Carter Morrison woke up Sunday with one thing on his mind — he was going to get in the ring at the Hartford Fair and show a goat.

When the big moment arrived, he confidently led his new hoofed friend, Zamboni, around the B. Carr Pavilion with his 4-H mentor, Kinsey Duzan, by his side.

His mom, Cara Morrison, was delighted by his huge smile as he accepted his prize, an exhibitor banner they are planning to hang in his room. 

“He couldn’t get here fast enough, he told everyone at church today he was showing a goat,” she said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”

Carter, 10, and the other 11 exhibitors in the pavilion that night were making Hartford Fair history as the first participants in the new Animal Adventures program.

The result of a partnership between the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities (LCBDD)  and Licking County 4-H, Animal Adventures offers children and teens with disabilities the chance to learn more about the species typically shown at the fair.

Each participant who signed up was matched with a mentor — who was a member of a local 4-H club or FFA chapter and had expertise in showing their preferred animal.

Shows like Animal Adventures —that offer inclusive opportunities for young people to experience the show ring — are gaining popularity around Ohio, said Lisa McCutcheon, a 4-H Youth Development Educator at the Licking County OSU Extension.

“I saw it happening in other counties and I knew our community would benefit from something like this,” she said. “Part of it was finding the right partnerships to make it happen.”

Not only did LCBDD have strong connections with families of children with disabilities and the knowledge to help make the show accessible but several LCBDD staff members grew up in 4-H and had experience showing animals.

“It was the perfect combination,” McCutcheon said. 

With the Licking County Farm Bureau offering to sponsor the first show, the partners opened up sign ups and were thrilled with the response.

“We were blessed with such good mentors and exhibitors who took a chance on us and tried something new,” McCutcheon said.

The exhibitors met with their mentors twice before the fair so they could meet the animals they would be showing, get used to the fairgrounds and get to know each other. 

When Nick Gilson first met Geraldine the goat, he was apprehensive. But with the help of his mentor, Lily Swearingen, he was proudly leading her around and posing for pictures by the second meet and greet. 

“He loves animals and it sounded really fun,” said his mom, Lisa Gilson. “This is something I wouldn’t think he would ever get to do, and he got to try.” 

Swearingen, a student at Watkins Memorial High School, was inspired to become an Animal Adventures mentor after a rewarding experience as a peer collaborator at school.
Lily said she recently had two goats die, so participating with Geraldine was a way to bring some positivity to a difficult year.

“It was a great reminder to me that we need to stay thankful for every opportunity we have to walk into the ring,” she said. “I just loved giving someone else the chance to do it, who hadn’t been able to do that before.” 

Nick uses some sign language to communicate and Swearingen’s mom is a sign language interpreter so the two of them got to practice different signs as they cared for Geraldine. 

After the second meet and greet, Nick came home and ran for his photo cards. He found the goat card and signed, “More, again,” Lisa said. 

Along with goats, exhibitors chose to show rabbits, sheep and dairy feeders.

While in the ring, each exhibitor and mentor got to walk together before being interviewed by the judge — LCBDD’s Superintendent /CEO Jason Umstot. 

Umstot helped each participant share fun facts about themselves and their animals. 

“It was a great opportunity to share the talents of each one of the kids who participated and I’m very proud of all of them.” he said. 

Animal Adventures is an example of how partnerships between organizations can help families make connections and try new things, Umstot said. 

At the end of Sunday’s show, several families approached McCutcheon, eager for information about how to get their children more involved in 4-H. 

Duzan and her family invited Carter to be her “sidekick” in the Goat Costume Show later in the week. They are planning to dress as construction workers.  

Carter’s mom spent 11 years in 4-H as a child, and said her goal is for Carter to gain the experience to show a small animal — maybe a rabbit or a goat — on his own. 

The friendship he formed with Duzan and Zamboni made Animal Adventures the perfect first step in that journey, she said.

“4-H is very inclusive, and we are so thankful,” Cara said.

To learn more about Animal Adventures or to sign up to participate as an exhibitor, mentor or volunteer in 2024, please contact Lisa McCutcheon at mccutcheon.46@osu.edu or Anna Jeffries at anna.jeffries@lcountydd.org.