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Novak, Allen take top honors as Master Showmen
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Mariah Ahrens and Kade Allen, left and right, show two goats during the 2013 Green County Master Showman competition at the Green County Fair Sunday. (Times photo: Anthony Wahl)
MONROE - Crystal Novak, Browntown, was the Grand Champion of the 2013 Green County Fair Master Showman Contest. Reserve Champion was Kade Allen, Monroe.

Twelve participants, senior division showman in their respective project areas, were invited to become the overall Master Showman in Green County on Sunday, July 21, at the Green County Fairgrounds. Senior Division contestants were in ninth grade and above.

Each contestant needed to show a pig, goat, beef steer, dairy cow, lamb, chicken and rabbit, and had only five minutes with each animal to impress the judges.

"I executed my goal," Novak said of her win Sunday.

Novak, Clarno 4-H, is the daughter of Mark and Becky Novak. She was the winner of the senior division sheep showman.

"Keeping the heifer off my feet" was the hardest part of the contest, she laughed.

This is her final year in the Junior Fair. She plans to study interior decoration in New York.

This was Allen's second year in a row to win Reserve Champion Master Showman. He said he has one more year left to win that Grand Champion spot.

Allen, a member of Juda FFA, was competing as the senior division beef showman. He is the son of Roger and Sam Allen.

Allen said judging of the chicken was difficult this year.

"The judge was asking questions that not even the chicken showmen were ready for," he said.

Allen was more nervous about rabbit showing; last year, the bunny slipped out of his hands. This year he had managed the fine art of handling rabbits.

The contestants named rabbits most often as the animal they were worried about. Green County is one of few county fairs that include rabbits and chickens in their Master Showmanship contest.

Judges in each specialized area evaluated the contests. It is the showman's job to "disappear" behind the animals to present them to the fullest for the judge. The contest is in its eighth year.