Life on The Ranch Madison County Fair

 

Life on The Ranch

Madison County Fair

August 12, 2020

The Go-Getters 4-H Club was a staple activity for me growing up. Monthly meetings were held as we worked on our 4-H book and attended life skill classes and livestock judgings. Every year my cousins and I would load up into the bed of my Aunt Jeannette’s old pickup truck and make the seven-mile journey to Twin Bridges to the Madison County Fairgrounds. One time my cousin Fred lost his hat as we were cruising down Redfield Lane towards the highway. After much yelling, my aunt finally heard us! She slammed on the brakes, causing us kids to tumble forward towards the cab of the pickup! She thought that by the way were all screaming, one of us had fallen out and was killed. When she realized that it wasn’t the catastrophe she anticipated, she was the one who did the yelling and screaming!

My main entries in 4-H were horsemanship and cooking. I did take my ewe Charlotte one year and earned a red ribbon. To me she was the grand champion as she was more of a beloved pet than a farm animal.

My Uncle Keith took the time to help me with my horse. He was the one who broke Cricket to ride. He hauled us to different clinics and to the fair. I remember one year there was a horsemanship clinic that started at 5:00 at the Massar ranch above Sheridan! Unfortunately, I didn’t know my a.m.’s from my p.m.’s and I called Uncle Keith at 3:45 in the morning panicked because we hadn’t left yet. He groggily told me to go back to bed….

One particular year, 1977 stands out in my 4-H career. I had decided to make a coffee cake to enter for my cooking project. Halfway through the process, I was told that Cricket had escaped and was on the road. It didn’t surprise me because I had taught her how to cross the cattle guard! Who wants to jump off, open the gate, go through the gate, close it and then get back on the horse when one could just teach her to carefully step on the narrow wooden pathway built in for human crossing? Long story short, my Grandma Red had to finish making my coffee cake while I caught my horse…. I remember watching my Granddad shake his head defeatedly as I led her back across the cattle guard…. When I returned to the kitchen, there stood my cake in all its glory!

The Madison County Fair was looked forward to all year long! It was an adventurous 4 days of arriving early, leaving late, and filling up on snow cones, hot dogs, and ice-cold soda pop! Our requirement to being there was to check in occasionally with my Aunt Jeannette, who oversaw the rabbit and poultry barn and to stay away from the river. Other than that, we had free reign to roam! Our course began at the horse barn next to the grandstands and arena. We then went through the steer barn, followed by the sheep and goat pens and then down to check in with Aunt Jeannette. We had to say hello to the dairy cows and afterwards we headed to the round, log building to say hello to my Granddad Ralph. He displayed his collection of saddles, buggies, horseshoes, bits and barbed wire. More than once he was awarded the grand prize for his collections.

A fellow Go-Getter 4-H member asked me if I was going to participate in the Jr. Horseman Showmanship class with Cricket. Unbeknownst to me, somehow, I had qualified to enter this event. Unfortunately, I had only an hour before showtime! I quickly washed Cricket and roached her short, wild mane with the help from my cousin Barbara. I dressed in my wrinkled white shirt, black tie and dusted off my blue jeans.  The only problem was I didn’t have my boots with me! Once again, Barb came to my rescue! She loaned me hers which were close to a size too small!

Cricket was a POA – Pony of America. She was a small spotted Appaloosa. My mom and dad purchased her as a yearling for $25.00. She didn’t have an amazing pedigree or was registered in the national POA Club. She was, for all intent and purpose, just a plain Jane in the horse world. Fortunately for me, my Granddad always told me “you can’t ride color”, meaning a good horse always didn’t have to be show quality!

Walking with Cricket down the long, dirt track towards the judges, I surveyed my competition. My heart sank as I looked behind me to see two sisters leading their fully papered, meticulously groomed, exceedingly expensive Appaloosa horses! To them, this was just another stop on the show circuit. Their starched jeans, meticulously ironed white shirt and self-confidence made them stand out from the rest of us contestants.

I worked hard that late afternoon to ensure that the judges always had a good view of Cricket and a smile on my face despite feeling the blisters forming on my feet from the too small cowboy boots. I didn’t get to practice for this at all! I depended on common sense and watched what the other kids did. All I can say is that the Spirit of the Lord must have settled upon ol’ Cricket! My normally spirited and nervous horse suddenly became steadfast in standing still. It was a miracle! She allowed me to move her so that her feet were in the correct position for the requirements in which we were judged for this halter class.

When it came time for the announcement of the winners, it didn’t surprise me that one of the sisters received the runner-up ribbon. I was sure it would be a clean sweep with the other taking the highest award!

As I listened to the judge proclaiming the winner, I couldn’t believe my ears as my number was called. I was in shock! How could a $25 horse with an inexperienced girl with too small of cowboy boots, win the Outstanding Jr. Horsemanship Showman award? As I listened to the announcer, he relayed the comments of the judges. They liked the way Cricket responded to my cues, standing quietly and alert. They also liked the way I presented myself – joyfully and looking like I was having fun! They certainly didn’t know that at the time, my feet were bleeding. The fact was, despite that, I WAS having fun! I didn’t let that circumstance affect my actions or attitude.

God can make a champion out of us too, despite our backgrounds, our failures, and circumstances. In fact, if you read the Bible, most of God’s winners were at times, losers in life! Study Moses, Joseph, Gideon and even King David! Please know that God sees us as outstanding, so much so that He sent his son Jesus, to take away our sins, ushering us into eternal life with our decision to ask for forgiveness and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Despite our hang ups, our character and personality, He can make us winners when we surrender to Him. We must listen to His cues, always be attentive to move towards His direction and listen for His still, small voice.

On a side note, my coffee cake afforded me the Outstanding Jr. Cook Award that year as well! I congratulated my Grandma on our win!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:57