Ashlyn Kelly wins best showman at 4-H fair

GREENTOWN — It was hard to keep the smile off of Ashlyn Kelly’s face Wednesday night.

Minutes earlier, the 17-year-old won the title of Supreme Showman of the Howard County 4-H Fair, what some people believe to be one of the crowning achievements during fair week.

“I was already kind of nervous a little bit, but I was just hoping they’d call my name,” Kelly told the Tribune after Wednesday’s show, friends and family gathered nearby ready to congratulate her. “But if they didn’t call my name, I wouldn’t have been super upset either. I just tried my best.”

Kelly was one of five competitors Wednesday night vying for Supreme Showman, a competition that puts a 4-Her’s skills and knowledge about showing goats, cows, pigs, sheep and horses to the ultimate test.

Because during Supreme Showman, the participants — having qualified for the competition by winning best showman earlier in the fair for a specific species of animal — are tasked with showing animals that aren’t even their own.

And that can be nerve-racking, Kelly said, especially when all eyes are on you.

“For me, it makes it hard because you don’t know how the animals are going to act,” she said. “If they have a little attitude, you don’t really know about it, so you have to be patient when you’re out there.”

And remember to stay calm, Kelly noted, adding that some deep breaths helped her relax during the later stages of the show.

“You have to just try and enjoy it because it’s kind of out of your control,” she said, “so it’s important to just have fun because you never know when you’ll be back out there.”

Jeremy and Jenny Kelly are Ashlyn’s parents.

And while their daughter was busy accepting congratulations a few feet away, the Kellys took a few moments to reminisce on this year’s Supreme Showman competition and what 4-H has meant to their family over the years.

“I’m very proud,” Jeremy said. “It’s hard work, but all five of the participants did a phenomenal job. Everybody loves doing what they’re doing, and it’s not an easy task. But it’s great to see how everybody works together.

“And it’s probably like any parent watching their kid do a sport,” he added. “You can’t do it for him. You’re on the sidelines watching and hoping they do it right. And it really just comes down to them staying calm.”

Jenny agreed with her husband.

“She did great, but our kids all work well together,” she said, referring to Ashlynn’s siblings that are also involved in 4-H. “We’re proud of all of them, and I think in this sport of livestock, you have to work really hard to get it done. Ashlyn did that tonight.”

Alongside Ashlyn Kelly, other participants in Wednesday’s Supreme Showman competition were Conner Ortman, Kenzie Moore, Kristian Stockberger and Cora Bartrum.