With the distinct smell of barn animals around them, members of the 4-H Club helped set up fences Sunday night for the many animal shows taking place at the Douglas County Fair this week.
Several members have entered into many of the competitions, including the beef show, the sheep show, the goat show, and competitions in photography, woodworking, horticulture, and arts and crafts.
Here is the full schedule of events at the Douglas County Fair.
Lizzie Fisher, who is serving as a 4-H ambassador this year, said she is always excited to see what her fellow members bring to the table as well as the competition’s work.
“It gives me inspiration to just do better and go draw something new,” Fisher said.
As an ambassador, Fisher’s main job is to promote 4-H and give people an opportunity to join while also providing an enjoyable experience for everyone.
“Lots of people think that 4-H is just about showing livestock and stuff, but you don’t even have to show livestock at all,” Fisher said. “You can do arts and crafts. You can sew something, like a quilt or clothes. We even do like bottle rockets. You can build your own bottle rocket and send it up, and it’s a cool project.”
Fisher said she and the other ambassadors have a booth set up by Building 21 on the fairgrounds where they will be promoting 4-H. The ambassadors created a board for people to stick their head in and take pictures as well.
Fisher said she has entries in the photography and arts and crafts categories at the fair. Her sister, Lily, is in the horticulture competition this year.
“I’m pretty excited because my garden has been doing really, really well this year,” Lily Fisher said.
Lily Fisher’s garden features eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and squash.
Those competing in the animal shows are hoping to come away with the title of grand champion.
Peyton McCaig is looking to add on to the awards she has already won this year with her highland heifer.
McCaig and her cow won the 2023 Grand Champion Female in the National Western Stock Show Highland Junior Show in Denver this past January.
McCaig’s mother, Lindsey, said the title came as a total surprise for the entire family.
“It’s a pretty cool Cinderella story,” Lindsey McCaig said. “Peyton has only been showing for two years. That was our first big show and the first show that cow attended. We’d had her for two years but didn’t ever think of showing her until a few months before the Denver show. Most of these animals spend their entire lives being prepped to show so it was pretty impressive that she went from hanging out in our pasture to winning a national show three months later.”
Peyton McCaig said she is also showing a Maine-Anjou steer and Simmental heifer.
Peyton McCaig said she always enjoys the experience of the Douglas County Fair.
“I like seeing all the different animals and getting to meet new people around you,” she said.
Abby Brown is entering four cows, two market goats and a market lamb into the shows this year.
Brown said the Douglas County Fair helps her prepare and her animals prepare for future state shows because the fair is so competitive every year.
“I really like seeing how my animals compare to others here and seeing like what I need to work on for those future shows down the line,” Brown said.
Brown is competing in the non-perishable foods category again this year where she is looking to three-peat as the grand champion. Brown said she is also entering a Lego project for a competition as well.
Abby Keltner is also looking to add another grand champion title to her belt in the photography competition. Keltner said she won grand champion last year with her black and white, and color photos.
Even though this is her last year in 4-H, Keltner said this is the first year she is showing a cow in the beef show.
“I’m excited to try something new,” she said.
Keltner said being involved in 4-H has helped her learn why it is important to be involved in her community.
“It helps you grow as a person,” she said. “4-H has helped me a lot because I’ve learned a lot about community service, citizenship and leadership, all that stuff.”
The 4-H Club will run the concession stand all day Wednesday. 4-H community leader Mary Diehl-Fisher said the members will serve walking tacos, hamburgers and hot dogs.
Diehl-Fisher said all the money from the concession stand goes back into the fair for the following year and helps pay for the demolition derbies. The demolition derbies this year are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday in the outdoor arena on the fairgrounds.
Diehl-Fisher hopes members continue to use their skills learned in 4-H and pay it forward to future 4-H members.
“There were tons of volunteers when I was a kid, and so now I’m volunteering for my kids,” Diehl-Fisher said. “I hope that someday they’ll volunteer for the next generation’s kids and understand that that’s important to be part of the community.”
Reach reporter Jack Denebeim at [email protected]
If you appreciate our coverage, please donate. Our newspaper depends on your donations to provide coverage of Eudora and continue providing local news.
To donate to support our community journalism, please go to this link.
