2025 Washington County Youth Fair Highlights
Mark Mauldin, UF/IFAS Extension Washington County
The 2025 Washington County Youth Fair took place February 26th – March 1st at the Washington County Ag Center. In addition to the poultry and livestock related activities, over 400 Washington County youth displayed nearly 700 different projects. These projects included a wide variety of arts & crafts, food items, educational posters, and lots of dried and live plants. The plant projects were made or grown at school through a cooperative effort with teachers and the Chipley Garden Club. Exhibitors competed in one of four age divisions – A. Cloverbud (5-7), B. Junior (8-10), C. Intermediate (11-13), or D. Senior (14-18).
General Exhibits Best of Show Winners by category and age division
(If an age division is not listed, a BoS was not selected)
Art
Division B = Avalyn Barber
Division C = Hayden Kriser
Division D = Paisley Kriser
Baked Goods
Division A = Jacey Pickle
Division B = Saylor Woods
Division C = Mya White
Division D = Abigail Brown
Baked Goods Decorating
Division A = Emma Carter
Division B = Aubrey Mauldin
Division C = Mya White
Division D = Brystol Williams
Crafts
Division A = Jacey Pickle
Division B = Jackson Scurlock
Division C = Levi Franklin
Division D = Tyler Hobbs
Models
Division A = Noah Birge
Division B = Isaac Grantham
Division C = Cade Crawford
Needlework/Sewing
Division A = Emma Carter
Division C = Annalynn Yohn
Photography
Division A = Braeleigh Bullard
Division B = Ava Crawford
Division C = Levi Franklin
Division D = Abigail Brown
In the poultry barn, 29 4-H members exhibited 75 chickens. On Thursday 2/27 the exhibitors participated in the Poultry Showmanship Contest. During the showmanship contest, exhibitors are evaluated on their knowledge of, and ability to communicate about, their bird and how to properly care for it, as well as their ability to properly present the bird to the judge.
Poultry Showmanship Winners
Junior Division 
1st = Aubrey Mauldin
2nd = Avalyn Barber
3rd = Collin Odom
Intermediate Division
1st = Cade Crawford
2nd = Mya White
3rd = Kaylee Kinman
Senior Division
1st = Abigail Brown
2nd = Emma Weeks
3rd = Will Barber
The Cloverbud division is not scored/ranked.
(Names L to R: Braeleigh Bullard, Brookleigh Bullard, Lucas Stephens, Jacey Pickle, Meredith Crawford, Blake Mauldin, Stefanee Robinson, Kiera McNamee)
Best in Show Chickens
Exotic/Ornamental Breed Pair exhibited by Cade Crawford
Exotic/Ornamental Breed Rooster exhibited by Emma Weeks
Production Breed Hen exhibited by Isaac Grantham
Production Breed Pair exhibited by Emma Weeks
Large animals (steers, heifers, and market hogs) arrived at the Youth Fair on Friday morning. Twenty-four 4-H and FFA members exhibited 50 large animal projects (5 steers, 18 pigs, and 27 heifers). The Showmanship Contests for beef and swine exhibitors was held Friday, February 28th at 6pm. During the Showmanship contests the exhibitors were evaluated on their ability to effectively “show” or present their animal to the judge.
Beef Showmanship Winners
Junior Division
1st = Maddox Grantham
2nd = Saylor Woods
3rd = Hannah Riley
Intermediate Division
1st = Landon O’Steen
2nd = Cason Hayford
3rd = Makayla O’Steen
Senior Division
1st = Chloe Gilbert
2nd = Sophia Dickerson
3rd = Abigail Dickerson
Swine Showmanship Winners
Junior Division
1st = Ella Fisher
2nd = Reid Hayes
3rd = Maddox Grantham
Intermediate Division
1st = Beau Fisher
2nd = Landon O’Steen
3rd = Sarah Jane Riley
Senior Division
1st = Kira Owens
2nd = Mallory Ross
3rd = Ali Adams
The livestock show was Saturday, March 1st at 9am. During the livestock show the judge evaluated and ranked the animals on their merit relative to the standards of the class. At the WCYF, all swine and steers are judged as finished market animals, presumably ready to go to slaughter. Heifers are judged as breeding stock – on their ability to be long-lived, productive cows. Each category of livestock was broken into classes; swine and steer classes were determined by animal weight and heifer classes were determined by age. The judge picked a winner for each class, then from the class winners a Grand and Reserve Champion was selected.
