CASSOPOLIS — Sometimes having the right mentor can prove to be just as valuable as having all the individual talent in the world.

That proved to be the case for the top finishers in Wednesday’s goat show at the Cass County Fair.

2013 Niles High School graduate Hali Jones was named the grand champion goat showman for the fourth year in a row.

The Dowagiac resident said she never would have accomplished what she has without the guidance of her mother, Nicole Osban — a former champion goat showman herself.

“She’s the one that helped me get into animals — she’s been doing it probably for 15 years,” said Jones, a business major at Southwestern Michigan College. “I’ve learned so much from her, so I don’t think it would have been possible without her.”

Emily Luthringer, who showed the grand champion market meat goat, had similar things to say about her aunt Terri Fryman, who serves as superintendent of the fair’s goat show.

“I don’t think I would have gotten into it if it wasn’t for her,” said the Dowagiac Union High School freshman. “I’m glad I did because it is a passion for me and something I’ve found that I’m good at.”

Luthringer said she loves the easygoing personalities of the goats, which she keeps year round at her Dowagiac home.

She named her grand champion goat Gryffin, which is short for the Gryffindor house in the Harry Potter universe.

“I thought why not name him Gryffin?” she said.

She plans to sell the goats at Saturday’s small animal auction.

“It’s for supplies for the barn and school supplies and things like that,” she said.

The goat show’s other big prize — grand champion dairy — went to Jones’ niece, BreeAnn Belakovich, of South Bend, Indiana.

Also in Wednesday’s goat show: Cassopolis’ Jena Bradley was named reserve grand champion showman, while Katherine Pielmeir had the reserve grand champion dairy and Amelia Wegglesworth the reserve grand champion market meat.