The Fair

Stick Boy enjoying a caramel apple

Saturday at noon we moved the trailers and other comforts of home to the fair.  The animals had to be in their pens at 2:30 AM.  My back was killing me, so Stick Boy and I decided stay at camp and set up the temporary fodder system and enjoy the fair while Darling Husband and Teen Son went home to load up the FFA lambs. 

This was our temporary fodder set up.

The display that the guys set up.

Fair schedule for the kids is to get up at 6AM go into the fair grounds to clean and feed the animals.  On the days the kids and their animals are being judged the animals need to be washed (cattle are even blow dried) before the fair opens at 10: am.  Teen Son had 2 lambs so the mornings he showed his lambs were pretty stressful.  Then they need to keep all pens clean though out the day so visitors to the fair get to see the animals but not smell them.  The animals are fed usually about 5 pm.  Our FFA group had meetings at 8: pm and after the fair closes one last check on the animals.  It is fun and exhausting. 

The lambs are all walked around being held by behind their ears.

The judge checking out the sheep.  He decided our sheep were too short in the body.

Poor Darling Husband spent most nights at home but often would come to the fair for a few hours then drive home.  

Kids showing animals can only have one animal go to auction so we had to barn sell one of the animals.  Auction price is by the pound so Teen Son decided to sell the largest lamb at auction and find a buyer for the fodder fed lamb.  He had several ofer so he ended up making a profit on both lambs.  

 

Enjoying the fair.

Grandpa came to the fair and gave the boys money for a treat.  When the rest of the kids came Stick Boy shared his treat with them.  Teen Son was too tired to join them.

The County Fair

We went to the fair with Teen Son’s FFA.  We all met in a parking lot at 8:30 and moved our trailer to our sight at the horses stables at the fair grounds at 9:30.  By 10: we were set up and ready for Darling Husband and Teen Son to go home.  The youngest 2 and I spent the night at the fairgrounds.  The next morning Teen Son was up at 5:am to help load animals onto the stock trailer to bring them to the fair and was back at the fair grounds at 7:am with all the FFA animals. 

Notice Teen Son, in the blue jacket standing calmly while all the other kids are stressing with their animals.

The day of Market Judging (judging to see if we had an animal that was market worthy and eligible for auction) arrived. We thought we had Penelope perfectly trained.  I sat in the stands to and watched Teen Son and his sheep enjoying each other and posing in the proper positions for judging.  I was so proud so many of the sheep were jumping and stressed out, Penelope just stood there calmly as Teen Son scratched her. 

 Then the judge said Penelope had too much "that needed to be trimmed off" – meaning she is fat.  FAT!!!  As soon as they left the ring a FFA parent and grandparent came up to me and asked me if Teen Son had been given lessons on how to show his sheep.   I said no just how to position her.  It turns out you want an animal that is tense when the judge touches it so the judge can feel her muscles.  It isn’t about just standing and posing your animal.  We also decided that Penelope needed to be sheared again Poor Girl!  The next time the judge saw Teen Son and Penelope in the show ring the Judge told Teen Son he had made great improvements and Penelope should have done much better in the Market Judging. 

The kids with animals at the fair are up at 6:am to clean the pen, clean the animal, feed the animal, and make sure every thing is ok.  Then they get to come back to our camping area and have breakfast.  While the fair is open groups of kids are in charge of keeping the animal’s area clean.  The kids who are showing cattle wash and blow dry their steer or heifer’s coat making it nice and fluffy every day.  All the animals need some exercise every day.  Since Teen Son had heard that Penelope was fat he ran her every night, and practiced with her every day.  The animals are fed again in the early evening, we would have a meeting at 9:pm, then they would check on the animals one last time before bed. 

We sold Penelope at auction and bought ½ a pig, Black Ops, at the fair.  We picked him up at the butcher 2 weeks after the fair and he is delicious. 

We had an amazing time getting to know a lot of the other FFA families.  It was very nice having a trailer at the fair.  We could go and walk around then when we were tired we would go to the trailer for a snack and nap, but 10 Days is a long time to be at the fair.  Next year Teen Son is hoping to do a lamb and a turkey.