The 2026 Custer County Fair is in the books, and as always, our area 4-H and FFA kids set a high standard. From showcasing their knowledge and showmanship skills in the livestock arena and small animal show, to cooking, baking, shooting, and sewing, these young people represented their clubs and communities at the highest level.

Even most of our state’s smallest communities have an active 4-H Club. For many years in Callaway, that was Tail Twisters, and in Arnold it was Western Riders. In 2024, those clubs combined to form the South Loup 4-H Club - now one of the largest clubs in Custer County.

Contest for this year’s Custer County Fair began on Thursday, July 16, with the fashion show. 4-H entry day for the fair was July 22, and that day interview judging began. Throughout the week, 4-H and FFA members conducted interviews with judges and showed their projects. The final judging competitions were held on Thursday, July 30, and the fair concluded that night with the annual livestock auction.

Listed below are the full results for the South Loup 4-H Club, in alphabetical order. Congratulations to all fair participants!

Bree Blowers: beef showmanship, purple; judging, skill, and identification contest, livestock, purple; market beef, bred and fed steers, purple; market beef, carcass contest, red

Brody Blowers: beef showmanship, blue; market beef, bred and fed steers, blue; market beef, carcass contest, purple

Xavier Bruns: air pistol, blue; BB gun, blue Campbell Sterling: design decisions, accessory - original recycled/upcycled item for the home, purple; quilt quest, barn quilt, purple; visual arts mediums, original acrylic painting, purple

Gideon Carlson: BB gun, blue; precision air rifle, purple Caleb Coleman: air pistol, blue; smallbore, blue; BB gun, purple; sporter air rifle, purple

Luke Coleman: .22 sport pistol, blue; air pistol, blue; market beef, bred and fed steers, blue; smallbore, blue; sporter air rifle, blue; BB gun, purple

Titus Coleman: air pistol, blue; BB gun, purple; sporter air rifle, purple; market beef, shorthorn steers, red; smallbore, red

Colter Dailey: judging, skill, and identification contest, livestock pre-junior division, blue; market beef, black angus steers, blue; beef showmanship, purple; fitting & showing contest, purple; market beef, carcass contest, red

Paityn Dailey: fitting & showing contest, blue; market beef, carcass contest, blue; beef showmanship, purple; market beef, black angus steers, purple

Kowen Dalrymple: judging, skill, and identification contest, livestock, blue; beef showmanship, purple - Reserve Champion; breeding heifers, black angus yearling, purple - Grand Champion; breeding heifers, commercial yearling, purple - Grand Champion

Breckn Doggett: meat goat, best dressed kid, blue; goat showmanship, purple Overall Grand Champion; meat goat, breeding doe, purple - Grand Champion; meat goat, market wethers, purple

Olivia Doggett: halter, 11 and over gelding, blue; halter, 11 and over mare, blue; meat goat, best dressed kid, blue; poles, blue; goat showmanship, purple; goat tying, purple; meat goat, breeding doe, purple; meat goat, market doe, purple; meat goat, market doe, purple - Reserve Champion; meat goat, market withers, purple; roping, team roping heading, purple; horse showmanship, red - 4th high point; working ranch horse, red; roping, breakaway calf, white

Kennedy Eggleston: freezing-drying-boiling-bath-pressure canning, fruit, blue; cooking 401, candy, purple - Best of Show - Grand Champion; design decisions, accessory 3D, purple; design decisions, accessory - original recycled/upcycled item for the home, purple; design decisions, accessory outdoor living, purple; fashion show, beyond the needle embellished garment with original design, purple; freezing-drying- boiling-bath-pressure canning, dried herbs, purple - Best of Show; freezing-drying- boiling-bath-pressure canning, tomato, purple - Best of Show - Grand Champion; freezing-drying-boiling-bath-pressure canning, vegetable or meat, purple - Reserve Best of Show; I Have What it Takes to Be Your Babysitter, purple - Best of Show; knitting, arm or finger item, purple - Best of Show - Reserve Champion; photography, abstract, purple; photography, candid, purple - Reserve Best of Show; photography, creative composition, purple; shopping in style, best buy for your buck, purple - Best of Show - Grand Champion; shopping in style fashion show, purple - Grand Champion; STEAM clothing, beyond the needle, purple - Best of Show

market beef, Simmental steers, blue; market beef, crossbred steers, purple

Rae Hagler:

photography, abstract, blue; photography, creative composition, purple; photography, expression through color, purple; special horticulture, garden art, purple - Best of Show

Reese Hagler:

floriculture/houseplants, fairy or miniature garden, blue; visual arts mediums, original watercolor painting, blue; BB gun, purple

Ruby Hagler:

photography, people, places, or pets, blue; photography, tricks and magic, blue; floriculture/houseplants, fairy or miniature garden, purple; photography, telling a story, purple; visual arts mediums, original mixed media, purple

Ian Holmberg:

bantams, pullet, blue; poultry showmanship, blue; sporter air rifle, blue; air pistol, purple; bantams, cock, purple; bantams, cockerel, purple Reserve Champion; bantams, hen, purple; bantams, pullet, purple; bantams, pullet, purple - Reserve Champion; BB gun, purple

Logan Johnson:

disaster recovery and response, disaster kit, blue - Reserve Best of Show; freezing-drying-boiling-bath-pressure canning, dried fruits, blue; making cents of it, decorated bank, blue - Best of Show

