Photos by Ethan Charles | Greene County News
Hank Hanna hears he won the contest.
Hanna was one of the smallest in the contest, but handled his goat with surprising ease.
Even award-winning goats can be difficult to handle.
Hanna sets up for the championship show.
The judge gives each goat a careful look.
XENIA — Hank Hanna took home his very first blue ribbon this week at the Greene County Fair.
Hanna is just 10 years old but has been showing goats for the last two years with the Kreative Kids 4-H group. He and his family raise around 10-15 goats each year, two of which he gets to choose for the fair.
“We get all the babies, and then we all get to pick two,” said Hanna. “It depends every year how many we get, sometimes we get more goats, sometimes we get less.”
Hanna added that this year was a good one because they got around 15 goats, more than the year before.
At just 10 years old, selecting the best goat for a show can be a difficult process, but Hanna’s choice this year is what led him to the first-place finish. Hanna hadn’t won an event like this one before, and the excitement was evident from him and his family.
After winning his class of 50-70 pound goats, Hanna was invited back for the championship round. Although he didn’t quite win it all, you wouldn’t be able to tell from his excitement.
“This is the first time I’ve won,” he said.
And it wasn’t the last, Hank’s goat also won the Grand Champion Homegrown award, while his sister Halle’s won the Reserve Champion Homegrown title.
Hanna began showing goats just about as soon as he could, a family tradition he said comes from his two older sisters, one of whom has graduated from the Greene County Fair and the other, Halle Hanna, competing alongside him.
As the results of this year’s fair show, Hank is ready to carry on the family tradition, and he’s already doing exceptionally well.
Contact Ethan Charles at 937-502-4532
