The tack boxes are loaded, feed, water buckets, wood shavings and a blocking chute fill the front of the trailer. Shovels, rakes, brooms, wheelbarrows, fans, tarps, the generator, extension cords, lawn chairs, and a deck of cards are stuffed into the bed of the pickup and the cab barely has room for the driver and one passenger. All week long the preparations have been made to spend a week away from home at the county fair. Bright and early in the morning the animals will be loaded, and the journey will be underway to showcase all the hard work that the young showmen have put into their projects. The kids probably won’t be able to sleep tonight for all the excitement running through their minds of the week ahead. Dad on the other hand has been asleep in his recliner for the last half hour because he has spent the last three days cleaning out the trailer, loading all the supplies, moving the camper to fair so his kids have a place to stay for the week, wiping away nervous tears, and trying to make sure that Mom doesn’t lose her cool when one of the kids gets all the way to the fairgrounds before remembering the keys to the tack box on the kitchen counter over an hour drive away.
The first day of the fair is by far the craziest. Young 4-H members are trying to weigh in their stock, bed pens, set up the tack area, find all their friends and prepare for the days to come. For some of the cattle this is their first time in town. The bright lights and excitement can take their toll, before the day is done there might be a new dent in the side of the show barn from a runaway steer. As the sun starts to go down the animals are settled in for the night. The lights of the midway come on and friends begin to laugh and joke with one another, knowing that come show day they will be fierce competitors with one another.
Throughout fair week the barn is full of young herdsmen and women taking care of their stock. They are there with the first light of the morning to feed, water and clean out stalls. They spend the days in the tack area playing cards, having random karaoke and dance parties, and tending to their animals all through the day. Those that come to visit the fair get to see firsthand the hard work and dedication that the showmen have put into their projects. When the day of the show comes around, the barns are a crazy busy place. The sound of blowers and showmen prepping their cattle fill the air. Nerves are present, but competitors take the time to help one another when they can. Hour by hour and class after class, the young competitors fight for the grand prize. When the day is done, a new champion is crowned and through the tears of joy memories will be made.
By the end of the week, both competitors and animals are ready to be done. When the gavel drops on the last animal at the livestock sale there is a great weight lifted off the shoulders of everyone who made a fair come together. Kids that competed against one another for the grand prize earlier in the week will take in the dance as friends later in the evening. Tomorrow the task of taking everything home and saying goodbye to friends will fill the day, but for tonight everyone is out to have a good time and decompress from a busy week.
County fairs are something that are as American as apple pie. They are a time of fellowship, competition, and education for members of the public that might not ever have the chance to learn about agriculture. I am thankful for the years that I spent showing and exhibiting projects at the fair. If you haven’t had the chance yet, go out to your local county fair and support the youth. Their hard work and efforts shine a bright light on our future. That’s all for this time, keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and God bless.