Additionally, a Homegrown Champion and Reserve Champion were also selected from each category of livestock. To be eligible for the Homegrown category the exhibitor or immediate family must have owned the animal’s mother when she became pregnant with the animal being shown.
Grand Champion Swine
Exhibited by Beau Fisher
Reserve Champion Swine
Exhibited by Ella Fisher
Both of these pigs met the requirements for the Homegrown category, so by default they were declared the Homegrown Champion and Reserve Champion Swine respectively.
Grand Champion Steer
Exhibited by Chloe Gilbert
Reserve Champion Steer
Exhibited by Landon O’Steen
Both of these steers met the requirements for the Homegrown category, so by default they were declared the Homegrown Champion and Reserve Champion Steer respectively.
Grand Champion Heifer
Exhibited by Levi Franklin
Reserve Champion Heifer
Exhibited by Cason Hayford
Cason’s Reserve Champion Heifer met the requirement for the Homegrown category so by default it was declared the Champion Homegrown Heifer and another one of Cason’s heifers was selected as the Reserve Champion Homegrown Heifer
Washington County Youth Fair exhibitors had the option to sell their livestock project animals to the public via the Youth Fair Auction. The auction was held Saturday evening at 6pm. Only 12 animals were sold through the auction this year (1 steers and 11 hogs). A sincere thank you to each and every bidder that took the time to attend the sale. Your willingness to purchase market animals helps to ensure that exhibitors have a positive experience and are in a position to continue or expand their livestock projects in the future. Those listed below bought an animal in the auction.
A & W Excavations
Blake & Erica Anderson
Flyng A Fencing
Jared Grantham
Hayes Consulting Services
Hayes Farm Services
Hollis Savell
Southern Cattle Farms
Subway of Chipley
The Westerner
Westville Meats
With Women Midwifery Services
Since a relatively small percentage of the project animals are sold through the auction, another important way the community provides financial support to the exhibitors is through the donation of add-on money. These donations are paid to exhibitors, as specified by the donor, as “add-ons” to their premium and/or sale check. Thank you to all those who generously donated add-on money to the exhibitors. Add-on donors are listed below. Note: Add-ons made to individual exhibitors are not listed here.
Chipley Jackpot Showcase
Washington County Cattlemen’s Assn
Farm & Pet Veterinary Clinic
Seminole Livestock Exchange
Thomas Register
Sherriff Kevin Crews
While the support of the exhibitors, described above, is of paramount importance it would not be possible for the Washington County Youth Fair to happen without additional community support. This year, in addition to hiring a judge and other costs related to making the fair happen, the WCYF will give out over $6,000 in cash premiums and awards to the exhibitors. None of this would be possible without sponsorships from the community. Thank you very much to all those whose donations make the fair possible. 2024 WCYF sponsors are listed below.
Orange Hill Soil and Water Conservation District
Washington County Farm Bureau
Farm & Pet Veterinary Clinic
Chipley Jackpot Showcase
ARC Underground Inc.
Creekside Farm & Outdoors
Sherriff Kevin Crews
Trawick Construction Company
Mainstreet Market
Panhandle Watermelon Festival
West FL Electric Cooperative
The Westerner
GALO Enterprises
JAF Cattle
David H. Melvin Inc.
CJS Group, Inc.
Community South Credit Union
Deidra Pettis, Supervisor of Elections
PeoplesSouth Bank
John Best
Southern Way Realty
King’s Discount Drugs
Holmes County Farm Bureau
Blake & Erica Anderson
Hollis Savell
Westville Meats
Bruner Farms
Hayes Farms
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all who supported the Fair.
Mark your calendars – the WCYF 2026 will be February 26 – 28, 2026. If you would like to know more about how you can be involved with the Washington County Youth Fair contact Julie Dillard or Mark Mauldin at the UF/IFAS Washington County Extension Office, 850-638-6180.