FAYETTEVILLE -- The auctioneer's voice cut through the drone of dozens of ceiling fans, applause building as the number he called out climbed higher and higher: $4,800, $4,900, $5,000 -- "Sold!"
The Washington County Fair's junior auction was about an hour in, and Isabella Norsworthy of West Fork had just won what was perhaps the highest single bid of the evening for her stout, black-and-white Maintainer cow -- not a bad haul for a 13-year-old.
Washington County Fair Schedule
Today
• Midnight Madness: Carnival open 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., $20 armband for all rides starting 10 p.m.
Saturday
• Sizzling Saturday: Carnival open noon until 2 a.m., $20 armband for all rides starting 10 p.m.
Source: MyWashCoFair.com
"I feel great," said a beaming Isabella, who also competes with other farm animals, horticulture and canning. The cow didn't start out a champion animal, but she put in the work to take it there, she said.
Isabella was among almost 120 kids ranging from grade school to high school who showed off their champion animals under the Livestock Arena lights at the annual auction Thursday evening. Dozens of bidders, including Ozarks Electric Cooperative and the Farm Bureau, didn't actually buy the animals; the event instead serves as a rally and reward for young farmers who for months have gotten up early to take care of goats, lambs, chickens and cows.
The auction went too long to get the total amount of money given, but last year's raised about $150,000, the highest ever, said Stephanie Pendergraft, a fair board member who oversaw the event.
"The community really supports it, you can tell," she said. "Everyone just helps promote it."
About an hour before the auction, fair board member Eric Walker gathered the competitors in the arena to give some last-minute advice. His suggestions: Shake the bidders' hands, and be grateful to them and the teachers and parents who helped you get here.
"There's a lot of people in this wheel, lots of spokes in the wheel to make it here," said Walker, whose children are the fourth generation in his family to show at the fair. "Congratulations, again, making the sell -- it's a big deal."
The competitors scattered to preen their animals for the show, rinsing them down, trimming cows and lambs' fur to velvety smoothness and vacuuming woodchips off their flanks. For many, the work's a family affair.
"Born into it, I guess," said Conner Hill, 16, who followed his father's footsteps to the fair and has been showing animals for 11 years. The work can be its own reward, he said. "It's being able to work for it and see what the end result is."
His tan heifer won him $1,100, which he said would go to next year's competition, echoing other competitors. As for farming as a livelihood, Conner said he wasn't sure, adding with a laugh, "It's a perfect fallback if I need it."
Once the animals are ready, the kids pulled, steered and occasionally muscled them to the arena. Sturdy hogs could be particular stubborn for some.
"Sometimes it's frustrating," said Ayden Massey, 15, who was competing at the fair for the second time. Her hog got daily exercise, a special diet, regular washing and a spritz of glitter before the show to make it glisten. Ayden won $600.
"It feels really good," she said afterward with a smile.
NW News on 09/04/2015