When an Indian Creek seventh grader took home three Grand Champion banners, she didn’t know she’d made history.
But last month, Oaklee Perry became the first 4-Her to ever win a Triple Crown of steer showing events during the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair. The three events included the 4-H Market Steer show on July 17, the 4-H Born and Raised Steer show on July 18, and the 4-H Beef Steer show on July 19.
Perry won the Grand Champion banner for all three events. The shows have been going on for at least 30 years, and while contestants have won two of the three events, no one has won all three, said Dave Porter, cattle barn superintendent, who informed her about the significance of her accomplishment.
“This time, one person won all three of them. It’s very, very impressive,” he said. “There’s between 40 and 45 (steer at a show) on a pretty normal basis.”
Perry won the Triple Crown in her fourth year of competing at the county fair. She won the Grand Champion banner during a market heifer show at the county fair last year and followed up with a Reserve Champion win at the 2022 Indiana State Fair. But when the Perry family purchased Hank, a Chianina steer born at Wallen Livestock of Trafalgar in October, they had no idea what was in store for them, said Derek Perry, Oaklee’s father.
“I don’t care what animal or species you have, it’s a mini state fair and I would put it against any county fair in the state,” he said. “Whether it’s pig, goat, lamb, steer, heifer, no matter what barn you’re in, it’s tough to win, especially Grand Champion.”
Perry was born into the 4-H life and started competing in third grade, the first year she was eligible.
“My mom showed horses and pigs growing up and I kind of fell in love with the animals,” Oaklee Perry said.
During the Market show, cattle were separated by weight class, and 4-Hers weren’t allowed to enhance their steer’s appearance, which can be done using hair products, Derek Perry said.
The Born and Raised show was limited to steer from Johnson County farms, and the Wednesday beef steer show, which allowed the use of appearance-enhancing products, was broken down into breeds, with the winner of each breed facing off to determine the Grand Champion, he said.
“Wednesday is the biggest show that you can win at the fair. It’s not the most important, but it’s the big finale,” Derek Perry said. “They’re looking for the all-around best breed, the best looking, fit steer, that’s clipped up and looks nice.”
It takes several months of preparation for a steer to be ready for the fair, with each part of the day dedicated to making sure the animal gets enough exercise, is clean, has enough to eat, and has healthy hair, Oaklee Perry said.
“Hard work is one of the main keys in it, you want to get an animal trained to where you don’t have to mess with their legs in the arena, and you can just set them up and start showing them,” she said. “Feeding is key, too, you want to make sure you’re getting the right grains so they can show their best.”
The award of Grand Champion in any category shows not only the fitness of an animal, but the dedication of the 4-Her, Porter said.
“It takes a lot of hard work at home and dedication. It teaches you a lot of responsibility and work ethic,” he said. “My kids were in it and your day starts about 5 a.m. You get up, get in the barn, feed them, wash them. At lunchtime, you wash them again, dry them off. At about 10 a.m., you rinse them again, and then feed them at midnight and it starts all over at 5 a.m.”
For Oaklee Perry, the award is a sign hard work pays off.
“I was excited that I did something that had never been done before. It’s very cool to know that and always know hard work pays off with early mornings and late nights in the barn,” she said. “I practiced with him from October to July. He’s a really, really exception animal.”
The Perry family sold Hank to Duke Homes during the livestock auction and the company wrote a letter to Oaklee Perry congratulating her.
The experience at the county fair is something Oaklee said she wants to build on in the future.
“I’d really like to be a veterinarian or something to deal with livestock because I’m so into it,” Oaklee Perry said. “I think this is going to benefit me to help other younger kids when I’m older who are just now getting into 4-H and FFA to show them what they can do. It makes me hungry to want to do it next year and in the future.”
