ROME TOWNSHIP - Tyler Dickess has been involved in the county fair since the candles on his birthday cake didn’t reach double figures.

But on Wednesday at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds, he found himself in unchartered waters.

After years of showing hogs, the 18-year-old Dickess was in his first steer show. And he made it count.

The Kitts Hill resident had the grand champion steer and emerged from eight classes to take the top prize.

“This is my first year showing a steer and my last year in 4-H. We worked hard with him all year,” Dickess said. “He sets up nicely and he’s just a real nice steer.”

He said the support he felt from friends and family was noticeable.

“It’s great. It’s a nice feeling when there’s a whole community rooting for you,” he said. “It’s a wonderful feeling.”

The reserve champion was 19-year-old Nathan Colegrove of Wilgus.

Colegrove said being recognized as reserve champion was satisfying because of the quality of competition.

“There were too many good steers. There were eight that were hard to tell apart,” he said. “It’s just one man’s decision.”

Dickess said his experiences in 4-H have been worthwhile.

“It’s a great place for kids to learn about money management and those kind of things,” he said. “It’s a real fun place to be.”