The 65th Annual Brown County Youth Fair wrapped up Saturday night with the awards and premium sale and the crowning of this year’s Miss Brown County Fair Association. The 2017 fair was dedicated to Delton Sweatman, a longtime Brown County Fair Association supporter and board member. Sweatman has retired from the fair association’s Finance Committee, which he founded. In his honor, the Buyers Championship Club is being renamed the Delton Sweatman Championship Buyers Club.

The evening began with the crowning of the 2017 Brown County Youth Fair Queen: Tara Glasscock, an Early High School junior, and the daughter of Guy and Ann. Glasscock participates in the Early FFA and is an 8-year member of the Brown County 4-H. An active student, Glasscock is a member of the National Honor Society, a student council representative and a captain on the Early Belles Dance Team. No stranger to big wins, she was recently awarded Supreme Grand Champion Breeding Ewe at the San Antonio Livestock Show.

 

Winners in Saturday morning’s horse show were also announced:

  • Karly Harper won Grand Champion Mare, and Kodi Edwards won the Grand Champion Gelding award. Both winners are with the Bangs 4-H Club.
  • Brownwood FFA member Carol Hetzel was awarded Reserve Champion Mare. Paige Hensley of the Bangs FFA won Reserve Champion Gelding.

This year saw the return of the Good Hand award, which was presented to youth fair exhibitor Colton Edgar, of the Zephyr FFA.

A special bright spot in a night of big wins: Cade Perkins’ division-winning fine wool lamb finished with a bid of $31,000, unheard-of for a non Grand Champion animal. The group that bid on Cade’s lamb consisted of Groom’s Seed, the Circle B Bar Ranch, Hoffpauir Chevrolet, Terry and Holly Burnett, Diamond R of Zephyr and an anonymous donor. As the bidding came to a close for Perkins, the arena boomed with applause, a show of support for the little boy who’s warmed hearts with his triumph over staggering health issues to show for the first time at the youth fair this year. Perkins was born with Down’s Syndrome and has had heart surgery and is currently in remission after a battle with leukemia.

Cade Perkins showing at the 2017 Brown County Youth Fair

The arena Saturday night was packed with buyers along with supporting family and friends. Each livestock exhibitor was allowed to sell one animal in the auction which had qualified by placing in the top 75% of their competing class during the fair in the market animal divisions, with the exception of the market rabbits division where the grand and reserve champions along with the third and fourth places were for sale.

After bidding on Grand and Reserve Champion winners in the Home Economics Division, livestock bidding commenced, starting with the Grand Champion steer owned by Ashtyn Adams of the Brookesmith 4-H club. Bidding reached $15,000, a Brown County record for a steer.

Grand and reserve livestock champions, premiums awarded and buyers are listed below:

  • Grand Champion Market Steer: Ashtyn Adams, Brookesmith 4-H club – $15,000 from the Delton Sweatman Championship Buyers Club
  • Grand Champion Market Rabbit: Josh Baucom, Early FFA – $400 from Big Country Ford
  • Grand Champion Market Lamb: Tynlea Wilson, Brownwood FFA – $9,000 from Landmark Life
  • Grand Champion Market Goat: Hayden Schroeder, Early FFA – $9,500 from The Circle B Bar Ranch
  • Grand Champion Market Swine: Blaze Cozart, Early FFA – $14,000 from Buddy and Holly Geib
  • Reserve Champion Market Steer:  Madellyne Adams, Brookesmith 4-H – $8,000 from Landmark Life
  • Reserve Champion Market Rabbit: Cash Whisenhunt, Zephyr FFA – $2,000 from Landmark Life
  • Reserve Champion Market Lamb: Tara Glasscock, Early FFA – $13,000 from Grooms Seed.