WASHINGTON, Iowa — For Ava Greiner, the 2025 Washington County Fair marks the end of an era and the celebration of a remarkable youth career rooted in hard work, passion, and community.
A senior sporting a special gray polo to signify her final year, Greiner has been a fixture in the livestock barns for nearly a decade. She’s a nine-year member of the ’76 Progressive 4-H Club and has spent the last six years with the Keota FFA chapter. This week’s fair marks her final showing season before she heads off to Iowa State University.
Greiner’s final showing day was one to remember. She was awarded Grand Champion Market Lamb and Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Ewe, topping off a career filled with similar highlights and steady growth as an exhibitor and leader.
In addition to her sheep, Ava also exhibited a goat earlier in the week and submitted projects in photography and cake decorating inside the exhibit hall. She’s not quite done yet—her sheep will appear once more in the Showdown and Final Drive—but for the most part, she says, “this is going to be a wrap for me. It’s a good note to go out on.”
As she closes the chapter on her 4-H and FFA journey, Ava Greiner looks ahead to new opportunities at Iowa State University, where she plans to major in animal science. She’s especially interested in pursuing a career in livestock embryology or the pharmaceutical side of the industry.
From barn boots to biotech, Ava’s journey is far from over—but the legacy she leaves behind in the show ring is one marked by dedication, leadership, and heart.