On one end of the show arena, Dylan Armstrong had an eye on the judge and the other on his market gilt, wondering if his name was going to be called.

A few feet away from him, Jeremiah Hartsell was wondering the same thing, although he had a lot more riding on the results of Tuesday’s swine show at the Cass County Fair.

“I am thinking is it real? Can it happen two times in a row?” said Hartsell, who was trying to repeat as having the grand champion market hog for the first time in more than 20 years.

When the judge announced Armstrong’s name, he produced a large smile as the crowd in the Show Arena cheered around him.

It was a moment he won’t soon forget.

“It’s an adrenaline rush waiting to hear your name called, to see if you’ve won or not,” said the Cassopolis 16-year-old. “It is a lot of hard work and it is really rewarding when it pays off.”

It was the first time Armstrong has ever had a grand champion animal in 10 years of showing animals at the Cass County Fair.

He isn’t certain why it happened this year, but said he put a lot of work into this animal, walking it a couple hours a night in addition to feeding it and watering it down.

“It’s almost like a part time job,” said Armstrong, who will be a junior at Ross Beatty High School this fall.

Hartsell, 18, was in good spirits after the show, despite not attaining his goal of a swine show repeat.

His market gilt finished as Reserve grand champion, or runner-up.

“I’m very happy with my finish,” Hartsell said. “I couldn’t have done it without the help from all my friends, family and especially my parents and the Wooden family.”

Hartsell, who graduated from Ross Beatty this year, will attend Baker College to study as a vet technician this fall.

He said it would be his last fair. He’s been in it since he was 8.

“I want to thank everyone that has helped me out along the way. It is not a one-person show. It is a group of people when you have success like that,” he said.