SPENCER, Iowa — David Movall, 18, of Linn Grove, showed the grand champion county market steer at the Clay County Fair 4-H/FFA Market Beef Show.
"It was pretty exciting," Movall said of his victory.
He was also reserve champion senior beef showman, and he exhibited the reserve champion county born steer.
Movall is a freshman at Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg where he is studying agricultural business. When he finishes school, he wants to farm and raise cattle. He belongs to the Sioux Valley Feeders 4-H Club and Sioux Central FFA.
Movall, his brother and their father own Movall Show Cattle.
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"I’ve been showing at the Clay County Fair since I was in 4th grade," Movall said. "I also show cattle throughout the country."
Movall’s champion steer is named Bubba.
"The judge really liked Bubba," he said. "He had nothing bad to say. Bubba is pretty laid back."
Bubba was on display throughout the fair.
"It’s really good for us," Movall said.
Gage Behnkendorf, 11, showed pigs with his grandfather, Bob Behnkendorf of Algona. Gage is a sixth grader at Eagle Grove and plays football so he could only show on Saturday. His grandpa planned to stay with the pigs until Tuesday.
"When they give out the big trophies, Gage won’t be here, but Grandpa will," Bob said.
Also helping in the show ring was Gage’s three-year-old stepbrother Rafer Russell.
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The Behnkendorfs showed a grand champion Spotted sow and boar and were going to show their Poland China hogs later in the day.
"I showed a big pig," Rafer said. "I hit the pig on the butt with a black stick."
The Behnkendorfs brought 11 pigs to the fair.
"I like to show because I never get to do it," said Gage, who has also shown pigs with his grandpa at the Iowa State Fair and the World Pork Expo.
"This new livestock pavilion is a fantastic facility,’ said Bob. "The old swine barn was good, but this is really nice. I appreciate what the Clay County Fair Board did to get this building up."
Louise Worm of Lakefield was clipping Leah, a purebred Colombian ewe, on opening day. She and her brother, Charlie, were getting their sheep ready to show.
Leah finished first in her class at the Minnesota State Fair. A flock mate, Trish, also in the show string, was grand champion at the Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin state fairs.
Worm said she and her brother have been showing sheep at the Clay County Fair since 1985.
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"This fair has maintained its agricultural flavor," Worm said. "So many people come through here, and they ask a lot of questions about agriculture and food."
Worm said she loves the new Clay County Fair livestock pavilion.
"It’s awesome," she said. "It’s cooler, roomier and there’s more light. I think it’s great that they turned the old sheep barn where we used to be into an educational center."
Jon Scholten of Sioux Center brought 34 pigs to show at the Clay County Fair. The open show was under way on opening day, and Scholten had just shown the grand champion Chester White boar. Earlier he showed the grand champion Duroc boar.
"It feels pretty nice," he said.
This is the seventh year Scholten, 18, has shown pigs at the fair.
Scholten shows pigs with his family’s Broek Swine Genetics. His parents are Jim and Denise Rodenburgh.
Brea Wilkerson held her bantam tucked in her arm in the poultry barn and offered to let fair visitors pet it. She exhibited five Bantams at the fair.
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"A lot people are just a little afraid to pet a bird," she said.
Samuel and Eli Johnson of Austin, Minn., and their cousin Isaac Berg of Sioux Falls, S.D., were busy keeping their aunt and uncle Kirk and Mary Johnson’s Durocs cool and clean. The boar that Samuel was brushing and Isaac was spraying with a squirt bottle was reserve junior champion Duroc boar in the open show. The Johnsons are from Hartley.
"This is the favorite time of year for our boys," said Holly Johnson, Samuel and Eli’s mom.
