SYRACUSE – The founder of Unified Showing says this year’s inclusion at the Nebraska State Fair takes her back the inspiration of her own journey to open up the livestock showring to children with special needs.

As a high school sophomore, Allison Walbrecht saw a disabled showman at the state fair and set it in her heart to bring that experience back home.

Walbrecht: “I was able to watch a showman with a disability just absolutely kill it in the ring. She was amazing. She competed so well.”

 

 

She founded Unified Showing four years ago. It has grown from Lancaster County to include Otoe and Gage counties. She said it is difficult to expand county-by-county, but the state fair's organization can offer it statewide.

The Nebraska State Fair has always had disabled exhibitors, but this is the first year that Unified Showmanship has its own class.

 

Walbrecht: “I’m excited to get more kids involved. It just makes me fall in love with agriculture again, being able to see how much these kids truly love it, enjoy it and work so hard to be able to come out with their lambs.”

When a participant signs up through the state fair they are invited to Walbrecht’s farm to work with a buddy.

Walbrecht: “We’ve been really fortunate. I’ve never had a shortage of buddies. If anything, I’ve had so many that I don’t know what to do. We have so many amazing, amazing youth that want to help their friends be able to show and experience agriculture the same way they have.”

She expects over 40 buddies to be available for the state fair and says both showmen and buddies will learn life skills from the experience.

Aca Andrew, 14, has been a buddy for her sheep showman the past two years and said she is excited for the first year at the state fair.

Andrew: “I love Unified Showing. It’s like one of my favorite things to do. I think it’s super cool. I just like helping people. I do unified stuff at school and it’s cool to bring it into the livestock industry.”

Sig Swanson was also a buddy Thursday.

 

https://rivercountry.newschannelnebraska.com/story/44361803/unified-showmanship-touches-emotions-at-otoe-county-fairs-sheep-show