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Decatur County 4-H swine show-team members participated in the 2021 Parker Classic on September 25, 2021 held in Bainbridge. The Parker Classic, formerly known as the Flint River Pork Classic, was renamed to honor a founding member and great supporter of the youth livestock program, Mr. Jeff Parker. The sponsors of the 2021 Parker Classic were: First State Bank, Jeff Barber Family Farms, Cash and Carry Feeds, Decatur County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Decatur County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee, Burgundy Timber, Stevens Culverson, James and Shae Harrell, Barber Fertilizer, Stevie and Jan Culverson, and Southwest Georgia Farm Credit. Students from across the south exhibited market hogs, commercial breeding gilts, and registered breeding gilts in 18 classes.

The show began with pre-club showmanship for kindergarten and younger swine exhibitors.

Novice showmanship is for grades 1st through 3rd and SJ Key from Harris County was the champion novice exhibitor.

Winning intermediate showmanship for exhibitors in 4th through 6th grades was Maybre Ray from Tift County.

Jake Barber, BMS 4-H’er, placed 2nd in junior showmanship for grades 7th through 9th.

Richard Dean Daniels, III of Pasco County, Florida won senior showmanship (10th-12th grade) at the Parker Classic.

Jake Barber exhibited the class winning registered February gilt. Langston Bennett, 8th grade 4-H’er at Spring Creek Charter Academy, placed 4th in the registered March gilt class. Jake Barber, son of Jeff and Leslie Barber, exhibited the Grand Champion Registered Breeding Gilt. SJ Key of Harris County exhibited the Reserve Champion Registered Breeding Gilt.

Brannon Parker, Bainbridge High School 4-H’er, placed in the top five with his commercial breeding gilt. Jake Barber placed 1st in a commercial breeding gilt class and was named Champion Commercial Breeding Gilt. AJ Royal from Ben Hill County exhibited the Reserve Champion Commercial Breeding Gilt.

In the market hog division students exhibited market barrows and gilts weighing from 44 pounds to 283 pounds. Jake Barber placed 5th and 7th with market hog entries and Brannon Parker placed 7th with his market hog entry. Winning Grand Champion Market Hog honors was Brooke Stone from Lanier County. Karlee Paschel from Houston County exhibited the Reserve Champion Market Hog.

Mr. Seth Keplinger served as the judge of the 2021 Parker Classic. Mr. Keplinger is from Tremont City, Ohio where he manages Keplinger Farms when he is not evaluating youth livestock shows across the country.