Outside of the ring, excitement builds, but inside, a nervous tension churns within for the contestants who have a chance as they attempt to stay calm awaiting the announcement of grand champion.
To even get second place, or reserve champion, is an honor. For Oenaville 4-H member Dylan Cosper, his market lambs earned him both Monday morning at the Bell County Expo Center.
“I had a heavyweight get grand champion and a lightweight got reserve champion,” Dylan said. “I put out a lot of work into it and to win feels real good.”
Wherever there is a grand champion standing proud inside of the show ring, at least one supportive parent can easily be found nearby.
Both of Dylan’s parents, Johnny and Kim Cosper, were in attendance as they watched their son’s hard work pay off in the sheep competition. Accustomed to following their child around with junior high rodeo, the Cospers enjoy showing animals just as much, especially when they have as good a showing as they did Monday.
“(Dylan) likes doing it and it’s a lot of work if you’re going to do it right,” Johnny Cosper said. “You can’t get much better than what we did.”
Kim said showing animals is what she and Johnny did as they grew up and the legacy has been extended.
Dylan competed in the sheep competition before, but this year the avid showman is trying something new by competing in the steer competition, which will be judged on Thursday. Since this is his first year in that competition, he’s still “trying to figure everything out.” But trying to figure everything out with the cattle might be the least of his worries.
“We’ve got cattle and we ranch anyways so it kind of falls into place with it,” Johnny said. “For Dylan (the toughest part) is the interview because he doesn’t like to talk.”
Dylan doesn’t have to say much for the family name to get any recognition. He has already received a grand champion honor this year at youth fair, but his real love is the youth rodeo, where he is the reigning All-Around Cowboy for his junior high rodeo competition and is in the running to get it again this year. He admits the rodeo is more fun because “there’s more adrenaline” in that competition, but he does like to show - especially when he wins.
gturner@temple-telegram.com
