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Youth display livestock as W.Va. Interstate Fair and Exposition opens

Kyra Bell, 9, of the Belleville 4-H Club, poses with her lamb, Little Bear, at the West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition in Mineral Wells on Tuesday. She was getting her lamb ready to show Tuesday evening. After cleaning the lamb, she put a cover and socks on it to help keep it clean throughout the day before the show. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

MINERAL WELLS — As the 2018 West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition began Tuesday, local kids were getting their animals ready for the livestock shows throughout the week.

The fair had its opening day Tuesday with numerous activities, including the Rabbit Show, the Jr. Sheep and Jr. Market Goat Shows, ATV racing, the Demolition Derby, and the Adam Calvert concert. This was the first time in the past few years the Demolition Derby returned to the fair.

Crews were still busy in the morning getting things set up as judging began for the Rabbit Show.

Each day of the fair caters to specific groups with discounted rates and special events.

Tuesday was Senior Citizen Day. Today is Kids’ Day with special activities throughout the day. Thursday is Active Military Day.

Layne Lockhart, 17, of Vienna, the Rebels 4-H Club and the Blennerhassett FFA Chapter, with her rabbits during judging Tuesday of the 4-H Rabbit Show at the West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

”We have different things for all of them,” said Russ Collins, vice president of the West Virginia Interstate Fair Board. ”We hope people will come out and enjoy what we have for them.”

On Saturday there will be a special event for first responders who fought the fire at IEI Plastics last fall. An area will be set up just for them with food, activities and entertainment. It is being sponsored by IEI.

”It is a way to say thank you to everyone who spent days fighting that fire,” Collins said.

He hopes families will come to the fair this week and enjoy time together.

”It is a good community event,” Collins said.

Aiden Blake, 13, of Parkersburg and the Saulsbury 4-H Club, will be showing his market hog, Brutus, this week during the livestock shows at the West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Throughout the early part of the day, 4-H members and FFA members were preparing for the livestock shows this week, which culminate with the Jr. Livestock sale Saturday at noon.

A lot of work and dedication has gone into the kids getting ready for the livestock show, Collins said.

”They have to work on this for a long time to get those animals ready,” he said. ”They raise those animals. A lot of people put a lot of time and a lot of effort on this for the Parkersburg and Wood County area.”

This year there are 107 exhibitors from area 4-H clubs and FFA chapters with many of the youth showing multiple animals, said Lindsey Shawver, the 4-H program assistant for Wood County.

Participants will be showing 45 market hogs, 23 market lambs, 20 market goats, 31 feeder calves, 20 market steers, 13 breeding heifers, 9 market turkeys, 18 pens of 3 market chickens, 11 market rabbits, 8 breeding rabbits litter pens and 15 horses, Shawver said.

Olivia Smith, 18, of Belleville and the Fairview 4-H Club, will be showing her market steer Gus this week at the livestock shows at the West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition. The Jr. Livestock Show will be noon Saturday. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

People with the available land can raise large livestock, like hogs and market steers, which take months to get ready for the fair, she said. Other people can raise rabbits and smaller animals in their backyards.

Kyra Bell, 9, of the Belleville 4-H Club is showing a lamb and a hog this week. This is her first year showing animals at the livestock shows.

In getting her lamb, Little Bear, ready for showing Tuesday evening, Bell had walked him, fed him, watered him, washed him and put a covering and socks on to keep him clean throughout the day before the show started.

For the last six weeks, she had practiced at home how she was going to walk him around during the show. Since being at the fairgrounds, she has regularly practiced in the show area to get the animal used to its new surroundings.

There is a Showman Class where the kids are judged on how well they present and control their animal. At a Market Class, they are judged on the quality of the animal, its condition and muscle.

Audrey Kent, 11, of Mineral Wells and the Rebels 4-H Club, rides the market steer she is showing this week at the West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

”There is a lot of work that goes into it,” Bell said. ”I am looking forward to the Showman Class.”

Bell is planning to sell both her animals at the Jr. Livestock Sale on Saturday.

Audrey Kent, 11, of Mineral Wells and the Rebels 4-H Club, is showing a market goat, a market steer and a feeder calf.

She has been practicing for weeks walking them around and how she is going to show them. This will be the third livestock show she has participated in at the fair over the last few years.

”Every night we get them out and work them,” Kent said. ”I enjoy being able to show my animals.”

”We have to make sure they eat and drink,” Kent said. ”We don’t want them to have heat stroke.”

She is planning to sell her animals at the sale.

Calves are selling for around $2 a pound, Shawver said.

Kent said there is a sense of community among the many 4-H participants.

Although everyone is competing, it is common for people to help each other getting ready to show.

The 4-H members learn the importance of sportsmanship, one adult leader said.

Aiden Blake, 13, of Parkersburg and the Saulsbury 4-H Club, will be showing a market hog, feeder calf and a market steer.

His hog, Brutus, weighs 263 pounds. Shawver said hogs are selling for $2-$3 a pound.

”I have been walking it, feeding it, watering it and getting it big,” he said. This will be Blake’s fourth year showing at the livestock shows.

”I enjoy it very much,” he said. ”It shows responsibility and how to take care of an animal.”

That responsibility shows dedication to doing a job and meeting commitments which will help many in college and in the job market. Blake said.

He is planning to sell his animals at the sale.

Olivia Smith, 18, of Belleville and the Fairview 4-H Club, will be showing a market steer and a market hog.

She has been raising her steer, Gus, since last September, feeding him, working him and taming him. ”A lot goes into it,” Smith said.

Judges will be looking at the steer’s fat and muscle and how ready they are for processing.

Market steers have been going for $1.75 to $3 a pound. Gus weighs 1,192 pounds.

Smith said she is looking forward to the Showman Class to see if she does better than she has in previous years and trying to do better. She has been showing animals at the fair for the last nine years.

Layne Lockhart, 17, of Vienna, the Rebels 4-H Club and the Blennerhassett FFA Chapter, is showing market rabbits, a market hog, a market goat and a market lamb.

With the smaller animals, like rabbits, the participants are judged on their knowledge of the animal and its anatomy, its health and condition.

Rabbits in litter pens are also judged by the condition of the mother and the babies. Some of hers are just four weeks old.

”Different breeds have different litter sizes,” Lockhart said.

A going price for three rabbits is around $250.

This is Lockhart’s eighth year of showing rabbits and other animals.

”Some projects are not just a 90-day project; they are year-around,” Lockhart said.

She too likes the sense of community with the other 4-H participants.

”I just like the environment,” Lockhart said. ”I like the competitiveness, but we are still all friends and you can always go to someone for help.”

Lockhart said raising animals teaches people about living up to their responsibilities.

”Even if there is a foot of snow, you have to go out and take care of stuff,” she said. ”If you are sick, it doesn’t matter. They still need to be taken care of.

”It is definitely nice to have family that helps. It is a family project, not just one person.”

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