Jeff Davis Parish Fair - 2018

The first week of October didn't bring any cooler weather, unfortunately, but it did bring the Parish Fair that is held each year in our town at the Fairgrounds.  Rides were set up, exhibits put together, animals brought to the barn and the smell of barbecue burgers and funnel cakes wafted over the muggy air.  Benjamin's FFA group sold 'Blooming Onions' at their booth for $8 a pop!

We brought our Jersey cow, Clarabelle, to the fair.  She's not in milk right now, but she is the best showmanship cow as she is gentle, laid back and has a feminine personality.  She bellows quite loud, but I guess that is a redundant explanation with the last trait in the previous sentence.  I kid, I kid.  Once the animal is cleaned up, there is some downtime to relax and visit with each other as well as other exhibitor families.

As show time nears, finishing touches are put on ol' Clarabelle.  Here, Tricia is applying some black shoe polish to her hooves.

It makes Clarabelle's hooves shine like a new penny!

Out in the show ring for showmanship, Benjamin (on the left) was showing against other breeds.  That is a Holstein in the center and a Brown Swiss on the end. 

The judge gave good tips on what went right... and on how to improve on things that didn't go so well.

In the end, Benjamin won Grand Champion Senior Showmanship with Clarabelle.  We took a picture of him and Clarabelle in front of the backdrop.  He didn't win a rosette ribbon or a belt buckle, but won cold, hard cash. 

Some friends in our Dairy Club took a photo of all of us.  We were very proud of Benjamin.  It takes a lot of patience and attention to detail to win Showmanship

Benjamin's 4-H Dairy Club worked on a booth in the exhibit hall to promote milk.  It was a circus theme this year and I think it turned out well.

When we loaded up Clarabelle into the trailer, we noticed that someone had left us a 'gift' in the back of the truck.  A goldfish.  I can remember when I was a boy, they had a game at the Parish Fair in which you attempted to throw a ping pong ball into a fish bowl.  If you were successful, you won the goldfish in the bowl.  I'm sure this was the same sort of game.  Benjamin and I decided to take the fish home and put him in the cows' water trough. 

The poor goldfish made it exactly ONE DAY.

The poor old goldfish was floating on the top of the water by Sunday at noon.  All good things coe to an end, I suppose.  The 2018 Jefferson Davis Parish Fair will be the last time Benjamin will exhibit and animal at the Fair as he'll be graduating from High School.  Tricia and I talked about maybe entering some of our okra or other garden produce as a fair exhibit next year.  Maybe the Sonnier's can still win a ribbon or two.  We'll have to wait until next year to see!

Clarabelle's Last Time to Show as a Heifer

On Friday morning Benjamin brought Clarabelle, our two year old Jersey heifer, to the Parish Fair Barn.  She was going to be showing in the Jefferson Davis Parish Fair on Friday and then again on Saturday Morning as part of an FFA Fall Classic Livestock Show.  Clarabelle is showing as a heifer, but she will be calving at the end of October.  After that, she'll show as a Dairy Cow.  She is getting pretty wide in girth and she is just barely starting to bag up.

Out of all of our show cows over the years, Clarabelle has the gentlest, most easy-going temperament of all.  She stood perfectly still while Benjamin clipped her, and she never gets in a rush when walking in the show ring.  Now, sometimes that changes once they calve and they are nervous looking for their calf, but for now, she is a really good show cow. 

Saturday morning Benjamin got to the barn early to feed and water Clarabelle and get her cleaned up.  He had washed her the day before, so it should have just been a touch-up spot cleaning, but ol' girl laid down in her poop overnight and Benjamin really had to give her a good scrubbing.  The fair was still going on right outside the show barn and the barn filled up with the smoke and aroma of the "fair food" being cooked by the FFA, Lion's Club, and all the other booths selling food.  That's why the photos below are a little hazy.

The judge was from Alexandria and she did a real good job, explaining what she was looking for from both the exhibitor and the animal.  She asked the exhibitors different questions about their project.  She asked Benjamin, "How much does a gallon of milk weigh?"  Answer: About 8 1/2 pounds.  She also asked, "What is the milk of Jersey cows known for?" Answer: Jerseys have a high amount of butterfat compared to other breeds.  Whereas a Holstein is known for volume, a Jersey is known for the richness (the cream).

There are two different shows that go on.  The first judges the animal and how well the animal looks.  the second is showmanship which judges how well the exhibitor shows the animal.  The judge makes the exhibitors walk around with their animals, judging how they handle the animal and set it up. 

It is crucial to keep your eyes on the judge.

The way you show a heifer as opposed to a cow (once they have a calf, they are no longer heifers, but are cows) is different.  With a heifer, the back leg closest to the judge must be positioned back like shown in the photo below.  Conversely, when showing a cow, the back leg of the cow closest to the judge should be positioned forward, so that the judge can see the udder and teat placement.

Benjamin won Reserve Champion Jersey and in Showmanship, he was the Champion Showman.  We are proud of Benjamin and Clarabelle.  They did a great job.

Benjamin won some nice looking ribbons to hang in his room.

The next time he shows Clarabelle, it will be in the Spring Livestock Shows in January.  Lots of things will have changed by then.  It will be cold, instead of hot.  Clarabelle will have a calf by her side with an udder full of milk, and she'll be shown as a cow instead of a heifer.

2016 Jefferson Davis Parish Fair and Livestock Show

The first cool front of the year blew in, bringing lows in the low 60's and highs around 80 and it felt great.  It was perfect weather for the Parish Fair - a time that the 4-H Club and FFA rolls into high gear.  Benjamin and his Dairy Club worked to put together a booth at the fair to promote consumption of dairy products for health and its great taste.

I may be biased, but I think the "election," for us at least, is a landslide.

"Fair Day" is a fun day.  School is let out so everyone can attend the fair, the fair parade, and make their way to the livestock barn to get their animals groomed and ready for the show.  This year Benjamin chose to bring Clarabelle, his Jersey heifer, to the show.

Once Clarabelle was clipped and washed, there's some down-time - a good opportunity to just relax. It is also a great time to talk to fair-goers who bring their kids to see the animals.  You get to answer their questions, let their kids pet your animals and tell them about what it is like to have a milk cow. Even though we live in a rural area, there are many who are far-removed from their agricultural roots and are interested in showing their kids or grandkids a little bit about rural life.

Russ and Benjamin laid out some fresh wood shavings on the ground.  Cows have a bad habit of making a mess and then laying in it and this is not good, especially after you have them all cleaned up.  We like to take a little olive oil and shine up the leather show halter to make it look good.

Then it is time to bring the animals in the ring as the judge has the exhibitors parade the animals around as he checks them all out.  Clarabelle behaved herself quite well and Benjamin was proud of the way she showed.

He got a blue ribbon in Showmanship and a blue ribbon in his Jersey heifer class.

When the show was over they loaded Clarabelle up in the trailer and Russ pulled her back home in his truck.  There won't be another show until the Parish show in January 2017, but this was a good opportunity to get a little practice showing Clarabelle and also just have some fun at the fair.