Faith Swart-Woolman has gleaned a lot from her nine years of showing sheep.
The Vinita, Okla. girl’s natural breed sheep won grand champion at the market sheep show at the Inter-State Fair in Coffeyville on Thursday.
The eight-month-old sheep, named Big Mac, is one of the last in her showing career, but there have been dozens of other sheep that have helped Faith grow into the person she is.
She started showing sheep at the age of nine, when she’d spend time with her aunt, JoDee Rexwinkle, and JoDee’s dad, Rick Rexwinkle. “I was always around the barn, hanging out, so I learned to grab a sheep and go. It started from there,” she said.
Now, nine years later, she shows at twenty to thirty livestock shows a year, many of them jackpots in Oklahoma and Kansas but also national shows, in Arizona, Louisville, Kentucky, the Tulsa State Fair and the Oklahoma Youth Expo.
In Coffeyville this year, she showed Big Mac and a pig yesterday,that won third overall. And tonight, she’ll help a fellow student with Down Syndrome, Jordan Shulz, show his goat.
Showing has been something Faith has always enjoyed. “I’ve learned something every day,” she said. And it’s given her life lessons, too. “Win or lose, we’re all equal. If you go out there (in the show ring) with confidence, you’re more likely to succeed. No matter what, you give it your all, no matter the time or the day.”
As a senior at Vinita High School, Faith is involved in student council, FFA, and is a member of the National Honor Society. After high school, she plans on attending college and earning a bachelor’s of science in nursing.
She is the daughter of Amanda Woolman.
Judge of the day’s sheep shows was Shannon Scotton, Nevada, Mo., and sponsor of the Inter-State Fair Sheep Show was Midwest Real Estate. Complete show results follow.
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Cutline: Faith Swart-Woolman won grand champion market sheep at the 2017 Inter-State Fair in Coffeyville. Her aunt, JoDee Rexwinkle, holds her winning buckle and banner. Photo by Ruth Nicolaus.
Sheep Show Results
Grand Champion Market: Faith Swart-Woolman, Vinita, Okla.
Reserve Champion Market: Darla Fesmire, Bartlett, Kan.
Dorset
Grand Champion: Maddix Small, Neodesha, Kan.
Underweight Lamb
Grand Champion: Alissa LeLaCheur, South Coffeyville, Okla.
Hampshire
Grand Champion: Darla Fesmire, Bartlett, Kan.
Reserve Champion: Ava George, Oswego, Kan.
Suffolk
Grand Champion: Maddi Gillman, Miami, Okla.
Reserve Champion: Andrea Blum, Copan, Okla.
Speckled Face
Grand Champion: Abby Ewing, Liberty, Kan.
Reserve Champion: Dexter Small, Neodesha, Kan.
Natural
Grand Champion: Faith Swart-Woolman, Vinita, Okla.
Reserve Champion: Darla Fesmire, Bartlett, Okla.
Cross Bred
Grand Champion: Jordan Shultz, Vinita, Okla.
Reserve Champion: Dillon McNickle, Mound Valley, Kan.
Breeding Sheep Show
Wether Dam
Grand Champion: Cord Dodson, Liberty, Kan
Reserve Champion: Shelby Elliott, Welch, Okla.
Showmanship
Junior Grand Champion: Carter Nash, Parsons, Kan.
Intermediate Grand Champion: McKenzie Floyd, Miami, Okla.
Senior Grand Champion: Audrey Beisly, Vinita, Okla.
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