GETTING READY FOR THE fair

The excitement is plausible as Theo, 9, and Elizabeth Perry, 6, describe their upcoming Kimball-Banner County Fair projects.

“I am more excited than I can explain,” Theo said.

Yet the excitement for Theo was curtailed a bit when he required surgery on his foot from a BB gun incident just days ago. A BB from someone else’s gun was embedded in the bone of his big toe. With surgery a few days behind him, he is not letting it stop him from working his steer, although carrying buckets of feed are off limits. He limps around while his mother cautions him not to let the steer step on his foot.

Both youths have beef to show. Elizabeth’s 3-month-old Hereford bucket calf, Fire Blue Crystal, is as sweet as she is. Theo’s 1,300-pound black Angus steer is calm and appears ready for the show.

Elizabeth is a first-year participant in Clover Kids and will show Fire Blue Crystal and enter a baking project. According to Elizabeth, some crystals are blue, hence the name Fire Blue Crystal.

As soon as wheat harvest is completed, she explained that her dad will help her wash her bucket calf and walk Fire Blue Crystal for fair. She was concerned that after the wheat harvest she wasn’t going to have enough time.

“It is going to be really close to fair,” she said. “I don’t feel like I am going to be ready.”

Both her dad and brother assured her that she would have enough time and be ready for the fair.

She was confident that her baking project was brownies, but Elizabeth had to be convinced that cookies were the category. No matter, she is excited about baking either brownies or cookies.

Despite being 9, in 4-H years Theo is 8 and this is his first year of 4-H. He’s not shying away from the challenge, though. He’s eager to learn and try new things, stepping into a variety of new projects like market beef, baking, photography, rockets and public speaking. His curiosity and eagerness to learn are truly inspiring.

Theo’s steer is named Mischief but seems to be anything but mischief as he patiently follows the limping 4-Her. His goal is to place third or fourth in his weight class. 

Theo’s baking project is under the division of a family recipe, he will try his hand at a generations-old chocolate cake recipe. The plan is to make a practice cake for his grandpa’s birthday.

Every project has its challenges, but Theo’s photography project has run into a bit of a problem: the camera is lost, although his pictures are on the camera. Theo was confident that they would locate it before the fair deadline.

The Perry kids are members of Central Banner 4-H Club.

After a few early events, the fair begins Monday, Aug. 5, with the 4-H and FFA Static Exhibits and the Dog Show. Weigh-in day for swine, sheep, goats and beef is Tuesday. The small animal show and PRCA Rodeo also are on Tuesday.

All day Wednesday, horses will be on show, including showmanship, halter, horsemanship, poles, reigning, pleasure, trail and barrels. Wednesday night is movie night.

Thursday features a swine, sheep, and goats show, followed by the gymkhana in the evening. Friday is beef day, and on Friday evening there is the catch-a-calf contest, mini bulls, mutton busting, and a concert with Steven Bankey and The Flat Land Band at 8:30 p.m.

The 2024 Kimbal-Banner County Fair concludes on Saturday with the 4-H and FFA Livestock Auction, followed by the Rubber Check Race and a teen dance.