Morris shows champion ewe and goat at Del Mar

Alan Morris concluded his first showing year in Fallbrook 4-H Club with the San Diego County Fair's grand champion wether dam ewe and the supreme reserve champion market goat.

Morris, who completed third grade at Fallbrook STEM academy in June, also won showmanship competitions with three different animals and placed second in master showmanship for all large animals.

The 2018-2019 year was Morris' fourth in 4-H Club, but 4-H Club members cannot show animals at the county fair until they are 9 years old. Morris turned 9 years old, Nov. 23.

"I had never gone to the fair showing," Morris said.

The Pee Wee 4-H Club level allows 4-H Club members under 9 years old to show small animals, but that does not include place competition.

The county fair's livestock breed show for sheep took place June 5-8. Morris entered Blue, a Hampshire cross, in the commercial grades and unregistered division. Blue won champion yearling honors and was selected as the grand champion wether dam ewe.

"It was really exciting. I was really happy," Morris said.

The Morris family purchased Blue from Hild Brothers Show Stock, which is in the central Iowa town of Webster City, in June 2018. She was 16 months old when she was shown at the county fair.

Morris showed Hassy, a Hampshire cross who was born on the Morris ranch in March 2019, in the ewe spring lamb competition and took first place in that division. Morris competed in the breed livestock showmanship competition with Hassy and won the junior showmanship division.

"I was excited about that," Morris said. "I had never gotten first place."

The fair's market livestock show took place June 25-30, and Morris entered a goat and two lambs. His goat, Nibbles, was eight months old when he was taken to the county fair, and the Boer cross weighed 85 pounds on the fair scales. Morris and his family purchased Nibbles from Brem Livestock in Porterville, which is in Tulare County, in January.

Nibbles won the 4-H Club medium-weight class.

"I was really excited because I worked so hard with Nibbles," Morris said.

The 4-H Club weight class champions and reserve champions compete for the 4-H Club grand champion and 4-H Club reserve champion awards.

"There was a lot of tough competition," Morris said.

Karstin Wagner of Japatul 4-H Club in Alpine raised a 91-pound goat which received 4-H Club grand champion honors. Morris and Nibbles took 4-H Club reserve champion status.

"I was excited about that, too," Morris said. "I've never gotten a banner and a ribbon."

The 84-pound goat raised by Megan Kelly of Ramona FFA was the National FFA Organization grand champion. El Capitan FFA member Connor Bast earned FFA reserve champion recognition for his 79-pound goat. The 4-H Club grand champion, the 4-H Club reserve champion, the FFA grand champion and the FFA reserve champion then compete for supreme grand champion and supreme reserve champion.

"They were all really good goats," Morris said.

The competition for the top four took place June 27.

"I was ready to go in the big ring," Morris said. "It was exciting. It was really tough competition."

Wagner's goat was declared the supreme grand champion. Nibbles was given supreme reserve champion distinction.

"When the judge shook my hand that was a really fun moment and then I heard the applause," Morris said.

The livestock auction occurred June 29. Nibbles was purchased by RCS Family for $1,400. RCS stands for Ray Cammack Shows, which provides games, rides and food for the San Diego County Fair.

Morris won the market goat showmanship with Nibbles.

"I worked really hard with him every day," he said.

Both of the lambs Morris showed during the market livestock competition were acquired by the Morris family in March and were six months old at the fair. The 126-pound lamb was named Fortnite and the 136-pound lamb was given the name Drop the Mic. The two male lambs were both in the medium-weight class.

Although neither of the lambs received medium-weight champion or reserve champion designation, Morris won the market lamb showmanship with Drop the Mic.

"I was really happy and excited," he said.

The winners of the showmanship competition for each large animal advance to the master showmanship event for all large animals. Because Morris won the showmanship in multiple classes he was in the master showmanship as the breed lamb winner, while the market goat and market lamb runners-up represented those classes in the master showmanship. Morris was one of seven competitors in the master showmanship competition, June 30.

The master showmanship competitors don't bring their own animals but instead show each of the animals provided. Because breed lambs and market lambs are shown similarly, there were not separate classes in the master showmanship which involved dairy cattle, dairy goats, market steers, market goats, lambs and swine.

Morris placed second in the junior division of the master showmanship competition.

"I did good," he said.