Guest Post By Meggie Foster of Real Farmwives and Hoosier Farm Babe
Ever since I was a little girl, one of my absolute favorite
parts of summer has been going to the State Fair. But it has nothing to do with
the carnival rides, elephant ears, other fried delicacies or even the
Grandstand entertainment.
It has everything to do with showing cows.
Huh? What did you say!? I said … showing cows.
So for me, it’s all about the genetics and putting all the
hard work of the past year up against your competitors. And in Indiana, the
competition is fierce, especially for Jerseys. But aside from the thrill of
competition, there is the camaraderie among your fellow exhibitors. These are
folks who are not just cattle folk, they are friends. Friends you look forward
to seeing every year at the same place – the State Fair. When I was growing up,
these friends taught me how to play euchre, and oftentimes helped get me into
no-good trouble. Now these friends are married and starting families of their
own.
As I looked back in my archived photos for this blog post,
all the memories from the Ohio State Fair came flooding back in. My first
crush, my first ribbon, winning showmanship, serving as the Ohio Jersey Queen,
playing cards until the wee hours of the morning, washing heifers at 4 a.m.,
the junior Jersey pizza party, water fights and the year we got so much rain
that water started flooding into the barn.
Since I married a Hoosier farm boy, I began showing my
Jerseys (as an adult) at the Great Indiana State Fair and have made a ton of
new friends here. I love my Indiana dairy friends and I seriously heart the
Great Indiana State Fair … not for the fair food (although the Pork Tent and
Dairy Bar is a must-stop on a daily basis for me) or for the fair entertainment
… but for the cow-showin’ good time spent with great friends and my family.
Did I happen to mention … this year will be Baby RayRay’s (my
one-year-old daughter) first State Fair ever – to say I’m excited to see her
toddling down the aisles of the cattle barn would be a supreme understatement!
2 comments:
Wow...What a story! I was never in 4H but my girlfriend at the time was, and was in $H or 8 years and showed Holsteins, and I helped alot! One year she tore her MCL ligiment and still wanted to have her cow shown, so...Guess who walked that 800 lb cow around the show area...yep, yours truly. I remember the fun baths, hair brushing, hoof cleaning, feedings at 8pm in the middle of winter when its 20 below and a blizzard out...great times!.
But thank you for sharing you story and we live downtown Indy now, and are headed out there this evening. First stop! The Dairy Bar for their famous Strawberry Milkshake...i may get one of all three flavors just to make sure they all taste ok! Perhaps well see ya out there as the Finance loves her come baby calves and a trip to the fair isnt complete until we walk through the Dairy Barn
Good Luck and of course you all have fun!
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