WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — Young people interested in being competitive in the goat and sheep show ring may turn to Champions Choice Camps to improve their skills. Designed for those ages 5 to 21 the camps aim to provide techniques, advice, strategies and skills they can use in and out of the show ring. These single-day camps are held in Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and eight other states.

Champions Choice Camp was started 20 years ago and is still led by the judge, breeder and agricultural educator that started it, Tracy Dendinger.

“I’m grounded solely in education, philosophy, mechanics and understanding,” Dendinger said. “My method of showmanship is not just the surface scratching of just fun and games.”

 Based in Fayette County in Ohio, Dendinger teaches youth all aspects of raising and showing sheep and goats through her Champions Choice Camps in 13 states.

 “From exercise and nutrition in the barn to handling, fitting, and showmanship in the ring. It’s very structured,” Dendinger says of the one-day camps.

“I do not do any fair work, nor do I instruct at fairs,” she said. “The kids practice at camps then they practice all summer, then put their work into play. I teach the kids and turn them loose, and most can now do it better than me.”

 One of the most successful students is Linsey Eddy, now a senior at Purdue University. A native of Marysville, Ohio, Eddy started showing sheep through 4-H at age 9. She attended her first Champions Choice Camp the next year and hasn’t missed one since, although she is now an instructor. The pinnacle came at the North American International Livestock Exposition, the largest all-breed, purebred livestock show in the country, where Eddy won the showmanship award in her class.

 “Going from knowing absolutely nothing about showing sheep when I was a kid to getting to the top – Tracy had a very large hand in all of that,” Eddy says.

 Along with technical skills such as where to stand and how to hold the sheep’s head, Dendinger teaches many finer points of presentation.

 “Tracy also does a good job teaching what we call ‘ring awareness,’ where you learn how to relate all ring positions to your advantage,” Eddy explains. “It’s getting that animal shown to the best of its ability.”

 Dendinger, from Washington County House, Ohio, graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Animal Science and Agriculture Education, and Wright State University with a master’s degree in School Counseling.

 From 1994 to 2014, Dendinger served as the agriculture educator and FFA advisor at Miami Trace High School. In 2014, Dendinger took the role of Agriculture Education Program Specialist at the Southern Ohio Educational Service Center. Today, she serves as an adjunct professor at Wilmington College, which is dedicated to growing and developing pre-service teachers in agricultural education.

 “We do things collaboratively, where older kids mentor younger kids, and we do a lot of hands-on activities,” she says. “I can’t teach kids work ethic, passion, or drive, but I can give them experiences that help them identify where and how to apply those skills,” Dendinger says. “If they are coming to our camp, hopefully they are passionate about sheep, have the drive to become better, and recognize the work ethic it takes to be successful in and out of the ring.”

Dendinger has also played a vital role in livestock exhibitions, serving as a judge at national and state fairs, including the North American International Livestock Exposition and Arizona National.

 In March, Dendinger was elected into the Fayette County Agricultural Hall of Fame. Her lifelong commitment to agriculture and youth development helped shape the future of countless individuals in this county. She has been a Fayette County resident for 31 years, serving the agricultural community throughout that time.