Published 5:00 am Saturday, August 13, 2022
HERMISTON, Ore. — While the afternoon and night at the Umatilla County Fair may center on the carnival rides, the curly fries and the outdoor activities, the earlier parts of the day are where the animals get to shine.
Hundreds of livestock and their eager owners participated in various competitions with their animals. Steers, lambs, goats, swine and fowl all showed in front of judges and potential buyers.
Annikah Perez of Hermiston has been working with her steer, Rebel, since choosing him in October 2021. The 16-year-old Hermiston resident has spent the past months feeding, loving and preparing the cow for showing. Animals take part in several showings, with categories being showmanship and confirmation.
Perez said confirmation is all about the animal — specifically judging the market animal — while showmanship is about judging both the owner and their presentation of the animal. While showmanship also judges the owner’s handling, Perez was quick to give credit to her steer.
The beef showings took place Wednesday, Aug. 10, and Thursday, Aug. 11, but Perez and other FFA members had been at the fairgrounds since Aug. 8. Perez and Rebel placed fifth in showmanship earlier, marking the end of a long journey for the two friends.
“It’s always an enjoyable experience,” Perez said. “I work for this all year.”
Over at the small animal barn, things seemed a bit quieter. With a recent avian flu outbreak in Oregon, the fair limited 4-H and FFA avian entries to market chickens and turkeys. This meant many cages sat empty in the small animals’ section of the barn.
Alice Dyer, fair barn superintendent, said the decision slowly snowballed throughout weeks as cases grew. Initially, it was only waterfowl excluded from the fair. Days later, Dyer said the decision was made for all non-market birds to stay home.
“It was better to keep all non-market at home,” Dyer said. “With avian flu, once one gets it, (the flu) spreads.”
The decision, while understandable, ”devastated” a lot of the young exhibitors, she said. With so many birds unable to come, the fair staff decided to let them bring stuffed animals to fill the space.
Several stuffed animals sat in the birdcages, allowing many exhibitors to bring a bird in. Many children even brought their stuffed birds into the showing competition just so they could take part in the activity, Dyer said, giving them a bright spot to look forward to.
Next to the avian sections, rabbits and guinea pigs occupied their usual space. Two barns over, the pigs attracted a bit of a crowd as well. While Dyer said participation numbers have been down the past year due to the pandemic, they are creeping back to usual.
One barn over, the sheep were showing on the afternoon of Aug. 11. Swarms of owners pulled their sheep for their showmanship presentations in front of a judging panel and crowd. Many exhibitors were washing and prepping their animals as the time ticked down, some frantic and some calm.
Watching the action was Arthur Golightly of Hermiston and his prize pygmy goat, Brownie. The 10-year-old was recently named grand champion in showmanship. for his presentation of the 4-month-old goat.
“It felt really good,” Golightly said.
For Golightly and many others, it was their first time working with the animals. Kaitlyn Crouther and Dallin Smith, both of Hermiston, are first-time fair participants. Both said they have loved their time working with the animals. Crouther’s show with her goat, Rolo, placed fifth in showmanship earlier in the week.
Following their showings, two Umatilla County Fair Court princesses, Kylie Temple and Ashlynn Cutburth, greeted each participant. The two presented competitors with a ribbon during award ceremonies.
The competitions are something Temple, who has been part of FFA showings since her freshman year of high school, knows well. Cutburth, meanwhile, has been involved in 4-H since before she could have an animal. Both of them expressed their appreciation for the programs.
And while many may come to Umatilla County for the elephant ears, Temple said what makes the fair special is the entire community’s support of both FFA and 4-H.
“The people make (the fair) special,” Temple said. “They show up for the livestock kids. The community puts in so much.”
