Danielle Norman earns gold in showman of showmen

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XENIA — Eleven of the Greene County Fair’s finest showmen went head-to-head Aug. 2 to see who is the showman of showmen. The top five were crowned, with Danielle Norman taking the gold.

Competitors showed horses, hogs, sheep, goats, dairy and beef cattle and earned up to 50 points within each category. Showmen could earn up to 300 points total after all of their points were added together. Whoever had the highest scores were declared the top five winners.

Norman earned 268. Caden Kline, 16, who earned a spot on the show for his performance in the sheep barn, was crowned second and earned 241 points. Taylor Linebaugh-Moffitt, 14, earned the third spot with 238 points. Mitchel Anderson, 19, qualified with his swine showmanship and earned fourth place with 237 points. Fisher Lewis and Shana Lott each tied at fifth place with 237 points. Lewis, 18, qualified by his sheep showmanship while Lott, 16, earned a spot in the show with her horses.

“I am relieved,” Norman said after the competition. “It’s a long competition but I’m very happy with how I did. It’s been a lot of work.”

For Norman, the showman of showmen competition was the end of her 4-H career as she is aged out next year. It was also the eighth time her parents have sat on the edge of their seat during the showmen of showman competition. Norman’s eldest sister, Bethany Bird was the first of the Norman girls to go after the title, later followed by Grace and Danielle Norman competing against each other in the same year. The girls were within one point of each other that year, with Danielle finishing in fourth place and Grace placing in fifth place. Grace and Danielle went head-to-head for the showman title again the following year, with the girls placing in second and third places.

Bird was FaceTiming Grace, who is in Utah, while the competition took place.

“It’s sad to see it end but it’s been neat to see some of the older kids who have done 4-H come back to be judges,” her mother Robin Norman said. ” … It’s neat to see the people building back into the younger kids.”

“I’m very proud of my daughter, Danielle,” her father Tim Norman said. “She put a lot into this and it’s good for her to finish her 4-H career this way, good for our family to reach what we consider the pinnacle of 4-H at our fairground.”

Danielle Norman said sheep were the most challenging animal she showed Aug. 2 but enjoyed showing beef cows the most. This fair, she earned overall and grand champion showmanship for goats as well as the champion title for pack goats.

“You go around, ask people who specialize in [the animal] and get their advice,” she said. “People who have shown before and have gone on, we all kind of share information and help each other — it’s just a lot of advice from others.”

She will attend Cedarville University starting this fall for environmental science.

“Don’t be afraid to ask other competitors about how to show and take that advice and apply that,” Norman advised young showmen.

Competitors also included Nicolas Shaw, who shows cattle; Makayla Kilbarger, who shows horses; Brandon Barr, who shows cattle; Devon Morrison, who shows cattle and Haley Partee, who shows cattle.

Whitney Vickers | Greene County News Danielle Norman earned the most points in the Greene County Fair Showman of Showmen competition.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/08/web1_fairshowmen1-1.jpgWhitney Vickers | Greene County News Danielle Norman earned the most points in the Greene County Fair Showman of Showmen competition.

Competitors earned their spots by earning overall or senior showman status.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/08/web1_fairshowmen2-1.jpgCompetitors earned their spots by earning overall or senior showman status.

The showmen had to show six animals.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/08/web1_fairshowmen3-1.jpgThe showmen had to show six animals.

By Whitney Vickers

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Contact Whitney Vickers at 937-502-4532.

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