BY ALEXA MARTINEZ LOPEZ
Firebaugh FFA
The 2025 Madera District Fair was filled with showmanship, hard work and success for the Firebaugh Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter.
From Aug. 24 to Sept. 7, the fair hosted a variety of livestock shows, where students had the opportunity to showcase the hard work they had been putting into their animals.
Poultry kicked things off on Aug. 24, followed by rabbits and cavies on Aug. 30 and pygmy goats on Sept. 2. The fair ended with the rest of the livestock shows, including sheep, hogs and goats, during the week of Sept. 2 to 5.
Several students earned top placements, reflecting the hard work and dedication they put into their animals. We are so excited to share it with you all.
Starting with the poultry show, our students demonstrated great attention to detail and care as they swept nearly the entire advanced placings.
In Advanced Poultry Showmanship, Kenya Rodas placed second, Ian Cabrera placed third, Crystal Gonzalez placed fourth, Joshua Ovalles placed fifth, Evelyn Montes Estrada placed sixth, and Neyda Avalos placed seventh.
For Novice Showmanship, our very own David Guereca placed first. Next up, our rabbit and cavy exhibitors impressed the judges with great knowledge of their species, confident showmanship and well-groomed animals.
For Novice Rabbit Showmanship, Andrea Ramos earned eighth place, Melany Rodriguez earned sixth place, Jamie Ruiz earned second place, and Adalid Martinez Lopez earned first place.
Ruiz and Lopez advanced to Intermediate Showmanship, where Ruiz placed second and Lopez placed first. In Advanced Rabbit Showmanship, America Martinez earned second place. In addition, Andrea Ramos and Martinez won Best of Their Breed.
In Novice Cavy Showmanship, Ruiz placed second, and Alan Fraga placed first. Ruiz then moved on to Intermediate Showmanship, where she placed first. In Advanced Cavy Showmanship, Anthony Baeza placed fifth, and Martinez placed second.
Next, we had three pygmy goat showmen who demonstrated knowledge of goat care and great handling skills.
Kiersten Herron placed third in showmanship, Martinez placed fourth, and Gustavo Arias placed fifth. Herron and Martinez both won Best of Their Breed, and Arias placed second in Best of Their Breed.
We also had six hog exhibitors, three goat exhibitors and three sheep exhibitors. Crystin Gonzalez placed third in her market class, Marina Hernandez placed fourth in her market class, and Lexi Gonzalez placed sixth in her market class.
Our exhibitors placed fifth in their Chapter Group Market Sheep division. In market dairy goats, Martinez earned Champion Market Dairy Goat, Arias earned Reserve Champion Market Dairy Goat, and Baeza placed sixth in his market class.
Our exhibitors placed second in their Chapter Group Market Goat division. On Sept. 5, we had three students compete in Small Animal Master Showmanship.
Lopez and Ruiz competed in the intermediate competition, where Lopez placed second and Ruiz placed first. In the advanced competition, Herron placed fifth. We are incredibly proud of these talented individuals.
Lastly, we had 87 educational poster entries, where Yalsene Gonzales won Best in Show and Best of Age Division. In floral entries, we had 56 arrangements and 56 wreaths.
We also had 20 plant entries, and we earned second place for the 10-by-10 garden display in the school category.
We are extremely proud of all the students who participated in the 2025 Madera District Fair and can’t wait to see what their future projects are.
On behalf of the Firebaugh FFA Chapter, we would like to thank everyone who showed support to these students, whether you purchased an animal, contributed to an add-on or showed up to any of the fair days. We are truly grateful for all your support and kindness. Your support allows us to continue participating in these events. Once again, thank you to all the students who participated. We are proud of your hard work and dedication!
