Thomas County 4-H members showcased during Dog Show competitions
July 17, 2026
The Thomas County Fair has officially begun, with 4-H Dog events once again showing community involvement proving that its more than ribbons and championships, but the countless hours spent to get to this point. July 17 & 18 featured 4 events for county 4-H members to highlight their work in the last year.
With the first night of festivities being held at the Heartland Christian School on Friday, followed by an eventful morning at the Thomas County Fairgrounds Arena. The annual event featured obedience and showmanship on Friday, followed by agility and rally competitions to close out the weekend. The events recognized Grand and Reserve Grand Champions while also providing an educational aspect for the kids.
Those kids have all dedicates so many hours to improving their skill and knowledge, and it became evident throughout the weekend. Each exhibitor calmly navigated their canine through obedience patterns, guided agility obstacles, and completed rally courses despite the common challenges that come along while working with animals.
A core theme presented itself early on Friday, and that is the high level of commitment that not only the members provide, but their parents involvement too.
Parents, grandparents, siblings and other volunteers could be found setting up equipment, organizing rings, helping exhibitors prepare, keeping events moving and tearing everything down once competition concluded. The teamwork behind the scenes matched the effort displayed in the ring, with young exhibitors leading the way through their enthusiasm and work ethic.
The educational aspect of the show also stood out.
While scores were recorded, judges spent extra time after most events to provide first hand education on how to improve their scores as well as their performance at future events. All exhibitors found value when the weekend was over.
That mentorship reinforces one of the central goals of the 4-H program — developing confident, responsible young people through hands-on learning experiences.
Saturday's agility and rally competitions brought exhibitors to the Thomas County Fairgrounds arena, where Will Clark of Oakley served as judge.
Despite temperatures climbing early in the day and the schedule stretching into the late morning, Clark maintained an encouraging atmosphere while keeping competitors informed throughout each phase of the event.
The heat was taking a toll on some of the dogs, particularly those newer to competition. As the morning wore on, a few four-legged competitors became visibly tired and less motivated to complete every obstacle or command. The young handlers did a fantastic job of working through those challenges demonstrating perseverance and a strong relationship with their partner over the last few months of practice.
Those moments often became some of the day's most meaningful, illustrating that success in 4-H is measured not only by championships but also by problem-solving, sportsmanship and determination when things don't go according to plan.
Several Thomas County 4-H members earned Grand and Reserve Grand Champion honors across the weekend's events. According to the official results, Grand Champions included Dawon Currie in Intermediate Showmanship, Yefim Biletksyi in Junior Showmanship, Kimber Carpenter in Senior Showmanship, Abigail Jamison in Novice B Obedience, Libby Baird in Pre-Agility I, Colt Carpenter in Agility I, Milo Burvee in Agility II, Abigail Jamison in Rally I, Kimber Carpenter in Rally II and Abigail Jamison in Rally III. Reserve Grand Champion honors were earned by Milo Burvee in Intermediate Showmanship, Libby Baird in Junior Showmanship, Dawon Currie in Novice A Obedience, Colt Carpenter in Pre-Agility I, Kimber Carpenter in Rally I, Milo Burvee in Rally II and Kimber Carpenter in Rally III.
By the end of the weekend, the ribbon count told only part of the story. With each award stood months of preparation, dedicated volunteers, and judges committed to helping each exhibitor improve. Next, the 4-H members will be looking at the fashion events beginning on Tuesday, July 21.
Behind every award stood months of preparation, dedicated volunteers, supportive families and judges committed to helping each exhibitor improve. Those combined efforts continue to make the Thomas County 4-H Dog Show an event focused as much on building outstanding young citizens as it is on recognizing outstanding performances in the show ring.
