Best fair memory ever!

[red]

Since we're starting to get into the fair season, what is your best fair memory?
This can go back 20-30 years ago or just last week!

I guess for me my best memory is the music. I can still remember the songs that were played in the barns during the fair weeks. Something when I'll hear a certain song, it just transports me back into time! Yes, Meatloaf is one of those that does it for me!
One of the other things I loved was at my hometown county fair, we'd have a big potluck dinner in the barn the Sunday of the fair. Can still remember everyone bringing all that good food & the tables just filled with it.
Humm... music & food- hard to believe I ever amounted to anything!!! (lol)

Red

 

[farmboy]

OH boy, here we go. Well, at our fair at night it's all about the pranks Me and my brother were thinkin of somthin to do and those padlock keys worked for the golfcarts to so we went and got a golfcart when the cops left. Drove it around and raced a while and came upon this pile of sawdust leftover for the show ring. There it was, our oppertunity to bury the golf cart...but we didn't, we took the top of and shoved the pegs down into it. The next morning, fair personel were digging through the saw dust and trying to get it out and didn't realize i was just the top of it. We were there watching and snickering and they never found out who did it... ;D

Another year, we won a bunch of little basketballs and played dodgeball in the showring And of course the countless creamings done over the years, nobody gets off but the non sleeping steer people. Horse barn,Lamb barn, pig barn, goats and dairy...they all got shavin creamed (cow)

 

[Malinda]

This story must have begun about 40 years ago.

Two sisters showed up at our county fair with two steers that were way under weight. The calves were clean but they had NO hair and had obviously never been grromed other than bathing. These two girls had no idea what the routine was and it was also very obvious that they were embarassed. I took brushes, combs and the clippers over and showed them how to use everything. I also took over a couple extra neck ties, show halters and a show stick.

I had not seen these girls since that year back in the 60's. Then, two years ago I ran into one of them at a food booth at the state fair. She came up to me and told me who she was and asked me to come and sit with her and her grand kids. She introduced me to the kids as the lady I have told you was so nice to us at the fair. She said that story has been told to three generations in their family.

I was just blown over to think that me helping someone in such a small way 40 years ago would have had such an impact.

Maybe it really is the little things that matter. And I can't tell you who won what back in my 4-H days. At the time we think the world may end when we work so hard and don't win.I can remember lying in bed on the night of the show and telling myself not to feel bad about how I had done and not to be mad at who had beaten me.As long as I could tell myself that I had given it my best shot I was happy. Could it be that the way we act is more memorable than what we win?

Enough soap box.

Good luck to all of you getting ready for the upcoming show season. I hope that all of you can say that you gave it your best shot.

Malinda

 

[the angus111]

I guess my favorite fair memory,when I was growing up was getting out of school and talking to all the cuties from other ag chapters and 4h.my older, later in life memories was working for a cattle service in the early 80's getting up at 3 in the a.m at ft. worth,freezing rain ,leading 5 head of ready to run cattle at a time,thinking this is the greatest thing in the world.looking back i think it was!!rusty swks

 

[OH Breeder]

It is kind of sad that I missed it. But, Red knows our county fair. The breed show has always been won by a perticular person with very fancy AOB heifers. I was in the hospital pretty ill and missed the fair depserately. My neice came in to see me. I was a bit groggy from lots of drugs but, I remember her coming in with a picutre and a surprise. A trophy. THe family that had always won was stomping mad, because they had one the open show breed show and thought they were a shoe in for the Junior SHow Breed show. But, the judge didn't see it that way. We took Junior show grand champion female over all breeds. It really made my day. The kids brought video in and showed me the born and  raised steer show, where we won our class and stood third and fourth overrall. One of my best memories ever.

 

[farmboy]

WE DON'T HAVE BREED SHOWS ??? WELL, WE USUALLY TOP OUT AT 25 STEERS AT MOST :-\

 

[OH Breeder]

Farmboy,
We are pretty lucky in the sense that we have both an Open Breeding Show and a Junior Fair Breed SHow. We also have a born and raised steer show and a Junior Fair Steer SHow. We range anywhere from 50 to 60 head of steers. Sometimes more. The breed show usually has 40 to 50 head as well. It is a great show ring and I think we have a great beef program in our county.