Shaun Johnson:

market swine, market barrows, blue; woodworking, blue

Josie Lehmkuhler:

.22 sport pistol, blue; air pistol, purple; smallbore, purple

Carter Nansel: air pistol, red Charli Pandorf:

fitting & showing contest, blue; market beef, black angus steers, blue; beef showmanship, purple; market beef, red angus steers, purple - Reserve Rate of Gain - Grand Champion

Connor Pelster:

air pistol, blue; BB gun, purple; sporter air rifle, purple

Catherine Phelps:

judging, skills, and identification contest, blue; market beef, Simmental steers, blue; western horsemanship, purple; horse showmanship, red 2nd Senior High Point

Elizabeth Phelps:

air pistol, blue; barrels, blue - 3rd Junior High Point; BB gun, blue; beef showmanship, blue; halter, 4 & 5-yr old mares, blue; halter, 6-10 yr old mares, blue - Reserve Champion; judging skills, and identification contest, blue; market beef, Simmental steers, blue; ranch riding, blue; working ranch horse, blue; horse showmanship, red - 3rd Jerry Eberle Award; ranch pleasure, red; reining, red; trail, red; western horsemanship, red; western pleasure, red

Lauren Reiff:

photography, expression through color, blue; STEAM clothing, embellished garment with original design, blue; cake decorating, purple; cooking 201, healthy baked product, purple; decorate your cupcake, purple - Reserve Best of Show - Reserve Champion; design decisions, accessory outdoor living, purple; photography, black & white, purple; photography, candid, purple Neltje Reiff: cooking 201, coffee cake, purple Ashlyn Schauda: floriculture/houseplants, fairy or miniature garden, purple - Reserve Best of Show; photography, abstract, purple; photography, creative composition, purple; photography, expression through color, purple; STEM rockets and drones, rocket painted by hand or airbrush, purple - Best of Show - Grand Champion Uriah Schweitzer: BB gun, blue Zakeeus Schweitzer: BB gun, purple Annie Smith: cooking 201, biscuits or scones, blue Madeline Smith: floriculture/houseplants, annual or biennial, blue; cooking 401, family food traditions, purple - Reserve Best of Show - Reserve Champion; floriculture/ houseplants, annual or biennial, purple Vivian Smith: floriculture/houseplants, annual or biennial, blue; cooking 201, creative mixes, red Parker Strasburg: smallbore, blue; .22 sport pistol, purple; BB gun, purple; smallbore, target, purple Addison Stump: beef showmanship, purple - Overall Reserve Champion; general food, cooking basics recipe file, purple; market beef, other steers-4 or more, purple - Reserve Champion Abigail Stutzman: dog showmanship, purple; photography, black & white, purple; photography, freezer/blur the moment, purple; dog agility, red; dog obedience, red Henry Svoboda: BB gun, purple Adalei Tullis: visual arts mediums, original painting, blue; visual arts mediums, original acrylic painting, purple; visual arts mediums, original charcoal drawing, purple; visual arts mediums, original pencil drawing, purple; visual arts mediums, original sculpture, purple - Best of Show - Grand Champion; visual arts mediums, original watercolor painting, purple Kirby Viter: market beef, Charolais steers, blue; beef showmanship, purple; breeding heifers, hereford/polled hereford yearling, purple - Grand Champion; judging, skills, and identification contest, purple Rickey Viter: breeding heifers, black angus yearling, blue; judging, skills, and identification contest, blue; market beef, Charolais steers, blue; beef showmanship, purple Delanie Weinman: beef showmanship, blue; judging, skills, and identification contest, blue; market beef, bred and fed steers, blue; market beef, crossbred steers, blue; beef group of 3, purple; cooking 301, dinner rolls, purple - Reserve Best of Show - Reserve Champion; freezing-drying-boiling-bath-pressure canning, jelly, purple - Reserve Best of Show; freezing-drying-boiling-bath-pressure canning, pickles, purple animal caretaker, clover kid bucket calf, participation; animal caretaker, clover kid small animal pet show, participation

MaKenna Weinman:

beef showmanship, blue; market beef, bred and fed steers, blue; market beef, crossbred steers, blue; judging, skills, and identification contest, purple

Quinlee Weinman:

beef showmanship, blue; knitting, loom knitted item, blue; market beef, bred and fed steers, blue; cooking 201, biscuits or scones, purple

Karson Welch:

cooking 201, creative mixes, blue; cooking 201, healthy baked product, blue

Kaygan Witthuhn:

air pistol, blue; beef showmanship, blue; market beef, bred and fed steers, blue; precision air rifle, blue; smallbore, target, blue; visual arts mediums, original pencil drawing, blue; .22 sport pistol, purple; cooking 201, healthy baked product, purple; cooking 301, specialty bread, purple; cooking 401, family food traditions, purple; market beef, hereford steers, purple - Grand Champion; visual arts mediums, original mixed media, purple; smallbore, red

Kelynn Witthuhn:

.22 sport rifle, blue; beef showmanship, purple; cooking 401, family food traditions, purple; goat showmanship, purple - Reserve Champion; market beef, hereford steers, purple - Reserve Champion; meat goat, breeding doe less than 1 yr, purple; meat goat, breeding doe 1 yr or older, purple - Reserve Champion; meat goat, market wethers, purple; air pistol, red