Animals are the main event at the Wayne County Fair
By Patricia Faulhaber
September 10, 2012
713
Young and older alike are displaying and showing their prize animals at this years Wayne County Fair. While the rides, games and food may be the focal point for many of those attending the fair every year, for most, its really about the animals. Horses, from draft to miniature and all others in between, geese, turkeys, rabbits, goats, pigmy goats, hogs and dairy and market cattle are just a few of the hundreds of animals on display at the fair through Thursday, Sept. 13.
Most of the animals on opening day were being clipped, combed or curried to make them look their best. Outside of one of the cattle barns, Kelly Apperly, from Anna, was shaving a dairy cow getting it ready to show. The 1,200 pound heifer was calmly letting it all happen while Apperly was clipping her legs and neck.
The heifer belongs to Starmark Farms in Wooster. Im clipping it to make it look prettier and thinner, Apperly said.
Rachel Fahrni, 10, from Wooster, was feeding her three rabbits and making sure they were comfortable in their cages. Fahrni belongs to the Valley College 4-H Club. She has two does and one buck at this years fair. She said that one female and the male were senior rabbits over six months old and the other female was a junior, under six months old. Shes a third generation rabbit enthusiast. Her mother and grandfather both showed rabbits at past fairs.
Ive been working with rabbits since I was little, Fahrni said.
The rabbits were sharing their building with some of the fowl on display, including turkeys. Just around the corner from the rabbit barn was the draft horse barn. Pete and Sally Crowl, of the Crowl-Mathias Farm in Salem, had four black draft ponies already settled into their stalls. The Crowls were expecting several more to arrive on Sunday.
We show at around 20 shows a year in Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Indiana, said Sally Crowl.
In most of the shows, we place in one of the top spots. We have two different four pony hitches to show, she added.
Anna Pittman, 4, was visiting Iris the goat inside the goats pen. Iris is owned by Abby Rossiter, a member of the City Kids Club from Wooster. Shauna Pittman, Annas mother, said that her 11-year-old son, Andrew, was showing his first market goat this year.
Anna loves her brothers goat too, but she found Iris and just kind of fell in love with her, said Shauna Pittman.
All of the cattle, swine and horse barns were busy with activity during opening day. Prize animals were bathed, shaved and made up for their time in the show ring. Presenters were from local 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) groups along with many adult competitors from around the state. Junior horse shows and contests, dairy and swine shows, a poultry show and pony and draft horse shows are scheduled throughout the entire week. The Wayne County Fair runs through Sept. 13. Visit http://waynecountyfairohio.com for a complete schedule.
