Published: July 25, 2008 12:12 pm         

Supreme showman follows in siblings’ footsteps

Family tradition

DANVILLE — Caleb Neier made his entire family proud as he was named the winner of the 4-H Supreme Showman competition Thursday night at the 2008 Hendricks County 4-H Fair.

Neier is the son of Lisa and Richard Neier. They live just north of Coatesville.

“He just worked so hard,” said his mother. “I am so happy for him. And all this after he got trampled by a cow this morning.”

Caleb Neier said he was a little sore after his run-in with the animal.

“I was trying to practice and she got me tripped up,” he said. “I do have a knot in my leg that is hurting pretty bad.”

He said the experience was worth all the hard work.

“After you win showman in your breed the fair is over for you and you have two days of solid practice with the other animals,” he explained. “But I came in tonight with confidence and all the practice paid off.”

This was the first year Neier was up for Supreme Showman, but the competition is not new to his family. In 2001 Caleb’s sister, Abra Tennery, competed and in 2003 his other sister, Haylee Neier, won the competition.

“No words can express how proud we are of him,” Haylee Neier said. “This is his first year in it and he won!”

Tennery said that 4-H has always been important to the family and that she would not have it any other way.

“It really shapes what you are going to do all summer and helps to shape you as a person,” she said. “We are just so proud of him.”

Caleb Neier graduated from Danville Community High School and is going to be a freshman at Purdue University this fall.

“Boiler up,” he said. “I am going into food sales and management. That is ag economics.”

His father, Richard, said he could not be any more proud of his son.

“He is an amazing boy and he worked so hard to do this,” he said. “He had to work hard from start to finish.”

The Neier family had several members of the immediate and extended family present for the competition.

Neier competed with five other experienced 4-Hers — each representing a different breed of animal. Those competing were Neier, swine; Fallon Jackson, horse; Kelsey Covey, dairy; Emilee Kottkamp, beef; and Jacob Bowman, sheep.

Rachel Wilson judged the competition.

“I asked them industry questions and questions on anatomy,” Wilson said. “They have to know how to show each animal, but not look like they are trying too hard to show.”

She said the Hendricks County 4-H organization and all of the family members and friends in the audience should be proud of this year’s competitors.

“They all did a very nice job,” she added.

brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com

     

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