Worst Fair Memories

[genes]

One year I broke my arm in the group class.  10 or 15 minutes later my friend showed him for me in his class, and he lad down on her  :  The worst part of that day, was spending hours and hours in the ER, waiting for the doctor to pick up the phone, while my friends were going on rides.

Dealing with a crappy judge at a small jackpot and then showing up to realize he is the judge for the fair.  I know placings etc shouldn't matter, but I guess I just prefer different judge AND different day, not one or the other, because I only showed 3-4 times a year.

My last ever show just wasn't going all that well (wasn't the fun it usually was), and when I realized the fact that it was my LAST show, I bawled my eyes out right in the middle of the barn.  Embarassing, but I was so upset.  And I was right, haven't showed since

 

[garybob]

Mine, are as follows: 1. Getting our coolers broken into by a Carney Man (bless his heart, maybe, he was hungry) 2. Seeing the old fairgrounds getting bulldozed, and, spending the next three fairs in a Nat'l Guard Tent. Beef on One Side, Dairy on the other. 3. One year, the Super kept insisting that I stall my Shorthorn heifer on the side with the Jerseys and Holsteins, because they were "G,D'd Durrrycattle!!!!!" My best heifer had a fuller quarter than the reserve champ steer(ildeno-bred), but, since his uncle hand-milked roan cows in the depression, He knew more than a wet-nosed kid did about Shorthorns. To keep the peace, my Dad made me move.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

Watching a friend of mine get the sh*t stomped out of here by three dead broke yearling bulls when an extension cord shorted out and gave them a charge. She took a pretty bad beating before we could get her out of there and spent over night in the hospital. Needless to say we unplugged the cord and threw it away.

 

[Show Heifer]

SRU, I was 12.
And trust me EVERYONE there knew what was going on, including the superintentent...he didn't try to hide it. His daughter and niece, well, they had no shame. Not then nor at any time.
The super didn't last long after that...in fact just one more year, then, my Dad became super....and trust me, him being a teacher had trained him well to not play favorites and he didn't, although our fair never had much trouble (except for ONE family and everyone just ignored them!)
I learned from my folks...so no, they didn't get excited when it happened. They just kinda shook their heads and walked away.  When the judges were talking to me after the show, my Dad walked up and joined the conversation. All I can remember is when the judges walked away they said "well, I guess we know where she gets her laid back personality from."  I laughed!
Like I said, really didn't bother me, but is definately a memory.

Final note, a few years back a family was getting ready for the county fair and was hauling stuff into the grounds. Had a grooming chute in the back of the pickup with the tailgate down. Their 9 year old was riding on top to "weight it down". As they backed out of their drive, the chute slide out, flipped over, killing the child.  Kinda puts all the "worst memories" in perspective huh?

 

[red]

Show Hef, did I read that right? A laid back personality? Humm....

My worst memory now that I think of it was nothing tragic like that family losing their child. Two years ago, I suffered a grand mal seizure on my neice's showbox. I guess I flipped off the box (I was lying down on top of it) & hit my head repeatily on the cement. They tried to get me to quit but I was seizing so bad the squad was called. I think I had over done it & there were just too many people crowding around me. It took them all night to get me under control. The next day I couldn't walk because I was so bruised & almost had whiplash. They also stapped me down in the squad (a big no no) & I had bruises from the straps.
The next year some people avoided me, but I could tell my true friends when they'd come up & give me a hug.

Red