Brandon Yancik with his Grand Champion Market Boer Goat, Rocky, Wednesday afternoon at the Delaware County Fair.
Glenn Battishill | The Gazette
In his first year competing in 4-H at the Delaware County Fair, Brandon Yancik took the top prize for Market Boer Goat Monday afternoon.
Brandon, 9, said this was his first year showing goats, and he enjoyed training the goats and caring for them to prepare them for competition. Brandon, a Buckeye Valley West student, said raising the goats involved feeding and watering them morning and night as well as walking them and cleaning the goats and their pens.
On Monday afternoon, Brandon showed his goat, Rocky, during the market Boer goat competition and was named the grand champion. Brandon said Wednesday that he was glad to win and is looking forward to competing again.
“I was very happy,” he said. “(I want to compete) until I’m out of 4-H. I practiced and worked a lot.”
Brandon said his favorite part of the competition was presenting the goat to the judges. He added the competition was a learning experience.
“(The judge) told me some really interesting stuff that I’ll use next year!” Brandon said.
Brandon’s father, Shaun Yancik, said he was nervous when Brandon made it to the final round of competition.
“My heart was beating out of my chest when he was in the final drive,” Shaun Yancik said. “When the judge walked up and shook his hand to identify him as grand champion, my wife and I just started crying. When we see the work he put in all year come to fruition like that; and especially in his first year. … A moment like that is once in a lifetime in my opinion for a parent. Nothing in the world makes my wife and I more proud than seeing our children succeed!”
Brandon said he also took fourth in showmanship and sixth place with his other goat, Pickles, and had a gardening project that earned an “A”. He added he and his family have been camping at the fairgrounds and said he’s enjoyed the experience.
“I get to sleep over and party every night,” Brandon said, earning a laugh from his parents before adding that he’s also enjoyed the rides and making friends and new memories.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
