2009 CHAMPION YOUTH AMBASSADORS
Our Champion Youth Ambassadors have been busy this summer preparing for the upcoming year! They all participated in a Dale Carnegie Workshop which gave them some tips on Public Speaking. They also helped at the FFA Convention and the Youth Steer Futurity Calf Sale.
Our Champion Youth Ambassadors are available to speak to any FFA Chapter or 4-H Club about the Florida State Fair and its opportunities for youth.
KARLY VOJNAR
Pierson, Florida
My name is Karly, and this is my second year as a Florida State Fair Ambassador. I just graduated high school, and I’ll be attending Florida State University this fall. GO ‘NOLES! For the past five years, I’ve shown my rabbits and chickens at the Florida State Fair. I made some of my best friends and memories at the state fair, and you can too!
I first began showing poultry about eight years ago with an embryology project. From the moment the eggs were in the incubator, I was captivated... and even more fascinated once the little chicks were running around in the brooder box. I began to read anything I could get my hands on about poultry, sit out in the coop for hours, and within a couple years I was traveling around the state showing my birds. In 2005, I began showing my poultry at the Florida State Fair until I wasn’t eligible to win for poultry anymore. I still had two years left in high school, so I decided to raise a rabbit and show her at the fair. Even though I’ve shown my rabbit for the past two years, poultry is truly my passion.
As I mentioned, I’ll be at FSU this fall. I plan to major in Communications and Spanish, and I’ll hopefully even study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country so I can learn the language better. Although my career path might not directly involve agriculture, the impact these animal projects have had on me will never be lost. I plan to continue raising chickens (once I move out of the college dormitory, of course... I don’t think they’d appreciate my raising chickens there!), and I’m already involved in my county fair poultry show.
If you’ve never shown at the Florida State Fair, let this be the year that you start! If you’ve already graduated high school, come to the fair and help with the skill-a-thon and meet some of the exhibitors. I guarantee that as soon as you give the state fair a try, you’ll love it. The Champion Youth Program not only gives youth exhibitors a chance to earn more money for their animal project, but it also places emphasis on the educational aspect of their projects.
KRYSTINA THOMPSON
Bell, Florida
I started showing rabbits when I was 2 years old at ARBA shows and 4 years old at the Florida State Fair. I bought my first rabbit with money that my grandpa gave me. He would give me money every time he would play the lottery and “my numbers” won. Her name was Sarah and she was a Holland Lop doe. Sarah was 14 years old when she passed away she had a good life. I now have 23 rabbits and 4 breeds, Holland Lop, Tan, Mini Satin and Satin.
I started showing poultry when I was 8 years old. But, I did not start out showing chickens I started showing Quail at my county fair then a few years later I started chickens and I have shown them ever since. My first chickens were a pair of Bantam Partridge Wyandottes that we had shipped in from West Palm Beach, FL. I still raise Bantam Wyandottes in Partridge, White and Columbian variety. I also raise Black Old English Game Bantam and Bantam Salmon Faverolle. I also added 2 breeds of Large Fowl, Black Cochin and Black Ameraucana.
I started showing Dogs when I was 8 years old with my first dog, Clint. I showed at the Florida State Fair, Polk County Youth Fair, CKC shows and at 4-H shows in my area. I loved to show my dogs. I had a great 4-H leader named Judy Raymond from the Home Grown 4-H club in Polk Co. She helped me so much. Clint and I finally received a blue ribbon in Obedience at the State Fair the last year I showed him. I ended my dog project when I moved to Gilchrist Co.
I also showed Llamas at the State Fair for two years. I bought my first llama, Vanilla Shake when I was 6 with money that I had made selling my baby bunnies. We had to pick him up in North Carolina. We did not have a truck and trailer so we brought him home in the back of our station wagon. This is not a joke; he was young so he fit in there with no problem. I remember when I did agility with Vanilla; he would not let anyone help us. I was the only one that he would do the course with and we did great.
I always wanted Dairy Goats and I was able to buy my first goat, Rose, 2005; when we moved to Gilchrist Co. The goats are a lot of fun and a lot of work but it is all worth it. I have placed twice in Champion of Champions and received 1st place Showmanship in 2008. I will show in open Dairy Goat next year. I started out with one doe and I now have 9 does and 2 bucks. I was the 08-09 Florida Dairy Goat Princess. So I there is no telling where I am going to go from here.
My most memorable moment was this year when my best friend placed 6th and I placed 2 in the Champion of Champions. I could not breath I thought I was going to die or at least faint. When they announced my other friend won 1st then I really could not breathe. We were all there together, we all want to place together and we did. I still cannot believe that it happened.
