There were a lot of familiar names among those showing the grand champions at the 2026 Yuma County Fair & Rodeos.
Emrrie Chamberlain did it again. The 14-year-old from Wray had the Grand Champion Market Hog, as well as the Reserve Grand Champion, for the second time, also doing that in 2023. This was her second straight year of showing showing the Grand Champion, making it three out of the last four years.
Plus she also had the Grand Champion Market Beef for the second straight year, giving her the Beef and Hog championships in back-to-back years.
“It was good, it was exciting,” she said. “It was a lot of hard work.
Emrrie said she entered the fair thinking her animals were good, but was not sure if they were good enough. It was apparent they were by the end of the beef show on Friday morning.
“It’s been quite the summer, but it’s been good,” Emrrie said.
It is not over yet, though, as she still has animals to take to the Colorado State Fair later this month (she sold her Grand Champion Beef at the Junior Livestock Sale. Plus she soon is entering her freshman year at Wray High School, and volleyball practice is about to start.
Jaelynn Miner won the Grand Champion Market Sheep. She also had the Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat after winning it last year. Haydin Galles showed the Reserve Grand Champion Market Sheep.
“Incredible, just incredible,” of winning Market Sheep, as well as her other strong showings. “I was working really hard all summer, and I knew my animals were pretty primed up.”
Jaelynn said there are similarities to raising sheep and goats, but they do have different personalities and different show styles. Plus, she is trying to add pigs to her collection of show animals. Only 16, she still has three more years to add to her Yuma County Fair titles.
Kaycee Clark showed the Grand Champion Market Goat for the first time, but it is not the first Grand Champion for the family, as sister Shelby Clark showed the Grand Champion Market Goat in 2019. Her other sister Alyssa also showed a Reserve Grand Champion in recent years.
“It felt pretty amazing,” Kaycee said. “I worked hard with my goats, and to have all my family there and see all that hard work pay off was really special.”
She took three goats to the fair; one of the others won the lightweight division, and the other won its class, so a pretty good fair overall. Clark turns 17 this week, and about to enter her junior year at Wray High School. That means she has a couple of years to try to add to the family legacy in goats.
The Blach family showed well again in the beef judging. Adley Blach showed the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Beef. Kashton Blach had the Reserve Grand Champion Market Beef.
In the Horse Show, Brylee Meisner won Senior Showmanship, Camille Lenz Intermediate Showmanship and Payson Campbell Beginning Showmanship.
Vivenna Kettelson won Junior Bucket Calf.
Mine won Senior Round Robin, and Kaitlyn Mekelburg won Junior Round Robin.
There were a huge number of entries across all the junior livestock entries. One can find a list of all the judging inside this edition as well as coming editions.