron Reese showed the Grand Champion Ewe, which was sponsored by

Jimmy Anderson and Abbey Bales showed the Reserve Champion Ewe

sponsored by Crop Production Service.

The Grand Champion Market Lamb was shown by Kent Reese and sponsored by

American National Bank. Madison Hall showed the Reserve Market Lamb

which was sponsored by Slagle Fire Equipment.

John Francisco was awarded the Senior Lamb Showmanship plaque from

Wanda Crews. The award is given in memory of J. O. Crews, a long time

supporter of the local Livestock Show. Other senior lamb showmanship

winners were Jordie Saunders, second, Cameron Reese, third, Kent Reese,

fourth and Ashley Barksdale, fifth.

Abbey Bales took first place in the Junior lamb showmanship division

with Sara Beth Reese, second, Madison Hall, third and Caleb Hall,

fourth.

In the Senior Cattle Showmanship division Dustin Francis took first,

Sara Beth Slabach, second and Will Reese, third.  In the Intermediate

cattle showmanship group Sandi Francis was first, Trey Reese, second

and Rebekah Slabach, third. Junior showmanship winners were Cameron

Reese, first, Aaron Slabach, second, Courtney Garland, third and Kent

Reese, fourth.

In the Goat senior showmanship division Rusty Thurston was first, Kati

Thurston second, Ashley Barksdale, third and Gavin Saunders, fourth.

Intermediate goat showmanship winners were Trevor Dodd, first, Sammy

Anderson, second, Kiera Dodd, third, Nicholas Fears, fourth, Dustin

Fears, fifth and Jared Saunders, sixth. The Junior goat showmanship

winners were Alexandra Anderson, Trenton Dodd and Lukas Saunders, all

taking first place.

Mike Geisinger served as master of ceremonies for the annual event with

Sam Watts being the auctioneer. Approximately 11 grain fed steers,

eight market lambs, eight eve lambs, five market goats and nine

replacement doe goats were later that evening sold to the highest

bidder. The animals were judge by Cameron Sassar and Jacob Gilley of

the Virginia Tech Livestock Judging Team. with Lawson Roberts of the VA

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services being the official

grader.