Lauren Johnston takes Supreme Showmanship
The focus and intensity of Lauren Johnston's gaze throughout the Supreme Showmanship competition Thursday night at the Putnam County Fair was unmistakable, as was her joy when she was named the 2014 Supreme Showmanship winner.
After a few tears and a lot of hugs, Johnston had big plans for her celebration.
"I'll tell you what, I'm going to go congratulate the other contestants and then I'm going to go get a two-dollar dairy shack milkshake," she said.
The North Putnam High School junior is in her eighth year as a 4-H member and fondly remembered when her cousin Kyle Alcorn took home the award in 2008.
"I want this to be me some day," she remembered thinking at the event.
Daughter of Rick and Cammie Johnston, it was clear that family, friends and determination were key to her win; a fact that was quite apparent with the many large smiles, hugs and tears shed after the event.
"I have a huge family and a lot of friends that have been family since day one," Johnston said.
She would like to thank her parents for "dealing with me on the early mornings," her aunts, the Poynter family, the Holsapple family and her grandmother "I wouldn't be anywhere without her, I can't thank her enough," Johnston said.
Also competing in the Supreme Showmanship eere Grant Colvin representing the swine barn; Lane Hacker representing the beef barn; Allison Bayless representing the goat barn; Corbin Judy representing the dairy barn and Jessica Hays representing the Horse and Pony barn.
(a photo gallery with prints available can be found HERE)
Past Supreme Showmanship winners:
2014: Lauren Johnston, Sheep
2013: Preston Porter, Dairy
2012: Emily Gilley, Horse & Pony
2011: Logan Pell, Horse & Pony
2010: Garrett Porter, Dairy
2009: Brock Jones, Sheep
2008: Kyle Alcorn, Beef
2007: Dakota Parent, Sheep
2006: Kalen Brattain, Swine
2005: Jordan Berry, Sheep
2004: Neal Knapp, Sheep
2003: Ashley Clifford, Beef
2002: Dustin Thornberg, Swine
2001: Rhonda Gottschalk, Beef
2000: Keri Jackson, Swine
1999: Tiffany Tippin, Beef
1998: Ryan Hendricks, Sheep
1997: Tammy Gottschalk, Swine
1996: Kyleen Jensen, Beef
1995: Paul Hodgen, Beef
1994: Sara Stanley, Beef
1993: Mike Jackson, Swine
1992: Robert Hodgen, Beef
1991: Jim Bowling, Swine
1990: Doug Parent, Beef
1989: Brent Branneman, Swine
1988: Jenny Merkel, Beef
1987: Jenny Jessup, Goat
1986: Jeff Stanley, Sheep
1985: Charles Poynter, Swine
1984: Tony Stanley, Beef
1983: Brian Williams, Beef
1982: Andy Beck, Beef
1981: Brad Davies, Swine
1980: Lisa Sutherlin, Horse & Pony
1979: Jeff Davies, Swine
1978: Jake Zaring, Beef
1977: Gary Williams, Beef
1976: Brad Cash, Dairy
1975: Jerry Torr, Beef
1974: Gordon Smith, Swine
1973: Phillip Fry, Swine
1972: Terry Tippin, Dairy
1971: David Bruner, Sheep
1970: Beverly Hurst, Sheep
1969: Steve Judy, Dairy
1968: Kent Brattain, Swine
1967: Ken Carrington, Beef
1966: Robert New, Sheep
1965: Ralph Fry, Dairy
1964: Keith Carrington, Beef
1963: Bill Judy, Dairy
1962: Noble New, Sheep
1961: Tommy Hendricks, Sheep
1960: Frank Hartman, Beef
1959: Ted Britton, Beef
1958: Neil Irwin, Swine
1957: Byron Gough, Beef
1956: Bowen Akers, Beef
1955: Charles Nicholson, Dairy
1954: Bernie Harris, Sheep
1953: Gordon Whitman, Beef
1952: Ken Torr, Beef