Wakarusa 4-Her takes back-to-back Beef Show titles
Click here to view in a gallery.


The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
NorthWood graduate Hillary Lechlitner and 10 year 4-H member and herSimmental steer were named this years grand champion.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)

The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
President Jack Lengacher Jr. welcomes everybody to the beef judging.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)



The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
The crossbred calfs in the sixth class line up for judging.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)



The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
Jenifer Robinson from Middlebury a first year beef club member shows her Crossbred.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)



The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
Jessica Beer placed second in the Crossbred class.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)



The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
NorthWood graduate Hillary Lechlitner and 10 year 4-H member and herSimmental steer were named this years grand champion.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)



The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
Marissa Lorenz came away with the top Crossbred calf out of the 46 entered, then was named reserve grand champion.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)



The Elkhart County 4-H Beef Club conducted their judging Monday July 23,2012, with 180 head of beef to go through the ring.
Gavin Erb has his hands full with his 1,275 pound Crossbred calf in the ring.
(Truth Photo By Larry Tebo)


Lechlitner’s champion Simmental steer, “Sherwin,” was named grand champion of the steer show Monday.
“It just felt like an amazing accomplishment,” she said after the show, adding that it was “definitely a blessing.”
It was a successful end to her 10 years in 4-H and in the beef club. Lechlitner showed one other steer in the show that was named the champion Maine and then took fifth overall in the champion drive.
She said after Monday’s show that she wasn’t sure if she would auction off the grand champion steer at the fair’s livestock auction Friday or if she would take him on to the beef show at the Indiana State Fair.
Lechlitner graduated from NorthWood High School this past spring. She’ll attend Ball State this fall to study Spanish education.
Marissa Lorenz, who will be a senior at Fairfield this fall, won reserve grand champion honors with her champion crossbred steer, named “Lucifer” because of how difficult he can be to handle at times.
She has had multiple breed champions, she said, and this is her second time winning reserve grand.
Patrick Gunn of Lafayette judged the beef show, complimenting the 4-Hers on the animals’ quality.
He’s judged a lot of state shows out east that don’t have the quality of beef animals at Monday’s show, he said.
Third overall in the steer show went to Lindsey Lorenz with her champion Chianina steer, while fourth overall went to Mya Lorenz with her reserve champion steer.
Sam Burtsfield had the grand champion heifer with his Simmi-Solution and Liz Beer had reserve champion heifer with her Charolais heifer.
Showmanship winners were Carsin Stutzman in greenhand; Brock Flickinger in beginner; Liz Beer in junior; and Hillary Lechlitner in senior.










