The last week in January, nearly 1,000 students converged on the Stuart Center in Bartow for the 2024 Polk County Youth Fair.
Students competed in everything from cake-baking and floral arranging to raising steers and cows, along with sheep, goats and rabbits.
Lake Gibson High School student and Future Farmers of America member Emmalee Robertson won reserve grand champion in the Commercial Market Steer division — the second year in a row she has earned one of the top honors.
The steer grand champion trophies are the most competitive and coveted at the annual event. The other top winners in that category are:
- Hailie Thomas — Bok Academy North FFA — Commercial Market Steer — Grand Champion
- Layni Chaney — Bartow Sr. High FFA — Market Steer: European Influence — Reserve Grand Champion
- Chasey McCrimmon — Bartow Sr High FFA — Market Steer: American Influence — Reserve Grand Champion
Multiple schools in Lakeland had top winners in various categories.
George Jenkins Senior High School (FFA)
- George Jenkins Sr. FFA — Livestock Judging: Team (Senior) — First Place
- George Jenkins Sr. FFA — Horticulture Judging: Club/Chapter (Senior) — First Place
- Alyssa Agosto — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Ashley Clark — Purebred Beef: Brangus Female — Reserve Grand Champion
- Sophia Dufour — Rabbit Overall — Best in Show/Grand Champion
- Sophia Dufour — Rabbit Best in Breed — Winner
Kathleen Middle School (FFA)
- Madalyn Nichols — Purebred Beef: Brahman Breed Female — Grand Champion
- Madalyn Nichols — Purebred Beef: Brahman Breed Female — Reserve Grand Champion
- Madalyn Nichols — Market Steer Showmanship (Intermediate) — First Place
Kathleen Senior High School (FFA)
- Mikaylah Lampp — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Mikaylah Lampp — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Rafael Martinez — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Rafael Martinez — Breeding Goat: Pygmy — Reserve Grand Champion
Lake Gibson Middle School (FFA)
- Kaizley Albin — Rabbit Best in Breed — Winner
- Hannah Clark — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Jackson Larrabee — Poultry Showmanship (Intermediate) — First Place
Lake Gibson Senior High School (FCCLA)
- Mackensie Crews — Foods — Tri-Color ribbon
- Rachel Newman — Foods — Tri-Color ribbon
Lake Gibson Senior High School (FFA)
- Nala Day — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Nala Day — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color ribbon
- Kinley Hardee — Horse Show Ranch (Senior) — Reserve Grand Champion
- Kinley Hardee — Horse Show Sorting (Senior) — First Place
- Kinley Hardee — Horse Show Overall Ranch Horse (Senior) — First Place
- Kinley Hardee — Horse Show Overall — Reserve Grand Champion
- Brooke Henderson — Home Furnishing — Tri-Color ribbon
- Addison Hermes — Horticulture: Ornamental — Tri-Color
- Mattison Keeble — Commercial Heifer Overall: European — Grand Champion
- Hubble Keller — Cow/Calf Pair — Grand Champion
- Maddison Keller — Horse Show Speed (Senior) —- Grand Champion
- Brianna McDougall — Rabbit Best in Breed — Winner
- Lillie Myers — Purebred Beef In Memory Bill Whatley Award — Winner
- Emmalee Robertson — Commercial Market Steer — Reserve Grand Champion
- Raelan Sherrouse — Purebred Beef: Angus Female — Reserve Grand Champion
- Raelan Sherrouse — Purebred Beef: Maine Anjou Female — Grand Champion
- Raelan Sherrouse — Purebred Beef Showmanship (Senior) — First Place
- Makenna Stencel — Rabbit Best in Breed — Winner
- Mason Stovall — Archery: Sighted Compound (Senior) — First Place
Lakeland Christian School (4-H)
- Gracellyn Allen — Horse Show Ranch (Senior) — Grand Champion
- Gracellyn Allen — Horse Show Boxing (Senior) — First Place
- Gracellyn Allen — Horse Show Overall — Grand Champion
- Madelynn Courtney — Horse Show Western (Junior) — Reserve Grand Champion
- Mattie Fountain — Top Ranch Hand (Intermediate) — First Place
- Mattie Fountain — Horticulture Judging: Individual (Intermediate) — First Place
- Charlotte Francks — Rabbit Overall Best in Show — First Place
- Charlotte Francks — Rabbit Best in Breed – Winner
- Adilynn Hall — Rabbit Costume Contest (Junior) — First Place
- Audrey Hiott — Horse Show Ranch (Intermediate) — Reserve Grand Champion
- Christian Munoz — Illustrated Talk (Junior) — First Place
- Daniel “Tripp” Santangelo — Poultry Showmanship (Junior) — First Place
Lakeland Christian School (FFA)
- Lakeland Christian FFA — Horticulture Judging: Club/Chapter (Intermediate) — First Place
- Reagan Anderson — Home Furnishing — Tri-Color ribbon
- Elijah Beal — Cake Auction — Winner
- Mattie Fountain — Demonstrations (Intermediate) — First Place
- Mattie Fountain — Poultry/Egg Show: Turkey — Champion
- Kamryn Gress — Photography — Best In Show
- Parker Nall — Outdoor Sports — Best In Show
- Ridge Rhoden — Archery: Instinctive Long/Recurve Bow (Intermediate) — First Place
Lakeland Highlands Middle School (FFA)
- Trevor Crews — Home Furnishing — Tri-Color ribbon
R. W. Blake Academy
- Dylan Rodriguez — Rabbit Overall Best in Show — Third Place
Schools of McKeel (YLPA)
- Ansley Bryant — Purebred Beef: Maine Anjou Female — Reserve Grand Champion
- Ansley Bryant — Purebred Beef Showmanship (Intermediate) — First Place
- Emily Cayson — Purebred Beef: Angus Female — Grand Champion
- Adalyn Compton — Purebred Beef: English Breed Female — Reserve Grand Champion
- Adalyn Compton — Horticulture Judging: YLPA (Intermediate) — First Place
- Brayden Cranor — Purebred Beef: English Breed Male — Reserve Grand Champion
- Bristol Dykes — Livestock Judging: YLPA (Junior) — First Place
- Bristol Dykes — Horticulture Judging: YLPA (Junior) — First Place
- Aubrey Hill — Livestock Judging: YLPA (Intermediate) — First Place
- Bellamy Howell — Illustrated Talk (Intermediate) — First Place
- Addison Pilla — Purebred Beef: Simmental Female — Grand Champion
- Alexis Pilla — Purebred Beef: Simmental Female — Reserve Grand Champion
- Valerie Sanchez — Pillow Sew-Off (Intermediate) — First Place
- Carlie Shenefield — Livestock Judging: YLPA (Senior) — First Place
- Macie Shenefield — PJ Pant Sew-Off (Intermediate) — First Place
- Macie Shenefield — Pillow Sew-Off (Intermediate) — First Place
- Macie Shenefield — Horse Show Speed (Intermediate) —Reserve Grand Champion
- Carlee Taylor — Horticulture: Citrus — Grand Champion
- Truman Taylor — Horticulture: Citrus — Reserve Grand Champion
Tenoroc Senior High School (FFA)
- Madison Harmon — Horticulture: Citrus — Tri-Color ribbon
- Seth Shirah — Whip Popping: Adaptive — First Place
See the full list of winners:
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