Browfield youth takes top honors
Fifteen-year-old E.J. Regula of Brownfield took top honors Wednesday in the 4-H beef cattle judging at the Fayette County Fair, winning both grand champion and reserve grand champion heifer. “I was a grand champion a couple of years ago, but not both at once,’ beamed the son of Ed and Toni Regula, and brother of fair queen Christie Regula and former fair queen Rae Lynn Regula.
This has been a great fair for E.J., who also won champion carcass lamb on rail earlier. E.J. also shows a 4-H pig and market lamb. He had a capon project, but could not bring his birds to this year’s fair because of the ban on bird exhibitions due to an outbreak of avian influenza in eastern Pennsylvania.
E.J. won the 4-H honors with his Short Horn being named grand champion and his Simmental earning reserve grand champion. E.J. also won reserve grand champion in the open class competition with his short horn. The competition took place in the Indoor Arena.
“I thought I had a chance. The short horn doesn’t have anything wrong with her; she’s just not thick enough. She’s really correct,’ E.J. commented.
A sophomore at Laurel Highlands High School, E.J. gave credit for his animals’ success to his father.
“My Dad knows a lot about them. He knows how to feed and work them. Basically, I take orders from him. We compete every year,’ said E.J.
Asked what he enjoys about the fair, E.J. said, “I just like coming out here and meeting people. I’ve been coming here since I was 4 and I’ve been showing since I was 7. I’ve been in 4-H eight years, counting this year.’
Calling 4-H a “learning experience,’ E.J. would encourage others to join: “Even if you can’t have an animal, there are other clubs like riflery and sewing. You can still be in it for the experience.’
The 4-H and open class beef cattle shows went on at the same time. The top titles in the open class show went to Kevin Rooker with supreme female for his Hereford with Stephanie Biggerstaff earning supreme champion bull with her Simmental and L&D Farms taking reserve champion bull with a Hereford.
Other results of the competition included:
4-H beef heifer: Angus – Kristi Rooker of Uniontown, grand champion, and Chris Petruska of Smock, reserve grand champion. Hereford – John Stillwagon of Connellsville, grand and reserve champion. Short horn – E.J. Regula, grand champion. Simmental – E.J. Regula, grand champion, and Chris Diamond Jr. of Smithfield, reserve grand champion. Crossbred – Jacob Diamond of Smithfield, grand champion, and Zachary Craig of Connellsville, reserve grand champion.
Open class: Angus – Kristi Rooker of Uniontown, junior champion heifer, grand champion female; Work Land and Cattle of Uniontown, reserve junior champion heifer, reserve grand champion female, junior champion bull and grand champion bull; Lake View Farm of Vanderbilt, senior champion heifer; Chuckey Anderson of Smithfield, champion cow-calf, reserve junior champion bull and reserve grand champion bull.
Hereford – Triple Creek Farm of Connellsville, junior and reserve champion heifer, Kevin Rooker, senior champion and grand champion heifer; L&D Farms of Vanderbilt, reserve champion heifer, reserve grand champion heifer, senior champion bull and grand champion bull; Dominic D’Isidore of Perryopolis, junior champion bull and reserve grand champion bull.
Limousin – Courtney Shumar of Smock, junior champion heifer and grand champion female; and Jeffrey Shumar of Smock, reserve junior champion heifer and reserve grand champion female. Maine Anjou – Nicole Bodell of Bentleyville, junior champion heifer and grand champion female.
Short Horn – E.J. Regula, senior champion heifer and grand champion female; Rachel Sue Wolf of Grindstone, reserve senior champion female and reserve grand champion. Simmental – E.J. Regula, senior champion heifer, grand champion female; C.J. Diamond of Smithfield, reserve senior champion heifer, reserve grand champion female; Chris Diamond Jr. of Smithfield, reserve junior champion bull and reserve grand champion bull. Stephanie Biggerstaff of Belle Vernon, champion cow-calf, junior champion bull and grand champion bull.
Crossbred – Jacob Diamond of Smithfield, junior champion heifer and reserve grand champion female; Zachary Craig, reserve junior champion heifer; Nicole Bodell of Bentleyville, senior champion heifer and grand champion female.