Busy Jodi Buysse busts through at the fair

Minneota 4-H kids once again dominated the Lyon County Fair animal exhibits. But you would be hard-pressed to find anyone with a bigger smile on her face than Jodi Buysse.

“I had never won Grand champion or Reserve Champion in Showmanship before,” said Buysse, who has been showing animals at the fair since second grade.

“So I’m really happy.”

Not only did the personable freshman-to-be earn each of the aforementioned honors with her animals, she was awarded four Reserve Champion and three Grand Champion ribbons.

To add to the collection, was seven other ribbons, two plaques and two trophies.

One of the reasons Buysse feels this year was much more successful than in the past, is the assistance she received, as well as her being on the high end of her Intermediate Class for those in sixth through eighth grade.

“Because I’m the oldest in the Intermediate class now I think that makes a difference,” she explained. “I know what to expect because of the years I’ve been in this class. And I worked hard and got some help in learning about my animals.”

Buysse showed rabbits, dairy goats and chickens and earned champion ribbons in each. Buysse said she was grateful for the help she received from Brittany Moorse with her rabbits, Garrett Moorse with her goats, and her father Eric with her chickens.

“They all taught me a lot about showmanship,” she said. Buysse received Grand Champion honors with her Jersey Wooly Senior Doe rabbit “Mabel”.

Her Junior Jersey Wooly Doe “Faith” was also first in her class and received the Reserve Champion award, as well as Showmanship Reserve Champion.

In the Mini Lop category, Buysse’s rabbit “Willow” received a purple in the Mini Lop category and was Reserve Junior Champion Mini Lop.

Buysse also picked up an Intermediate Reserve champion poultry award, a Grand Champion award for Breeding Pen, and a Grand Champion Showmanship award for her chickens “Marty”, “Behati” and “Bianca”.

And in the Intermediate LaMancha goat class, Buysse earned first in the class along with junior champion honorable mention and the Showmanship Reserve Champion award for “Solaris”.

Buysse will be showing “Solaris” at the upcoming Minnesota State Fair.

“A lot of the Minneota kids did a good job so there will be a lot of us going to the state fair again,” said Buysse.