Mars teen to show lamb at state farm show
MIDDLESEX TWP — Wicked was the champion of his division at the Butler Farm Show in 2023, and Mayson Kennedy, 17, of Middlesex Township, hopes to make Wicked the Pennsylvania champion now that the lamb has matured.
Mayson has been raising Wicked since he was born in March, and will be showing him at the Pennsylvania Farm Show this weekend. Having competed at the Butler Farm Show for many years, and the Pennsylvania Farm Show a few times, Mayson said as a self-described competitive person she has high hopes for her lamb.
“I have been showing lamb, pigs, steer and goats, but lamb is my favorite,” Mayson said. “They are smaller to handle, you can change them easily, you can make them do tricks. There are so many different ways you can train them which is different than steers.”
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural expo in the nation, featuring nearly 6,000 animals, 12,000-plus competitive events and exhibits and nearly 250 commercial exhibits and hundreds of educational and entertaining events. The fair showcases the diversity and quality of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry, the innovative people who make it thrive and faces of the past and promising future, according to the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s website.
The 2024 show runs from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily from Saturday to Jan. 13 , except Sunday, when it runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Jan. 13, when it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg.
Val Kennedy, Mayson’s mom, said Mayson and her siblings have been raising farm animals pretty much their entire lives, and Mayson has done well at previous competitions in the area.
“(Mayson) is a lamb breeder and raises market sheep for various shows at regional level,” Kennedy said. “She has won three lamb awards at the end of (last) year.”
Coming from a farming family, Mayson said finding time to work with Wicked isn’t too difficult, and she typically spends at least an hour a day training him for the ring. Although the lamb’s name is derived from his attitude as a baby, Mayson said she is confident Wicked will do well at the state farm show.
“I like to get up early and teach them leading and walking,” Mayson said. “It definitely takes a lot of work and you’ve got to figure out your animal’s likes and dislikes.”
Aside from the showmanship involved in the judging at farm shows, Mayson said the competition is mainly based on an animal’s build and their meat. At his last weighing, Wicked was between 150 and 155 pounds, giving Mayson further confidence about the competition.
While the actual judging portion of the event can be stressful, Mayson said she still likes to have fun by bringing her particular brand of showmanship to the show ring.
“I like to always bring happiness and always have eye contact with the judge. I work hard with the animals and I have a real personality behind the show ring,” she said. “You can see how many chops they have and their ribs, how powerful they can be strutting around the ring.”
There are always some nerves that come with transporting livestock to compete over a several-day period, but Mayson said she is looking forward to the experience. She will be competing alongside one of her little cousins, who will be showing Wicked’s twin brother, Bullet, at the state farm show.
“It's nervous and exciting both,” Mayson said. “It’s nerve-racking but I'm definitely excited to teach my younger cousin and be a role model for her.”
