Another Paxson wins trophy

Another Paxson will be added to the trophy.

Ty Paxson relied on experience Tuesday afternoon en route to winning the 4-H small animal supreme showmanship competition at the Jay County Fair.

“It’s a great way to end off my year,” said Paxson, a 10-year 4-H member. 

He follows his sister Gabi, who won the small animal trophy in 2019.

Paxson has been deeply involved through his decade of 4-H, including advancing to the small animal supreme showmanship competition in 2021.

He represented the poultry barn during Tuesday’s competition and also has shown dairy goats and sheep.

The supreme showmanship competition pits the advanced showmanship winners from each of the species against each other. They must show each of the species with the exception of the one from which they advanced. The animals to be shown are distributed via blind draw.

Experience — both in having competed in supreme showmanship previously and in showing various species — was key to Paxson’s victory.

“Showing dairy goats helped extremely because it’s the same thing other than how you hold the leash,” he said. “You hold it with two or three fingers (for pygmy goats). With dairy goats, you hold it with your whole hand.”

Ty Paxson receives the Jay County 4-H small animal supreme showmanship trophy Tuesday from 2023 champion Katie Haffner. Through his 4-H career, Paxson has shown poultry, sheep and goats and has also participated in a variety of exhibit projects. (The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney)

 

Joining Paxson in the small animal competition Tuesday — large animal is slated for 5 p.m. Thursday — Alivia Toney (cat), Neveah Brower (rabbit), Alexis Tipton (dog) and Gage Sims (pygmy goat).

He said returning to the supreme competition came with a calmer demeanor. Rather than pushing for victory, he took a “whatever happens, happens” approach.

“It felt smooth,” he said. “The first time I did this, I was very shaky with everything.”

While comfortable showing a pygmy goat — it was the first species of Tuesday’s competition — another aspect of the competition proved to be more of a challenge.

“Rabbit was the most difficult because there's so much to do with it,” said Paxson. “And it’s not just holding it and showing it off like the chickens and just answering questions. You have to show body types, explain the reasons why you’re checking the body. It's a lot more than the other species.”

In addition to showing livestock, Paxson has participated in crafts, shooting sports, LEGO, construction and architectural replica, electric, fine arts, any other crafts and achievement 4-H projects.

He has been part of the poultry judging team for Jay County FFA and is a former member of the robotics club at Jay County Junior-Senior High School.

Paxson will attend St. Mary’s College of Maryland — it is located along the east bank of the St. Mary’s River near its point of convergence with the Potomac River and then Chesapeake Bay — to study marine science with a minor in environmental studies. He hopes for a career in working around reefs or inland bogs/swamps.

He explained that the time it took to apply to and communicate with colleges caused him to spend a little less time with his 4-H projects this year.