Going out big
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Isabella Kerns, left, 18, of Over Yonder 4-H club, won the title of senior showman in the Showman of Showmen competition at the Lawrence County Fair on Friday. Her sister Kamryn Kerns, right, won as junior showman in the event. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)
Isabella Kerns wins top showman title of fair for second time; sister, Kamryn, takes junior spot
ROME TOWNSHIP — On Friday, the Lawrence County Fair’s final competition in the ring was to determine the best of the best at the fair this year.
The annual Showman of Showmen competition took place, with showmanship winners from throughout the week going before a judge to win the overall title.
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Those taking part in the event had to show animals from all of the market species at the fair, which included goats, lambs, hogs, chickens, rabbits, steer and the fair’s newest addition, turkeys.
Isabella Kerns, 10, competes in the goat competition at the 2017 Lawrence County Fair. Kerns topped off an accomplished 10-year 4-H career with a second win as senior showman in the Showman of Showmen competition at this year’s fair on Friday. (Kayla Niece | For The Ironton Tribune)
In the senior competition, four 4-H and FFA members competed and had to demonstrate not only how well they could handle each animal, but their expertise and ability to talk about the different species.
The winner of the coveted senior showman title for 2025 was Isabella Kerns, of Ironton, a member of the Over Yonder 4-H club.
She was competing in the event after winning senior showman in both the goat and lamb competitions earlier in the week.
It was her second time winning the title, having previously earned it in 2023, with her brother Hunter coming in as junior showman.
Rachael Fraley, 4-H extension educator for Lawrence County said, while it was not without precedent, it is somewhat rare for a 4-H member to win the title twice.
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“It’s a good way to go out,” Kerns said of her second win.
Kamryn Kerns shows a rabbit during the junior showman portion of the Showman of Showmen completion at the Lawrence County Fair on Friday. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)
A 2025 summa cum laude graduate of Ironton High School, Kerns, 18, says this will be her last year competing.
“It was sad being my last time in the ring,” she said.
The daughter of BJ and Leslie Kerns, Isabella is set to attend Morehead State University, where she will major in preveterinary medicine.
Kerns has, over the course of her time in 4-H, won numerous grand and reserve champion, as well as showmanship titles.
And she has earned the biggest honors of the fair, winning as fair queen in 2024, fair princess in 2022 and serves as president of the junior fair board.
When pointed out that she has amassed a near-perfect career in 4-H, Kerns humbly said, “It’s been an amazing 10 years.”
Following the senior portion of the event, seven winners from prior events competed for the title of junior showman.
Berkley Ferguson shows a lamb during the junior showman portion of the Showman of Showmen competition at the Lawrence County Fair on Friday. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)
“This is rough on me,” judge Dirk Dempsey said of deciding between the competitors, all of whom he said did an excellent job. “I can say that the future of the Lawrence County Fair is in good hands.”
Dempsey awarded the title to Kamryn Kerns, who is Isabella’s younger sister, giving her family a second time sweeping the top spots in the fair.
Jase Besco shows a chicken during the junior showman portion of the Showman of Showmen completion at the Lawrence County Fair on Friday. (The Ironton Tribune | Heath Harrison)
Kamryn, 12, will be starting seventh grade at Ironton Middle School this fall. She took part in the junior competition after winning junior showman in the goat competition on Monday.
Both are members of Over Yonder, which can now count three sweeps of the top spots this decade. Siblings and club members Gracie and Gunnar Daniels won the showman spots in 2022.
Leslie Kerns, who serves as a county 4-H advisor and is the advisor to Over Yonder, said their club, based in the Ironton area, is a small one, with only 15 members.
But she said they spend much time working toward the fair, particularly on showmanship skills.
“We’ll do things like bring a rabbit to the meeting, so they can see it and teach them how to show it,” she said.
The county fair wrapped up on Saturday, with the annual livestock auctions, the proceeds of which go to the individual 4-H members.
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