AMY LAWHORN
Lithia, Florida
My name is Amy Lawhorn, an I am 18 years old, and I was born and raised in Hillsborough County. I am a big Gator fan, and love to go horseback riding. I am a proud member of the Newsome FFA chapter, were I was apart of the state winning horse judging team, and will be representing Florida at the National contest in October. However, for those who know me best, know that my true passion lies in showing animals. I have been a exhibitor at the Florida State Fair for over eight years and have participated in their dog, beef, and steer shows. I love the State Fair, and it has been one of my favorite shows to exhibit at for quite some time . Throughout my years as an exhibitor at the Florida State Fair I have developed a deeper appreciation for the Champion youth program. The champion youth program is very unique in itself. It enables exhibitors to earn additional premiums on top of their animal premiums. Thus giving each exhibitor the same opportunity to profit from their project, all you have to do is apply yourself.
I believe that by showing animals I have further prepared myself for my future. My future plans are to obtain my associates degree from the Hillsborough Community College , and then transfer to the University of Florida and recieve my bachelors in animal science.. I then plan on pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. I am looking forward to my time as a youth ambassador , while promoting the Florida State Fair and it's champion animals. Good luck on all of your projects and I hope to see you at the fair!
JORDAN BUTTS
Wimauma, Florida
Jordan Butts is a 17 year old recent graduate of Durant High School. She first showed swine at the Florida State Fair at the age of eight, while a member of the Hillsborough Swine 4-H Club. She has won or placed in her species Champion of Champion events several times. Jordan has showed for ten consecutive years at the Fair. She has shown swine, beef heifers, and steers. This past year she won the WQYK Steer Exhibitor Scholarship worth $500. While at the Fair, she enjoys meeting new friends and the showmanship competitions. One of her fondest memories of animal exhibitions is placing in the top six in the Champion of Champions round robin. She would advise all participants to take advantage of the Champion of Champion achievement points to make extra money; read the rules carefully to take full advantage of each point opportunity. Her future plans include attending HCC and UF to become a firefighter/paramedic.
JENNA FERRERIA
Wesley Chapel, Florida
Hello exhibitors, my name is Jenna Ferreira, I am 18 years old, and I recently graduated from Pasco High School. I have participated in the Florida State Fair for four years and this year I placed 4th in the youth rabbit champion division and 5th in the overall Champion of Champions contest.
I first started showing livestock my eighth grade year at Weightman Middle School. I exhibited a chapter dairy heifer named Nelly. The first fair I ever competed at was the Florida State Fair. And that’s what got me hooked. I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere and the competition.
So I wanted more of course, however that posed a problem for me my ninth grade year; my zoned high school didn’t support an agricultural program. So my sophomore year I transferred, by school choice, to Pasco High School to be in their Agriculture program. There, I completed the Veterinary Assisting Program and some Agricultural Communications classes.
My involvement in The Champion of Champions program, FFA and 4-H fueled my interest into the livestock industry. I have obtained professional training in Artificial Insemination, and been a member of several FFA CDE teams including the 2008 State Winning FFA Livestock Evaluation team. With this in mind, I plan to attend Pasco Hernando Community College to obtain my AA and then transfer to The University of Florida to pursue cattle genetics and/or meat sciences.
The Champion of Champions program is what makes the Florida State Fair so unique. This program pushes youth to get more involved into the industry. I am proud to be a youth ambassador this year and look forward to the year ahead and wish great success to all of you at the 2010 Florida State Fair.
BRITTNEY THOMPSON
Myakka City, Florida
The Florida State Fair has been the home to many of my memories.
Hello! My name is Brittney Thompson. I am 16 years old and this is my 8th year in 4-H. When I was 8 years old, I joined 4-H and became an active member, showing rabbits and poultry at our county fair. When I was 10 years old, I participated in the Florida State Fair’s Champion of Champions Youth Program for the first time. By participating in this amazing program, I have learned so much about agriculture and I have met many new friends. The Champion Youth Program is one of the most beneficiary programs that I have ever participated in. This program allows you to interact with the public, share your knowledge, meet new people, and establish friendships.
Through participating in this program, I have learned a little bit about each of the eight species and they are experiences that I will always keep with me.
In the future, I plan to attend college and later apply to a veterinary school. The Florida State Fair’s Champion Youth Program has helped me have more of an agricultural connection and I believe it will help me immensely in my future endeavors.
