Harrisburg, PA - Young livestock enthusiasts across the state competed in the 2021 Pennsylvania Farm Show Skill-a-thon, testing their general knowledge of livestock and poultry management. Indiana County siblings 17-year-old Elizabeth and 13-year-old John Bruner of Blairsville dominated their respective age-group categories.
Other first-place finishers were Keegan Tilley of Harrisburg, Dauphin County; Brooke Fritz of Waterford, Erie County; Marissa Yutzy of James Creek, Huntingdon County; Kathryn Rush of Collegeville, Montgomery County and Krista Skovira of Acme, Westmoreland County.
Skill-a-thon competitors are given a written test of their knowledge of raising 10 species: draft horses, sheep, swine, beef, meat goats, dairy cattle, dairy goats, alpacas, poultry and rabbits.
The competition is designed to recognize and encourage youth who have acquired fundamental knowledge of livestock management. Competitors were judged in two age divisions: Division I (youth born in 2001-2005) and Division II (youth born in 2006-2011).
Competitors are asked a series of questions on topics such as quality assurance and health; meat identification; equipment identification and use; feeds; feeding and nutrition; and management.
Results for each species test and age group are as follows:
Draft Horses
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Tayler Rafferty, Brookville, Jefferson County
Third - Ella Smith, Myerstown, Lebanon County
Fourth - Raelyn Snyder, Catawissa, Columbia County
Fifth - Sierra Jackson, Butler, Butler County
Division II –
First - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Mason Quiqq, Mapleton Depot, Huntingdon County
Third - MolliLyn Petro, Catawissa, Columbia County
Fourth - Emily Hutchinson, Rockwood, Somerset County
Fifth - Brianna Taylor, Ulysses, Potter County
Sheep
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Josephine Johnson, Newport, Perry County
Third - Abigail Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Fourth - Ava Kaskela, West Chester, Chester County
Fifth - Victoria DiAndrea, Berwyn, Chester County
Division II –
First - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Brooke Fritz, Waterford, Erie County
Third - Clayton Heisey, Lebanon, Lebanon County
Fourth - Phoebe Stutzman, Kutztown, Berks County
Fifth - Mason Quiqq, Mapleton Depot, Huntingdon County
Swine
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Ava Kaskela, West Chester, Chester County
Third - Kaitlin Bell, Nottingham, Chester County
Fourth - Autumn Moore, Newport, Perry County
Fifth - Abigail Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Division II –
First - Kathryn Rush, Collegeville, Montgomery County
Second - Brooke Fritz, Waterford, Erie County
Third - Phoebe Stutzman, Kutztown, Berks County
Fourth - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Fifth - Garrett Schick, Knox, Clarion County
Beef
Division I-
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Sadie Richter, Acme, Westmoreland County
Third - Ava Kaskela, West Chester, Chester County
Fourth - Kalvin Hrutkay, Bentleyville, Washington County
Fifth - Larissa Sweigard, Halifax, Dauphin County
Division II-
First - Brooke Fritz, Waterford, Erie County
Second - Conner Jordan, Meadville, Crawford County
Third - Conner Grim, Dover, York County
Fourth - Lindsey Grim, Dover, York County
Fifth - Miley Reitz, Erie, Erie County
Meat Goats
Division I-
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Abigail Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Third - Larissa Sweigard, Halifax, Dauphin County
Fourth - Madison Davis, Dawson, Fayette County
Fifth - Mason Davis, Dawson, Fayette County
Division II-
First - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Brooke Fritz, Waterford, Erie County
Third - Garrett Schick, Knox, Clarion County
Fourth - Mason Quiqq, Mapleton Depot, Huntingdon County
Fifth - Carlie Knott, Somerset, Somerset County
Dairy Cattle
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Madison Davis, Dawson, Fayette County
Third - Jordan Anderson, Centre Hall, Centre County
Fourth - Amber Pownall, Quarryville, Lancaster County
Fifth - Victoria DiAndrea, Berwyn, Chester County
Division II –
First - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Maddox Davis, Dawson, Fayette County
Third - Sarah Foster, Petersburg, Huntingdon County
Fourth - Jordyn Nailor, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County
Fifth - Katie Ripka, Pennsylvania Furnace, Huntingdon County
Dairy Goats
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Josephine Johnson, Newport, Perry County
Third - Kristina Johnson, Newport, Perry County
Fourth - Mason Davis, Dawson, Fayette County
Fifth - Hailey Norden, McKean, McKean County
Division II –
First - Marissa Yutzy, James Creek, Huntingdon County
Second - Maddox Davis, Dawson, Fayette County
Third - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Fourth - Mason Quiqq, Mapleton Depot, Huntingdon County
Fifth - Paige Hoy, Tyrone, Blair County
Alpacas
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Abigail Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Third - Zaya Hunt, Manchester, York County
Fourth - Quinn Fenicle, Wellsville, York County
Fifth - Alyssa Dreucci, Connoquenessing, Butler County
Division II –
First - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Elizabeth Dice, Smithfield, Fayette County
Third - Casey Zirk, Littlestown, Adams County
Fourth - Connor Rogers, York, York County
Fifth - Phoebe Stutzman, Kutztown, Berks County
Poultry
Division I –
First - Elizabeth Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Sarah Grace Ferber, Fleetwood, Berks County
Third - Sierra Jackson, Butler, Butler County
Fourth - Abigail Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Fifth - Sonnet Robertson, Gibosonia, Allegheny County
Division II –
First - John Bruner, Blairsville, Indiana County
Second - Jocelyn Jeske, Boswell, Somerset County
Third - Casey Zirk, Littlestown, Adams County
Fourth - Kathryn Rush, Collegeville, Montgomery County
Fifth - Nora Hoy, Tyrone, Blair County
Rabbits
Division I –
First - Keegan Tilley, Harrisburg, Dauphin County
Second - Rachael Walkup, Chalfont, Bucks County
Third - Sonnet Robertson, Gibosonia, Allegheny County
Fourth - Laura Browser, York Haven, York County
Fifth - Hailey Norden, McKean, McKean County
Division II-
First - Krista Skovira, Acme, Westmoreland County
Second - Margret LeViere, Portersville, Butler County
Third - Taralyn Sinn, Trevose, Bucks County
Fourth - Kathryn Rush, Collegeville, Montgomery County
Fifth - Marissa Yutzy, James Creek, Huntingdon County
The Pennsylvania Farm Show features hundreds of online educational and entertaining events and resources.
The virtual 2021 Farm Show runs January 9-16, 2021 on the Pennsylvania Farm Show Facebook, Instagram, and on the Pennsylvania Cable Network. “Cultivating Tomorrow” panel discussions on the most pressing challenges to Pennsylvania agriculture, at 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM daily, can also be viewed live at pacast.com/live/farmshow.
For more information about the 2021 Pennsylvania Farm Show, visit farmshow.pa.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Powers - 717.603.2056, shpowers@pa.gov
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