 

[shortyjock89]

Wow, I can only pick one?  Okay my absolute favorite day showing cattle would have to be last year at a county fair that is about an hour away from home.  It used to be very small (only 40 head of cattle heifers, and steers.) Since we started going it has gotten huge(over 200 head of cattle).  Okay, on with the story....I had a pretty good steer that I raised, and I hoped that he wouldnt get last..he ended up winning Champion Shorthorn and there were about 30 other Shorthorn steers there...I was really excited..Then I showed my heifer and I got reserve AOB to a heifer was would later go on to be champion AOB at one state fair and Res. AOB and  champion Appendix heifer at another.  There had to be 45 or 50 AOB's there (Approx. half the heifer show), and I beat some really expensive and good heifers.  To top it off, we had the biggest water fight that the county had ever seen...we even got my dad in on it...it was a great day. (lol)

 

[CJB]

Best personal memory has to be winning the All-Animal showmanship trophy @ the county fair.  Only Seniors "15-19" could compete for the All-Animal trophy, and I was only 15 at the time I won it.  Had to get through an extremely difficult class of beef showmen and women in order to get to go on to the All-animal contest.
Everyone at every county fair that I know finds it to be an honor to win the All-Animal, or Showman of showman contest at the county fair, but it was an amazing honor for me to win it.  Their is a revolving? memorial trophy that is given out to the winner of the contest, which is sponsored by my family in memory of my Grandpa.  There is a real long story, set over 2 days at the fair, about winning the trophy, but I won't bore you all with it.  Afraid I may not be able to type all of it in one sitting.... :-\

Hope everyone has a great county fair season this year.!!! (clapping) ;D (clapping)

 

[cwfmr181]

THE BEST FAIR MEMORY FOR ME WAS WATCHING MY DAUGHTER RECIEVE THE SUPERIOR YOUNG BEEF PRODUCER AWARD FROM THE GOVENOR DURRING THE JUNIOR SHOW AT THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIR. THIS WAS HER THIRD TIME IN THIS COMPETITION AND HER TWO OLDER BROTHERS WERE JUST AS PROUD  OF HER AS HER FATHER WAS.

 

[Telos]

Best personal memory has to be winning the All-Animal showmanship trophy @ the county fair.  Only Seniors "15-19" could compete for the All-Animal trophy, and I was only 15 at the time I won it.  Had to get through an extremely difficult class of beef showmen and women in order to get to go on to the All-animal contest.
Everyone at every county fair that I know finds it to be an honor to win the All-Animal, or Showman of showman contest at the county fair, but it was an amazing honor for me to win it.  Their is a revolving? memorial trophy that is given out to the winner of the contest, which is sponsored by my family in memory of my Grandpa.  There is a real long story, set over 2 days at the fair, about winning the trophy, but I won't bore you all with it.  Afraid I may not be able to type all of it in one sitting.... :-\

Hope everyone has a great county fair season this year.!!! (clapping) ;D (clapping)

When showing in the Junior shows a long time ago, I never realized how cool it was to show in a showmanship contest. I have competed in showmanship competition only twice in my life. Never did that good of job, but it is a great sport. What is so great about showmanship...You don't have to have a ton of monery to be competitive. Only some hard work and good guiedance is needed.

 

[bluegrass]

It used to be winning state fair with heifer I raised out of a $350 first calf heifer and $20 straw of semen. But over the last couple of years every show has been special because nothings better than watching your own children in the ring giving it there all.

 

[jason]

I remember as a kid getting dunked in the water trough - kinda of a right of passage.  Also lots of water balloons and shenanigans.

 

[ELBEE]

Oh, the water fights!  Back in the "day", they usually ended in a fist fight. Now, as a board member we try to "sanction"  them. If you wonder into the wet zone, you better expect to get wet. Even some of the board members are bone-headed enough to charge in.
                                                                                                                      ))

 

[red]

Just think Lee, you will be having all newmemories coming up w/ that little one! Should be fun watching her grow up!
Is she going to be a horsewoman or cow person?

Red

 

[ELBEE]

At this point I think she'll be one of those 4-H'ers that has the #50 record book. I just hope she does'nt discover sheep or pigs.

 

[sawboss]

2006 watching my two sons compete against each other in the same weight class with their goats.  The older brother makes the sale line and is elated, the younger brother is sifted and cries.  After many tears and Mom and Dad trying to smooth things over for the young one.  Big brother comes to the rescue with a solution to the problem, as he tells little brother we are a team and whatever I sell my goat for we will split.  That is what business partners do.  All the tears dried and a big smile appeared, and then these words from the young one "You still know my goat was better ".

