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July 10, 2016
The Times Leader
Fair competitions are a family affair
By TIFFANY BUMGARDNER
Times Leader Staff Writer
CADIZ — The end of the
county fair is just a beginning for
the competitors, who are the rea-
son local fairs happen every year.
When everyone else heads home
to wait for next year, the competi-
tors begin the process of breed-
ing, raising and training the ani-
mals they will compete with the
following year.
The reasoning behind such
dedication is often much more
than being raised on farms —
for many it is a generational tra-
dition and a point of pride with-
in families who have each had
members dressed up in show-
man garb and spent hours han-
dling animals in hot, humid,
sticky show rings. It becomes
tradition not only in learning do
to the very things competitors’
parents did before them, but also
in learning the tradition of hard
work and responsibility.
Those who participate in 4-H
can begin competing at the age of
9, and they are eligible until they
are 18 years old — giving them
nearly a decade to excel with
their animals, learn, grow and
develop a deep-seated love for
the traditions fairs bring to their
lives.
“My start in 4-H was inspired
by my father,” said Abby Dow-
dle of the Green Valley 4-H
Club. “When he was a kid in 4-
H, he did a cart goat project,
and that was what I really want-
ed to do, too.”
Of course Abby’s father wasn’t
the only member of the family to
compete, as her mother showed
horses and her sister is a competi-
tor as well.
In 2009, Abby got her wish.
She began teaching her beloved
goat, Skittles, to pull a cart and to
exhibit at the Harrison County
Fair. It was a three-year project
that started off slowly — at first
just walking, then progressing to
carting without riding, and finally
riding in the cart. Abby loved it
so much she did the cart goat
project two years after the end of
her initial three-year project. And
even when she was not showing
at the fair, she got to enjoy her
family tradition of goat carting by
riding in parades with Skittles,
who has since been retired from
his pulling duties.
Junior fair board member
Stephanie Birney comes from a
three-generation 4-H family that
traditionally shows steers; how-
ever, she also has hogs and lambs
that she found success in showing
this year.
“My family lives on a farm
raising steers, and both of my
grandparents own farms as well,”
said Birney. “4-H, the fair, rais-
ing the livestock is a tradition,
and it does come with more pres-
sure to do well in shows, but I
love it and one day would like to
keep the tradition alive with my
own kids.”
By paying attention at the fairs
you can see the generational ties
— parents getting their children
prepared for shows, offering last-
minute advice and celebrating
success just as passionately as
their children do. With the
future rapidly evolving toward
technology, many people think
it is great to see a tradition of
hard work, labor and love forg-
ing ahead with a generation hop-
ing to pass on their experiences,
stories and wisdom to the future
members of 4-H.
Photo Provided
ABBY DOWDLE in the beginning of her 4-H career follows in
her father’s cart track with her goat, Skittles, doing carting.
DOWDLE, OF
the Green
Valley 4-H
Club, now does
lambs and
hogs. Her
parents were
fair competitors
and her sister is
one as well.
T-L Photo/
TIFFANY
BUMGARDNER
From Junior Fair to State FairBy TIFFANY
BUMGARDNER
Times Leader Staff Writer
CADIZ — At the Harri-
son County Fair residents
were treated to watching
youths compete in live-
stock shows involving
rabbits, poultry, hogs,
goats, sheep, beef cattle,
dairy cattle, companion
animals and equines. Dur-
ing the junior fair shows,
competitors participate in
showmanship and live-
stock classes based on age
and animal weight.
Showmanship is a test
of far more than animal
training; it is a test of the
competitor’s ability to
control their animal,
maintain eye contact, set
their animal in position,
share their knowledge of
the animal and dress for
success like a showman.
Showman garb varies
between animal cate-
gories, but is always clean
and well fitting, with
appropriate boots, belts
and hats, usually in a spe-
cific color.
“This is my first year
back after a bad accident,”
said horse competitor Gra-
cie George after her first-
place win in senior horse-
manship. “It is my sixth
year in 4-H, and it is nice
to be doing so well after
so much time off.”
After another success-
ful year at the county fair,
many will be turning their
eyes toward the Ohio
State Fair where they
hope to compete. During
the Harrison County jun-
ior fair horse show, the
state Performance Against
Standard program qualifi-
er for equine competitors
was held.
Those who decided to
try for state are limited to
using only one horse,
which cannot be replaced
for any reason once they
show and qualify.
At the beginning of the
4-H year, equine competi-
tors can select four classes
in which they want to
attempt to qualify; howev-
er, upon qualifying they
can only compete in two
events in Columbus. For
western and hunter class-
es, which involve two dif-
ferent styles of dress, pat-
terns and saddles, com-
petitors must meet a cer-
tain judged score to move
on to state-level competi-
tion. Those competing in
Gymkhana classes, better
known as speed and con-
trol, must beat a minimum
time to qualify.
“If I qualify, it will be
in western and hunter
horsemanship,” said War-
ren County resident Lean-
dra Hess, who traveled to
Harrison County to partic-
ipate in the open portion
of the PAS show.
For many in Ohio, their
counties hold a specific
qualifying show for youth
that is separate from the
actual fair. Harrison
County set up its show in
a unique manner, alternat-
ing between the junior fair
show and PAS qualifier
and making for a long day
for all competitors.
Those wishing to show
livestock other than horses
need not qualify for state-
level competition. They
must simply meet Ohio
State Fair guidelines and
register on time.
The Ohio State Fair will
take place from July 27-
Aug. 7 this year in
Columbus.
OHIO STATE FAIR
A few entertainment highlights of this year’s
Ohio State Fair:
∫ Yes — 7 p.m. July 27
∫ Kenny Rogers — 7:30 p.m. July 31
∫ Dolly Parton — 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2
∫ Jeff Dunham — 7 p.m. Aug. 4
For complete information on fair events and attrac-
tions, visit www.ohiostatefair.com.
T-L Photos/TIFFANY BUMGARDNER
A JUNIOR fair dairy judge looks on at her class.
ABOVE, LEFT:
Leandra Hess of
Warren County, Ohio,
competes in Hunter
Horsemanship in an
attempt to qualify for
the Ohio State Fair.
ABOVE: GRACIE
George wins first in
the western pleasure
horsemanship event.
LEFT: BRICE Tanner
of the Germano
German 4-H Club
shows his Holstein
heifer calf.