Jayden O’Neal gets a fist bump after he won Grand Champion Market Lamb at the Hancock County 4-H Fair. Wednesday, June 22, 2022.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
By Elissa Maudlin
HANCOCK COUNTY — At first, there was anticipation. In a line of five, contestants waited as the judge shook their hands, signifying their placings in backward order — fifth overall, fourth overall, etc. The judge placed his hand on the sheep near the middle of their back as the contestants waited patiently. As he shook hands with the contestant earning second place, Arabella Clifton smiled.
She was supreme champion for the first time.
Arabella is 10 years old and had the Supreme Champion Ewe on Wednesday at the Hancock County 4-H fair.
When thinking about her win, she cried “because [she was] happy,” she said. When it was down to her and another competitor, she believed she would get reserve supreme champion instead.
“I’ve like never won before and it’s a big show, so I’m happy that I won against a bunch of different sheep,” she said.
Arabella referred to sheep being “[her] thing” and said she’s really happy that her sheep feel safe around her. She said they were nervous to get on the trailer to come to competition at first but, after they got to their pen, they were happy and excited because “they knew something exciting was about to happen.”
The sheep she won supreme champion with was named Freckles “because it has two dots on its ears.” Another sheep was named Sunflower “because that’s [her] favorite flower.” Her other two sheep don’t have names “because [she’s hasn’t] thought of one.”
Her favorite moment with Freckles was when she first got her.
“I just knew I’d have a connection with her,” she said.
Jane Clifton, her grandmother, also cried thinking about her win. As a 10-year 4-H member, she showed cattle and her daughter never showed in 4-H, so she said Arabella gets to carry on showing animals.
“She tries really hard at whatever she does …” Jane said. “When she goes to accomplish something, she puts her mind to it and does it.”
Dave Garmene, her uncle, said “she’s a typical 10-year-old girl in today’s world,” adding that with all kids in today’s world, you have to push them to work.
“She’s a typical 10-year-old that you kind of have to push and prod every now and then,” he said. “But then, when she’s ready to do something, she’ll do it and does it on her own.”
Jayden O’Neal, seventh grader at Eastern Hancock, took home the title of Grand Champion Market Lamb and started in 4-H the summer after third grade. He has been showing sheep for three years.
Due to him living on a farm, his mother Clarissa O’Neal said “it just comes natural to show animals.”
When she heard his name called as grand champion, she said she was shaking, overwhelmed and nervous.
“It just makes all his hard work pay off,” she said.
Nathan Apple, Jayden’s cousin, smiled and referred to Jayden as “a pretty awesome kid.”
“He’s very competitive,” he said. “He likes to win and he works really hard at what he does. And there’s never a dull moment with him.”
He also said Jayden’s work ethic is “unmatchable.” When working at the farm, he said Jayden won’t stop until it’s perfect and gets angry when it’s not.
Apple was in 4-H for eight years, and showed pigs and sheep. Jayden and him have shown at the Indiana Junior Club Lamb Circuit.
Jayden’s grand champion sheep is named Seven and was “not the best at walking,” so getting him to walk with his head up was a difficult part of the preparation, Jayden said.
“Whenever I get in his pen with him, he acts like he’s gonna run away,” he said, “and he’ll run away like one foot and then just turn around and come back to me.”
He believes showing sheep teaches people about hard work, with late nights working, walking and watering the sheep.
“… I think hard work pays off, I guess,” he said.
