Hard work and creativity leads to success in the ring and in life

There was head to head competition in the show arena today as the hogs took center stage. Heidi Paxson finds out that there is more to showing than what the public sees during fair week. 

If you have success in the ring, you'll win a trophy, but even the students who don't win a trophy are learning how to be successful in life. 

Students involved in hog competitions at the Putnam County Fair have all learned how to raise and take care of an animal, giving them a sense of responsibility at a young age. 

Grant Price, an Ohio State Pre Vet student who has had his fair share of hog competitions, had the opportunity to judge this year's contest. Price explains that 4H involvement is a bigger responsibility than mowing the lawn. 

"Through showing and raising livestock you learn so much more than just how to feed and how to take care of animals. It's a lot bigger of a picture wrapping and responsibility and holding your composure at times. Learning how to handle a living animal and taking care of something. I think one of the best things that we can do in this country is expose our youth to 4H and FFA."

Division winners Dakota and Cody both plan on continuing their path in 4H after this weeks fair. 

"4H has been a huge part of my life and I'm feeling like it's going to be a huge part of my life in the future too."

"It will help me in decision making. Like future decisions financially or educationally."

"Every day I go out and I rinse and wash them and then I have to walk them. I walk them for twenty minutes every day just to get them to be perfect and how I want them to be. I have marsh mellows and you put marsh mellows on the end of the whip and kind of follow it. Then you start using the whip, touching them lightly then you work at getting their head up and get them to move while having their head up."

Hard work and creativity combined are what led to Dakota's success.