 

[red]

loved it Sawboss- our kids can teach us sometimes!

Red

 

[RyThurston]

I guess I have a few pretty good memories..Its my last year of 4-h but some memories just cant be topped.
You guys are lucky to be able to have water fights..someone got hurt a few years ago, in the cattle washracks while having water fights and they threaten to take away our premiums or whatever now. After the sale we have a pizza party and usually someone will start with a bucket or whatever still, or eggs, or buckets of mixed stuff?- oatmeal, spam, etc hahaha. They yell at us.. I figure this year, being my last, It MAY be worth losing premiums over ..as long as we get a good fight out of it ha.

Every year at state fair, for the past few years a group of us always eat a lot of crabs right there in the sheep barn.
We also always stay the night at state fair, and thats always fun.

This is a pretty long story so I'll make it short...
This guy accused our friend's dad of putting his foot on the scales to weigh lambs in heavier. Well after arguing with some people the committe finally told this guy to leave so he walked up to the cattle barn and sat down.. Well my dad walked up there and sat right next to him and started talking to him. The guy stood up and his cell phone fell out..my dad snatched it haha. Then the guy kept trash talking my dad and my dad told him not to go down to the barn...well he did anyway but before he got there the cops got him. Well he was told to leave. He got in his truck and took off.. I ran down to the end of the barn..and its like a 50 yard side of a barn..with no way to get in..just a side walk with like wooden poles along it that you could squeeze behind..I remember running around the corner and seeing my brother and another kid(guy accused of using his foot at scales' son.) running towards me , well right behind them is this guy in a huge pickup going very fast haha. I thought to my self... geez hes goign to hit my brother! Well I take off running the other way to get around this barn..and my bro and friend jumped along the wall..the guy sped around the barn 2 more times then flew out on the highway and left.
I'll always remember that night.

Other memories include getting dragged at county fair with my first steer ever. and him stepping on my back, once they stopped him I felt his hoof go past my face. Of course I didnt feel the hoof or anything and was fine. SO MUCH FOR CALM HEREFORDS.....crazier than any other breed I've had haha.

Winning Lamb showmanship and champ showmanship at our fair was a good memory haha.

Ryan

 

[farmboy]

I guess I have a few pretty good memories..Its my last year of 4-h but some memories just cant be topped.
You guys are lucky to be able to have water fights..someone got hurt a few years ago, in the cattle washracks while having water fights and they threaten to take away our premiums or whatever now. After the sale we have a pizza party and usually someone will start with a bucket or whatever still, or eggs, or buckets of mixed stuff?- oatmeal, spam, etc hahaha. They yell at us.. I figure this year, being my last, It MAY be worth losing premiums over ..as long as we get a good fight out of it ha.

Every year at state fair, for the past few years a group of us always eat a lot of crabs right there in the sheep barn.
We also always stay the night at state fair, and thats always fun.

This is a pretty long story so I'll make it short...
This guy accused our friend's dad of putting his foot on the scales to weigh lambs in heavier. Well after arguing with some people the committe finally told this guy to leave so he walked up to the cattle barn and sat down.. Well my dad walked up there and sat right next to him and started talking to him. The guy stood up and his cell phone fell out..my dad snatched it haha. Then the guy kept trash talking my dad and my dad told him not to go down to the barn...well he did anyway but before he got there the cops got him. Well he was told to leave. He got in his truck and took off.. I ran down to the end of the barn..and its like a 50 yard side of a barn..with no way to get in..just a side walk with like wooden poles along it that you could squeeze behind..I remember running around the corner and seeing my brother and another kid(guy accused of using his foot at scales' son.) running towards me , well right behind them is this guy in a huge pickup going very fast haha. I thought to my self... geez hes goign to hit my brother! Well I take off running the other way to get around this barn..and my bro and friend jumped along the wall..the guy sped around the barn 2 more times then flew out on the highway and left.
I'll always remember that night.GEEZ

Other memories include getting dragged at county fair with my first steer ever. and him stepping on my back, once they stopped him I felt his hoof go past my face. Of course I didnt feel the hoof or anything and was fine. SO MUCH FOR CALM HEREFORDS.....crazier than any other breed I've had haha.

Winning Lamb showmanship and champ showmanship at our fair was a good memory haha.

I'D SAY ANOTHER WHEN IS WHEN THE GUYS HOG TIED ME FROM A RAFTER NEXT TO THE SHOWRING...YEP, GOOD TIMES ))

Ryan