Coram rooster a crowing champ

Sarah Johnson’s prize rooster crowed four times in three minutes, while a big old white rooster down the hall, who had been crowing his lights out just a few minutes before, kept silent.

The result was a champion ribbon for the Coram youngster at the Northwest Montana Fair last week. Johnson’s rooster, a Dutch Bantam no bigger than a pigeon, is just a year old, but he’s got a set of lungs on him.

The little guy is just one of the gang at the Johnson home. She said they have about 50 chickens, and she gets up every morning to feed and water them.

Johnson’s been showing chickens at the fair for about three years now, she said.

“I just got lucky, I guess,” she said.

The rooster crowing contest is a pretty straightforward affair. Roosters are all kept in their cages and a judge sets a timer for three minutes. Whichever rooster crows the most during that time is the winner.

Johnson said she would probably pin the champion ribbon from the fair on her chicken coop.

Fair results:

The 2013 Northwest Montana Fair market stock sale grossed nearly $294,000 on Saturday, Aug. 17, about $35,000 more than last year, as local 4H and FFA members bid farewell to their steers, hogs and lambs.

Among the local winners was the Reserve Champion Market Lamb raised by Garret Salminen, of Columbia Falls. Salminen’s lamb was purchased by Super 1 Foods of the Flathead Valley for $1,249.50. The lamb weighed 147 pounds and sold for $8.50 per pound.

Other local winners at the fair were:

Fine Arts, Open Class

Paintings and Drawings, children ages 8-11 — Grand Champion, Eloise McKeon, West Glacier

Point and Shoot Camera, adults 18-59 — Grand Champion, Nick Johnson, Columbia Falls

Photography (all ages) — Best of Show, Valerie McIntyre, Columbia Falls; Judge’s Choice, Valerie McIntyre, Columbia Falls

Best Photo Taken at Angie’s Greenhouse — Winner, Amanda Matdies, Kalispell

Photography professional — Grand Champion, Valerie McIntyre, Columbia Falls

Dogs, 4-H/FFA

Sub-Novice B — Grand Champion, Nicolas Ream, Columbia Falls

Novice B — Grand Champion, Jessica Ream, Columbia Falls

Novice Rally — Reserve Champion, Nicolas Ream, Columbia Falls

Top Dog Award — Winner, Nicolas Ream, Columbia Falls

Dog Show, Open Class

Adult Novice B — Grand Champion, Kathy Wright, Columbia Falls

Novice B — Grand Champion, Jessica Ream, Columbia Falls

Junior Novice Rally — Reserve Champion, Nicolas Ream, Columbia Falls

Sub-Novice B — Grand Champion, Kaj Haggerup, Kila, and Nicolas Ream, Columbia Falls

Floriculture, Open Class

Sunflower, Adult — Best of Show, Jennifer Fisher, Columbia Falls

Rose — Grand Champion, Karen Fisher, Columbia Falls

Parade winners

Fair Theme — second place, Angie’s Greenhouse, Columbia Falls

Agriculture and Horticulture, Open Class

Best of Show — Ben Fisher, Columbia Falls

Vegetables — Best of Show, Dan Fisher, Columbia Falls

Market Garden Basket Project — Grand Champion, Dan Fisher, Columbia Falls; Reserve Champion, Abigail Fisher, Columbia Falls

Garden Creation — Reserve Champion, Teagan Flint, Columbia Falls

Agriculture and Horticulture, 4-H/FFA, Ag Product

Cucumbers — Best of Show, Spencer Kendall, Columbia Falls

Crafts — Best of Show, Dana Yeomans, Columbia Falls

Wood Carving — Best of Show, Richard Gallway, Columbia Falls

Tole Painting, Adult — Best of Show, Sarah Clominger, Columbia Falls

Tole Painting, Senior — Best of Show, Susan Freise, Columbia Falls

Models/Legos — Best of Show, Ilah McKenzie, Columbia Falls

Ceramics — Best of Show, Dee Brown, Hungry Horse

Beef, Open

Female — Grand Champion, Issabell Johnson, Columbia Falls

Top Breeding, Heifer or Cow — Winner, Issabell Johnson, Columbia Falls

Beef Fitting Team — Grand Champion, Talli Carmalt, Kalispell; McKenna Salminen, Columbia Falls; Cortnee Anello, Columbia Falls

Market Beef Showmanship, 4-H/FFA

Junior Beef Showman — Reserve Champion, Issabell Johnson, Columbia Falls

Best Kept Pens and Stalls — Second, Erik Eberhart, Columbia Falls

Junior Dairy Cattle Showman — Grand Champion, Erik Eberhart, Columbia Falls

Miniature Horse, Open Class

Gelding — Reserve Champion A under, Madisyn Ellis, Coram

Poultry, Open Class

Purebred Bantam — Grand Champion, Sarah Johnson, Coram

Water Fowl — Grand Champion, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Showmanship — Grand Champion, Tierra Johnson, Coram; Reserve Champion, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Overall Best Bird of Show — Sarah Johnson, Coram

Rooster Crowing Contest — Grand Champion, Sarah Johnson, Coram

Poultry, 4-H/FFA

Waterfowl Exhibit — Best, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Overall Bird Exhibit — Best, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Overall Bantam Exhibit — Best, Sarah Johnson, Coram

Best Junior Decorated Egg Contest — Sarah Johnson, Coram

Senior Poultry Showman — Reserve Champion, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Junior Poultry Showman — Grand Champion, Sarah Johnson, Coram

 Rabbits and Small Animals, Open Class

Netherland Dwarf — Best of Breed, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Any Other Purebred (full arch type) — Best of Breed, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Mini Rex — Best of Opposite Sex, Shelby Piper, Columbia Falls

Rabbit — Best of Show, Melissa Johnson, Coram; Reserve Best of Show, Keith Eberhart, Columbia Falls

Club Citizenship — Keith Eberhart, Columbia Falls

Overall — Best of Show, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Rabbits and Small Animals, 4-H/FFA

Standard Rex — Best of Breed, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Mini Rex — Best of Breed, Stephen Williamson, Columbia Falls

Any Other Purebred (full arch type) — Best of Breed, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Mini Lop — Best of Opposite Sex, Cassidy Norick, Columbia Falls

Standard Rex — Best of Opposite Sex, Sarah Johnson, Coram

Netherland Dwarf — Best of Opposite Sex, Melissa Johnson, Coram

Hamster — Best of Show, Cheyanne Jonstson, Columbia Falls

Horse Show, Open Class

Any Other Registered Breed — Grand Champion, Madison Catlett, Columbia Falls

Floriculture, Open Class

Sunflower, Adult — Best of Show, Jennifer Fisher, Columbia Falls

Sheep, 4-H/FFA

Market Lamb — Reserve Champion, Garhet Salminen, Columbia Falls

Market Livestock Show, Lamb, 4-H/FFA

Market Lamb — Reserve Champion, Garhet Salminen, Columbia Falls

Top Ten — Lane Anello, Columbia Falls; Lauren Falkner, Columbia Falls; McKenna Salminen, Columbia Falls