Wirt County Fair kicks off
By RACHEL LANE, rlane@newsandsentinel.comELIZABETH - About 9,000 people are expected to attend the four-day Wirt County Fair that began Wednesday.
The 49th annual fair at Camp Barbe, off W.Va. 14, includes livestock sales, music, a carnival, mud bogs and a variety of contests, said Gary Jones, president of the fair board.
"We want to keep it a county fair, a good country fair," Jones said. "There's a lot of dedicated help here."
He said the livestock sale Friday evening is a big draw for many people.
"A lot of the kids do it because they enjoy taking care of the animals and it helps them save money for college," said Patty Morrison, county extension agent. Youth involved in the 4-H were showing animals and had exhibits in the exhibit hall.
The students with Wirt County High School's FFA also showed animals, said FFA adviser Nathan Taylor.
"Fair week is a very important part of the year for Wirt County residents," Taylor said. "Some of these kids have had the steers for 12 or 13 months."
A total of 157 animals were shown. If they did not meet the required weight, they were not sold, Morrison said. About 10 pens of rabbits, 85 hogs, 16 replacement heifers (usually sold for breeding), 16 lambs and 18 steers will be sold.
"There's a lot of work involved," Morrison said. The youth learn to feed and groom the animals before presenting them at the fair.
Jon Cain, 13, of Sandyville showed two hogs Wednesday evening.
"You follow them around with a cane, keep your eye on them," he said about showing pigs. "It's fun and I make money."
The judge checks the hogs' shoulders and hams (or hips) to check the muscle mass, he said.
"You want to get the most amount of muscle. Fat's not good for meat," said Scott Cain, Jon's father.
Jon said he thought one of his pigs would do well. It weighs about 260 pounds and is largely muscle. Goal weight for a pig is between 260 and 270 pounds.
"If they get too big, you have to hold back on their feed," Jon Cain said.
Jones said events on Saturday include contests for horseshoe pitching, arm wrestling, hay bale throwing, skillet throwing and nail driving.
"The Kiddie Peddle Pull (Saturday) is always a big event," Jones said.
