The Johnson County 4-H Fair offered a diverse range of entertainment throughout July. This year’s fair took place July 13–19 and, as is typical, it seemed to be one of summer’s hottest and muggiest weeks. If you’re sitting inside an air-conditioned building, this may not seem so important. But if you’re trying to manhandle a 1,200-pound steer in a show ring or entice a barrow into the wash racks before showtime, that temperature can feel like it escalates to more than 100 degrees.
Last month, Franklin Magazine featured a story on several 4-H members as they prepared for fair week. We decided to follow up and see how those members fared after the judging took place.
The Davidson sisters — Olive, Violet and Nora, daughters of Luke and Amy Davidson — earned top honors during fair week. Violet placed grand champion in the Pygmy Doe Show, and Nora won the Junior Dairy Goat Showman award.
“It feels good (to win) because you work really hard with your animals and you just hope it’s enough. I love this little goat, and she loves me,” Violet said. Nora was happy to win first place in showmanship. She said it was her first time trying and she had been practicing for a long time. Practice and pre-fair time invested in projects paid off for the girls.
In sewing (non-wearable), Nora made a pillow that earned a blue ribbon. She said she chose fabrics that her grandma, Diana Fox, had at her house, which matched her room’s floral décor well. Olive won grand champion on her Cheddar Bay Biscuits in baking and a State Fair entry for her live planter project. Now, she must figure out how to keep that plant looking good until the State Fair.
Hazel Culbertson started her fair week off by earning grand champion Western Type Equine and grand champion Western Mare.
Here is the roundup of ribbon placements for the 4-H members featured in last month’s issue:
- Stella Simpson: Sewing construction of satin pajamas, grand champion, State Fair entry; consumer clothing, first place blue ribbon
- Tenley Brown: Cake decorating, blue ribbon, painting
- Tripp Brown: Legos, blue honors; cupcake decorating, champion
- Tana Brown: Mini 4-H cookie baking, blue ribbon
- Olive Davidson: Photography, champion; baked goods, reserve grand champion and State Fair entry; flowers, champion and State Fair entry; goats, first place kid goat, first place junior kid goat, third place junior kid goat
- Violet Davidson: Flowers, first place blue ribbon; arts and crafts wind chimes, first place; grand champion Pygmy Doe
- Nora Davidson: Flowers, champion and State Fair entry; baked goods, first place; sewing, first place; goat junior showmanship, champion; goats Nigerian kid, first place
- Hazel Culbertson: Grand champion Western Type Equine; champion Western Mare
At the time this article was submitted, the swine show and English horse shows had not yet taken place.
“The hardest part of the fair is getting everyone loaded and unloaded. Most of our goats are not used to loading the trailer and you just worry it will stress them out before we even get to the fair,” Olive Davidson said.
What the public sees strolling through the aisles in the livestock barns or exhibition halls only tells part of the story. Congratulations to all the kids who worked hard before and during the county fair this year.
