4-H skills on display at annual Lake County Fair
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RONAN — The Lake County Fair kicked off July 24-31 with animals of every size and smiles in every direction.
Thirteen-year-old Tobias Cantlon, standing with his chicken Sunny, explained how the birds are judged based on breed. The judges look at the number of feathers the chicken has, if their claws are broken or not, and the condition of its health. Based on its breed, each characteristic of the judged animal must be perfect.
“This takes a lot of learning and taking care of your responsibilities,” Cantlon said.
Cantlon has been in 4H for five years. Out of everything he does, Cantlon said the animal portions are his favorite, along with archery and shot gun shooting.
During the morning preparations and shows, kids and parents scattered along the stalls of their animals, preparing them to be shown to the judges and the audience in the bleachers. Each pen and stall is organized and clean, demonstrating the kids’ ability to make a safe environment not only for the animals, but for the visitors walking through. Because of the heat of the day, most of the pigs inside the barns were clad in wet towels to keep them cool, and the cows had large water bins to stick their head in. Other small animals had water dishes and shade to stay cool.
Judge Natalie Arnott explained the swine are judged based off market, breed, and showmanship. The judges look for the most “complete package,” meaning not only the build of it like straight legs and composition, but if it has the right kind of muscle. Bigger is not always better as when they get fat the product becomes fatty instead of muscle, which is not what the consumer is paying for. Owners must also make sure their pig is exercising and healthy.
During showmanship, the judges also paid attention to the owner with each pig. Owners must look clean with tidy clothing, hair, and in the way they walk their animal around.
An old trick Arnott shared about judging is that if a judge taps an animal, it most likely means it needs to be brushed off or cleaned. This shows the judges if the participant is looking out and noticing the small things that matter.
In between showing, each child is required to volunteer in concessions that are considered community service. Older children trade places every four to five hours while also tending to their animals, cleaning stalls, and preparing themselves to compete.
“I enjoy every couple of hours getting a new set of kids and getting to know almost 200 kids over a span of a week” one of the lead chairmen in charge of concessions says.
With the profits kids have made this year, they will be able to buy new animals to come back next year and show their hard work, dedication and showmanship to the 2023 Lake County Fair.
