Fair Season is Just Around the Corner
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Mike Meads Memorial Livestock Show fills up CBJLS Barn
July 28, 2026
By: Katherine Trowbridge
The Mike Meads Memorial Livestock Show, better known as the “Summer Showcase,” filled up the show barn at the Columbia Basin Junior Livestock (CBJLS) grounds in Connell on Saturday, July 25.
This show emphasizes the efforts young showmen are putting to prepare for the upcoming fair season, which is just around the corner.
The Benton Franklin Fair will take place August 22 through 29.
Many of the young people attending the summer showcase will be showing at CBJLS September 8 through 11.
From goats to sheep and pee wee to senior showmanship, there was a lot to showcase on Saturday. There was also a lot to learn as the showmen and women got experience in the show ring and feedback from judges to help them grow and improve.
Over 200 animals were showcased with just shy of 100 showmen attending the day long event. People came from as far away as Montana, Idaho, and Oregon with many attending from across eastern Washington, camping on the CBJLS grounds over the weekend.
The top finishers were:
Goat Showmanship:
Pee Wee - Champion Rosie Tolman (Cheney, WA), Reserve Champion Clancy Zapel (Ellensburg, WA)
Junior - Champion Luke Waldner (Athena, OR), Reserve Champion Hallie Kerr (St. John, WA)
Intermediate - Champion Paisley Orcutt (Deary, ID), Reserve champion Layla Deeds (Hayden, ID)
Senior - Belle Orcutt (Deary, ID), Reserve Champion Addison Gronley (Athol, ID)
Supreme Showmanship - Paisley Orcutt (Deary, ID)
Sheep Showmanship:
Senior - Champion Laila Sargent (Kallispell, MT), Reserve Champion Addison Gronley (Athol, ID)
Intermediate - Champion - Lillian Waldher (Athena, OR), Reserve Champion Layla Deeds (Hayden, ID)
Junior - Champion Ryder Middlemist (Dixton, MT), Reserve Champion Ryker Johnston (Milton Freewater, OR)
Pee Wee - Champion Addison Taylor (Ferndale, WA), Reserve Champion Nolan Balmer (Lewiston, ID)
Supreme Showman - Laila Sargent, Reserve Supreme Showman Lillian Waldher
Market Goat:
Lightweight - Champion Piper Ramer (Kennewick, WA), Reserve Champion McKinley Thornton (Rathdrum, ID)
Middleweight - Champion Layla Deeds (Hayden, ID), Reserve Champion Belle Orcutt (Deary, ID)
Heavyweight - Champion Raegan Reedy (Elk, WA), Reserve Champion Luke Waldher Eddie (Athena, OR)
Overall Champion Raegan Reedy, Overall Reserve Champion Luke Waldher Eddie
Market Lamb:
Southdown - Champion Layla Deeds, Reserve Champion Halsey Middlemist
Whiteface cross breed- Champion Tesa Townsend (Connell, WA), Reserve Champion Delaynee Cox (Dayton, WA)
Dorset - Champion Avery Timmons (Hermiston, OR), Reserve Champion Hallie Kerr (St John, WA)
Natural - Champion Laila Sargent, Reserve Champion Lillian Waldher
Hampshire- Champion Hasey Middlemist, Reserve Champion Laila Sargent
Blackface Cross breed - Champion Laila Sargent, Reserve Champion Ayden Middlemist
Overall Champion Market Lamb Laila Sargent, Overall Reserve Champion Laila Sargent
Breeding:
DOE Lightweight - Champion Layla Deeds, Reserve Lillian Waldher
DOE Middleweight - Champion Belle Orcutt, Reserve Belle Orcutt
DOE Heavyweight - Champion - Paisley Orcutt, Reserve Tyla Maghill (Dayton, WA)
DOE Overall Champion Belle Orcutt, Reserve Overall Layla Deeds
EWE Suffolk Wether Dam - Champion Pamela Hernandez (Pasco, WA), Reserve Champion Rorie Dean (Pasco, WA)
EWE Hair Wether Down - Champion Caleb Schuerman (Colfax, WA), Reserve Champion Caleb Schuerman
EWE Whiteface Cross breed - Champion Layla Deeds, Reserve Champion Lyla Deeds
EWE Natural Wether Dam - Champion Laila Sargent, Reserve Champion Addison Gronley
EWE Hampshire Wether Dam - Champion Laila Sargent, Reserve Champion Halsey Middlemist
EWE Blackface Cross breed - Champion Presley Wilson (Hermiston, OR), Reserve Champion Bo Wells (Diamond, WA)
Overall & Reserve Champion Wether Dam - Laila Sargent