by Eric Stearley
eric@thepaperofwabash.com
For the second year in a row, the Mize name reigned supreme during the Wabash County Round Robin Showmanship competition as Katie Mize captured the title and a $500 scholarship. Katie’s older brother, Cole, captured the title last year, along with Grand Champion Steer, which Katie was able to follow up as well.
In the round robin competition, the top showmen in 7 livestock categories come together to show each of the seven species in turn. This year, the competition was tight as Mize represented the beef department, while Cale Dyson represented swine, Elizabeth Anguilm represented dairy, Sarah Hines represented Horse and Pony, Maddy Dale represented goats, Mary Willcox represented sheep, and Kane Gable represented veal.
“I want to congratulate all the other kids,” Mize said following her victory. “They did an awesome job.”
Capturing the Round Robin title requires a great deal of versatility, as each species is shown in a different way using different tools. Mize, who has shown beef, swine, sheep, and goats in the past, was in her comfort zone during the beef portion, but was hesitant about the showing a horse prior to the competition, an apprehension her brother shared during last year’s competition.
“I thought the horses would be the hardest,” said Mize following the competition. “It was actually the swine tonight. My pig did not want to cooperate with me, but it was OK.”
