Fairgoers share stories on festive County Fair week

    Fair participants and fair workers wrapped up another Washington County Fair Friday. Ten-year-old Kylee Porter was at the fair the entire week. She has two horses named Jeffey and Star who were to perform Friday. Porter competed in the halter horse, walk-trot, showmanship and trail and was all-set for the barrel racing when a storm descended on the fairgrounds and suspended competition. Fair officials decided to reschedule the pole bending and barrel racing to Aug. 5 at 7 p.m.

    Porter said she was the only member of her family who participated in the fair. She said she practices for the barrel race once a week. She said it can be dangerous to race the horse so fast around the barrels, but she has never once fallen off.

    Her time at the fair hasn?t been all work. She said she escaped from her chores for a little while one day to play with water balloons. She also saw Gwen Sebastian perform Wednesday night.

    ?She was really good,? commented Porter.

    Porter said that the food at the fair is very good and that it is even better than school food. She said she was impressed with the new buildings at the fair, such as the multi-species barn and the small show ring.

    ?They?re cool,? she said.

    Spencer Ross competed in the junior showmanship event and a few others at the horse and pony show. Ross also showed swine, bucket-bottle calves and a market steer, but he said the horse and pony show was his favorite event. He said it takes a half-hour to an hour to prepare the animals before each competition. There is a lot of work that goes into taking care of one of those animals all year-round, he said.

    ?We have to groom them, clean their pens, feed them every morning and night and lead them around,? said Ross. ?Sometimes, they don?t want to move.?

    The 2010 Washington County Fair was Ross?s second county fair, in what he hopes is merely the second of many fairs to follow. Ross remarked that he was impressed with the new buildings and the food at the fair. He said he didn?t feel warm even though he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans.

    Judy Moore worked at the Y?s Men?s food booth the whole week. She was there Saturday morning, July 17, at 8 o?clock to set up for the 4-H judging that day. She said that she spent so much time at the fair because she is a big believer in the mission of the Y?s Men. It was the 16th year that Moore has worked at that booth.

For the full story, see the July 26 edition of The Washington Evening Journal