Living Our Western Heritage

What makes you think that is an Ameraucana? What color egg does it lay? What type comb does it have? What are you training it to be?

I must admit I was drawn to the crowd that was witnessing this questioning period as I began my wandering through the many exhibits and buildings at the Madison County Fair. Judge Vicky Stevenson of Ulm, MT., was teaching a chicken training class to young Clover Bud 4-H Members. She has been involved for over 40 years in 4-H and travels throughout the United States and Canada giving classes and judging.

She ended her class in showing these young showmen in the proper way of showing their chickens to a judge – starting from the top and working down, naming all the body parts of the squawking, squirming beast making sure to hold the wing out and naming all the parts (comb, wattles, saddle, vent area). These Clover Buds were very attentive and had a very good beginning on proper techniques.

Cherishing my new found knowledge I headed to the sheep barn where I found 10 years old Maddy Seccomb from Whitehall. She is a member of the Silver Star "Super Stars." She introduced me to her award winning partner (Champion Beginner Showman) stating that practice make perfect when she was quizzed about what training had taken place.

This Dorset Hampshire Cross lamb had the strange name of 'Angus.' When I asked her if she named it after a cattle breed, she said that it is a Scottish name – and she liked it. Maddy plans on starting her own flock and likes 4-H because it is fun and she makes a lot of new friends.

I next headed to the 4-H Building and was instantly inspired by the exhibits of the different clubs (the Cardwell Hillbillies, Trailblazers, McAllister Mountaineers, B.Y.'s, Rocky Mountain Rascals, Big Sky Wranglers, Big Sky Livestock 4-H Club, Madison Wranglers, Spoons-n-Spurs and the Super Stars) and of the club members.

"Once in your life you will need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and a plumber – but every day, three times a day, you will need a farmer." This inspiring message was one of several shown in the Best of Show exhibit of the Ruby Valley/Twin Bridges FFA Club. IMAGINE was the name of their exhibit as they challenged the viewer to "Imagine leadership from ourselves; Imagine to live and work on a good farm and Imagine the "future of agriculture."

This building contained examples of the many projects that are available to 4-H members – from woodworking to sewing, photography, to leadership training and on and on. These projects were in addition to the animal projects from horses to cows to chickens to pigs to dogs and small animals like lizards. Need I mention when I left this area I ran into a young 4-H member with a beautiful necklace – a lizard of some type – laying on her neck and chest. Then I realized that it was alive! She said she couldn't talk as she was on her way to show her project!

There had to be a 'safer' place. I wandered into the Commercial Building where I was awe-inspired by the exhibit of the Patchwork Pals Quilt Guild of Ruby Valley. The colorful patterns and material and interesting quilting was a perfect blending with the floral arrangements and vegetables that were being judged in the next area. There was a masseuse waiting to help (the Happy Trails Healing), a creative artist that made bowls out of folded up magazines; Young Living Essentials Oils where I learned there were healing oils for pets and babies; Alternative Insulation and potato clocks bearing the NASA seal of invention; and various other local businesses waiting to give out information to make your life a little less confusing.

From there I wandered over to the Open Class Building with its exhibits ranging from Lego Creations to cooking and canning, photography and painting and sewing. I was intrigued by a painting done on cloth and puzzles framed imaginatively. But it was time to head out and into the food court which I had avoided all day. There were corn dogs, funnel cakes, sweet potato fries, ribbon fries, lemonade and teriyaki noodles, vegetable and meat and sirloin burgers.

As I gathered everything together and headed to the tables, I stopped to talk with 7 years old Charity Martin of Waterloo to find out why she had chosen to have a huge, beautiful butterfly painted on her face. "Because she liked them," was the response. We had some fun with her looking into a magnifying mirror which made the butterfly grow and move.

Soon I moved on and was at the tables, joined by other fair goers who had stopped to take a breather and to renew ones energy. We were entertained by a talented fiddler - 12 years old Abby Curtis of Sheridan. She soon left to show her rabbit but she left behind some very happy and relaxed diners.

With souls and spirits replenished we gathered our strength and headed out to the Stick Horse Rodeo and the Police Dog Demonstration and the Pocket Pet Show. And that was only the beginning!