Cowfeathers Farm to Foxcroft Farm: The Fair- We've got a horse in this race!

For the first time, we have a contender for Showman of Showman out of our very own Cowfeathers!
Get to that in a minute.....

Yesterday started with "Weigh In". This is where every market animal gets weighed before the show. They have to "Make Weight" which means they are between the low and high limits set for the species at the show. Middlest's little wool sheep, being shown and sold as a market lamb, weighed in at 106 lbs. The low limit is 90 and the high limit is 140lb.
Youngest's hogs also were weighed. Victor is a heavy 'un at 265, and Violet didn't "Make Weight". She was only 205, and needed to be at least 220. Sigh. She won't be shown, she will just go to the meat packer on Friday morning.

Next family activity was the Dog Show, the girls working as Junior Fair Board members to run the show, Youngest as a competitor.

He showed Julia.

She was a champ!

In the end, they came in second to the more accomplished pair of Paris and her handler, Erin R.( also one of my "kids" from our club!)

This morning, dawned as Middlest's 15th birthday. Joy! And, to start it out, she showed the Reserve Grand Champion Turkey. Now, not too excited, it wasn't hers, but one of our other team mates, who had two in the same class.

I love the Turkey show. Especially the part where they hold 45 lb birds upside down for judging the meat. Middlest said her arms eventually started shaking.

A while down the pike came both Middlest and Eldest in the Fancy Poultry show, showing against each other in the Standard Fancy class.

Our calm showman, Middlest, actually lost her bird. It flew over to the fence. She calmly reached out, plucked it out of the air by it's feet and returned it to the table in front of her. Then I caught her "close one" look on camera.

And Middlest Wins! Eldest takes second!

Later, Middlest showed against Youngest in the Fancy Waterfowl Class. Her assistant, Emma J. was quickly tested by Fantine (the goose) and wanted to abandon ship. No takers for goose assisting to be found, so I surrendered my camera to Huz and jumped out of the stands to hold a goose. The pair placed an amazing 4th, despite having started their moult. Youngest's ducks were too molted to garner a ribbon.

And a race to the main arena to show Gandalf in the Market Lamb class. He was a good boy, but not what the judge was looking for today. He placed 5th.

Time out for educating the public! Always make time for this in 4-H.

And greeting friends who arrive with birthday wishes!

And, back to the poultry show to compete in the Senior Fancy Poultry Showmanship.

Against Eldest, who wants to win veryveryvery badly. And she dukes it out with close friend Kara S.

Correctly naming a modern game breed and winning! Now, later, she will get a chance to compete for the Poultry Showman by contesting against the winners of Market, Turkey and Waterfowl.

Main arena: Sheep Breeding show. Glinda takes Champion Border Leicester and Finn takes Reserve Champion Border Leicester.

Then, back to the ring to compete for Senior Sheep Showman. This is a toughie. Middlest is the youngest to be in this group of most advanced showman, she shows the only breeding sheep in the class, and the judge is a self proclaimed Meat Sheep Man.

But, undaunted, Middlest shows on. Glinda is DONE. She is tired, and non-compliant. But Middlest is patient and quiet, and lands in the middle of the pack- a huge feat in this arena, with this judge, who said Middlest was "A Fabulous showman, but at a disadvantage because of showing a breeding sheep."

And, yes, back to poultry for Senior Waterfowl Showmanship. If Middlest wins it, she'll compete against Eldest for Poultry Showman.

The prettiest pair. But, they don't win. The question "At what age do you send a goose to market" trips her up.

But, Youngest has his chance!

And, he does a bang- up job.

Going into a tie-breaker for first and coming out with the second place ribbon on the question "What is a Green Duck?"

Now, the moment Eldest has been building to. The door to the Showman of Showman contest on Friday- the big kahuna- will open if she can win Senior Poultry Showman. First she has to defeat the other three accomplished contenders.

And, thrilled, she does so. Knowing the answers to all the combs and the duck breeds, parts of the turkey and chicken. So, now her task begins as she learns how to also show rabbits, dairy cows, goats, steers, sheep, pigs, llamas and dairy goats.