Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - WBEN and Audacy Buffalo were well-represented in the inaugural Celebrity Classic at the Erie County Fair on Thursday, as Brayton Wilson and Liz Mantel from 107.7 The Wolf both participated with young livestock exhibitors by helping showcase their sheep at the Showplex.
One of the young exhibitors working with Wilson on Thursday was 13-year-old Jolene Mesch from the Town of Collins in Southern Erie County. The time spent every year at the Erie County Fair is something Mesch cherishes.
"I look forward every single year to coming to the fair. It's just a daily routine of getting my animals ready to come here," said Mesch with WBEN on Thursday.
This year, Mesch's trusted partner in the ring is her 6-month-old ewe lamb, Fifi. She says getting Fifi ready for the fair is a very important process, and it takes some time and effort. It all starts right away when the young lamb is either born, or introduced to the farm.
"For starters, you should probably just sit in the pen with them, so they get used to it," Mesch explained. "When I got my lamb, she was kind of skittish and shy, but just spending time with your lamb is the most important so they're comfortable with being with you and being with other people, and hang around you so you can work with them easily."
As time gets closer to showing livestock at the fair, Mesch says it's important to treat every day as if it's showtime.
"Every single day, you should walk your animal like you're in the ring. You should pretend every single day you're in the ring with a judge," she said. "And a bath, maybe once a week and maybe rinse off every day, and you've got to blow them off. It's just an every single day routine."
Once in the ring, Mesch says one aspect of showmanship to always keep in mind is to not just present your animal, but also yourself.
"You should always look the most presentable that you can, a nice show shirt or jeans. It's always good to present yourself properly."
What are some of the key pointers to successfully show a sheep at the fair?
"To be honest, keeping her straight in the ring. You don't want her side stepping, or you don't want her running away. So you try your best to control your animal," Mesch noted.
"To stay calm is one of the most important things, because even if your lamb isn't behaving, as long as you show that you're gonna keep on trying, that's the only thing that matters."
Mesch adds it's also important to show some excitement while showing, and always have fun!
And while showcasing livestock is an exhibitor's time to shine in the ring, Mesch is happy any chance she gets to talk with fairgoers about not just Fifi, but also to educate others about the importance of agriculture and farming.
"I always like to answer all the questions that come from the fairgoers, and make sure they know enough, like, we're not hurting them when we put them in the stand. We're just prepping them. And I want to make sure that the fairgoers understand that everything's OK," Mesch said.
"I think the more people know about agriculture, the better. Every single day you're living on agriculture by just eating."
One resource that has helped Mesch and other young livestock exhibitors grow over the years in the ring and on the farm is the 4-H club. Not only is 4-H a way for kids and young adults to grow and learn through projects like livestock exhibits, but also learn other life skills, no matter the environment.
"4-H has helped me a lot. Between public presentations and talking to people and presenting yourself, it's teaching me so much," Mesch said.
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