Youth display animals, crafts at fair

Eric Page talks with a 2009 Bourbon County Fair judge Tuesday morning about the rabbit Page has entered into the fair. (Rayma Silvers/Tribune photo) [Click to enlarge]

Tuesday morning the Bourbon County Fair was in full swing as youth of all ages showed up on what started out as a rainy morning to show rabbits and poultry, and tend to a wide variety of animals.

Many 4-H families, who spend their vacations from work at the fair, have set up camp on the fairgrounds and will stay through the end of the week .

Tuesday morning moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers worked beside local youth helping them learn valuable life lessons through the experience of participating in the 2009 Bourbon County Fair.

William Harding (left) and Lake Karleskint tackle a goat that had escaped from its pen at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds Tuesday morning. (Rayma Silvers/Tribune photo) [Click to enlarge]

While some youth were showing rabbits or poultry, others were participating in the arts and crafts competition. Some attendees were presenting homemade and homegrown foods to the judges and others were feeding and watering sheep, goats, pigs and cows. Still others were raking out pens in preparation for their animals to lodge at the fairgrounds for the week.

Dalton McDonald, Pawnee 4-H, showed up at the fair while it was still raining Tuesday morning. McDonald, who has entered sheep, dairy goats, meat goats and a horse into the fair this year, said he hopes to become a veterinarian some day and his experiences in 4-H and the fair will help prepare him for that occupation.

"I want to grow up to be a vet," he said. "Feeding all the goats will help me when I grow up and take care of the animals as a veterinarian."

McDonald said he enjoys helping to take care of the animals, which are kept at his grandma's house, and being given the opportunity to take care of them helps him develop responsibility.

"It's a lot of responsibility," he said. "Animals are just like people. They need food, water and love. They need cared for."

Kendall Madison and Cali Emerson, Northeast Scott 4-H, both said their favorite event at the county fair is showing their animals. They said they show pigs, sheep, goats and bucket calves and although it can sometimes be hard work caring for all of the animals, it is not always tough and they enjoy tasks.

William Harding, Uniontown, and Lake Karleskint, Northeast Scott, spent part of their morning Tuesday chasing a goat that somehow got out of its pen. The two boys with the help of other 4-Hers finally managed to tackle the goat and returned it to its pen. Harding, who has participated in 4-H for two years, said he also enjoys showing his horses, goats and sheep. Even though taking care of the animals can be hard work sometimes, he said, next year he hopes to be able to show a bucket calf and the year after that he expects to be able to enter a pig in the fair.

Various activities are scheduled to take place throughout the remainder of the fair which will conclude on July 18. In addition, there will be a carnival each evening Tuesday through Saturday.