Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BERRIEN SPRINGS — Katelyn Dargus could not believe it when she took home a win from the Berrien County Youth Fair Thursday.

The Buchanan resident’s landrace hog “Sandy” earned the Reserve Overall Grand Champion Market Hog trophy at the Berrien County Youth Fair Swine Market show on Thursday.

“I was a little surprised when I heard my name called for a reserve overall,” Dargus said. “Just because I had a landrace that normally doesn’t beat out crossbreds. I was very surprised but also really happy with how I did.”

Dargus, who lives in Buchanan but attends Bridgman Middle School, has been showing pigs since she was five years old.

“Every day in the morning, me and my siblings will go out, and we’ll feed them,” she said. “If we can’t get out there early enough to walk them when it’s cooler, we will go out later in the evening and walk them, rinse them and give them baths. It’s kind of an everyday thing doing skincare and all of that.”

Managing her time has been a balancing act but Dargus would not have it any other way.

“It’s a lot with these livestock,” Dargus said. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I still do school sports, I play volleyball. I still have to make sure that I have plenty of time to work with my livestock.”

Dargus was not the only member of her family to take home trophies at this week’s fair. Her sister, Claire, was named Grand Champion Jr. Swine Showman in the Swine Show and Reserve Medium Market Barrow Grand Champion in the Swine Market show.

Katelyn’s Angus Heifer also placed third overall in the beef show.

Their mother, Kelli Dargus, was proud of their effort this week.

“They put in a lot of work,” she said. “I think more work than people realize. It’s every day; there are no days off. It’s a family affair.”