Carter Students Show Lambs at Dixie Classic Fair

By Claudette L. Goodwin
Agriculture Teacher
Carter High School

Carter High School has had another chance to participate in the Dixie Classic Fair Special Showmanship Lamb event. The Special Showmanship event started at the N.C. State Fair in 1997 because Mike Smith wanted to show alongside his nieces. They got to show and Mike wanted to show too, so a class was created where Mike could do just that.

In 2008, a Special Show was formally added to the Dixie Classic Fair. Forsyth County Farm Bureau provides funds to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Forsyth County Center to purchase prizes for every youth that participates. April Bowman, Livestock, Forages and 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent coordinates entries and ordering the prizes with the help of Alpha Graphics in Winston-Salem. The Dixie Classic Fair allows the Special Show exhibitors to enter the fair for free (including parking while space is available) and provides ribbons for the event. 

Young people that have entered their market lambs in the Dixie Classic Fair Market Lamb competition volunteer their time and their animal to work with the special show exhibitors. They introduce their lamb to the exhibitor and allow them to get to know each other before they parade the animal around the ring as a team. The market lamb show judge for the fair, also judges the special show.

The Lamb special showmanship event is open to any special needs person. This year there were 34 special exhibitors that entered the show, with the majority of them being Carter alumni and students. The students were all very proud of the drinking bottles and medals that they received.

Back in school it was show time, as the proudly showed what they had received and excitedly talked to other students about what they had done. 

Claudette Goodwin, Agricultural Education instructor for Carter High School, said, "I would just like to say thank you to all those behind the scene that made this event possible.  The students both past and present really look forward to attending and get real excited as the time grows near each year. It also provides them with some continuity as they transition from school into life after school in the community where they reside.  During the school year the students in Agriscience, Horticulture and 4-H are taught how to grow food.

“They experience the true art of citizenship through sharing the food they grow with others. During the school year food we grow is shared between all three schools on the Kennedy campus (Kennedy, Career Center, and our school Carter High School).

“During the summer we share what is grown with the local community, the Samaritan Ministries, and ARCA (Addiction Recovery Care Association). We are also privileged to have the Civitan Club sharing with us in our endeavor to support the community. Thank all of you for all you do."