Courtesy photos
B ryce Parish has enjoyed many Grand
Champion wins at the Henderson County Livestock Show over the last 8 years , but has loved animals since he was little .
When Bryce was in third grade and could participate in 4-H , he decided to give rabbits a try , because he thought they would be small and easy . He says , “ I had amazing luck that year and won Grand Champion Market Fryer .”
The following year he decided to try something different and chose to show lambs . He still isn ’ t sure exactly why he chose them out of all the options , but he says he ’ s glad he did . This is a category he has been consistently competing in . He is currently a Junior in high school .
Bryce has had many accomplishments at the HCLS , including winning Grand Champion Market Fryer , Grand Champion Market Lamb , Grand Champion Junior Showmanship , Grand Champion Project Show , Junior Project winner , Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Ewe , Senior High Point , Grand Champion Breeding Ewe , and Grand Champion Market Lamb .
His favorite memory of the livestock show is when he won Grand Champion Junior Project at the Project Show in 2019 with his American Flag Concealed Gun Cabinet . He says , “ I had no idea my project was going to be good enough to win . I was just walking through the projects once we were allowed inside after judging , looking to see what other projects were turned in and forgot to check the winners list at the door . Once I remembered to glance at the paper , my mom and I were
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in shock . It was a nice little surprise because I had no idea .”
Unfortunately , the next year being 2020 would bring challenges to the HCLS and all the students who were planning to enter . Bryce was raising his lamb , Rose , for that year ’ s show when they heard that the show was getting canceled . His family posted Rose on Facebook and through the livestock community , they found a gentleman who raises sheep and asked if they would be interested in a trade for a baby ewe that could be shown in 2021 .
Bryce says that they accepted this trade and built a relationship over the year that followed . During that time , he also bred some ewes that he had previously shown . The once-baby ewe , now named Sage , went on to win the Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Ewe and his “ home-grown ” named Tucker made the sale too .
He says that the buyer that year donated Sage back to him , so he worked with a new breeder that helped get Sage bred for this past year . Sage had a healthy set of twins and Bryce decided to keep one that he named Bigz .
Bryce says , “ I got the opportunity to raise him