The fair always delivers

Another Texas County Livestock Fair is in the books, and as always, the county’s biggest annual event was quite a show.

Having been around these things for far more than a decade now, I’ve seen about all that the fair can offer, several times over. And I can honestly say that each and every tidbit of what’s there to see, hear, smell and feel makes for a unique and enjoyable experience.

During my frequent stops in the livestock barns and at the showing arena, I’ve come to realize there are certain aspects of the fair that can always be counted on. Here’s a handful, in no particular order.

•A cuteness storm.

Let’s face it: If you gather kids and animals in the same place, you’re virtually guaranteed to have reasons to smile. And when that involves a 6-year-old girl or boy leading an 800-pound cow around a square showing arena, there result can obviously be nothing but cute.

Then if you pile on fuzzy little rabbits, kids hugging small chickens or grooming sheep, and a whole bunch of hilariously behaving goats and pigs, well, let’s just say it never gets old.

•An actual storm.

For many years, Texas County Fair Board president Darren Ice has claimed that “it always rains during the fair.”

In my experience, he’s right. Even when the “long range forecast” calls for something else, you can expect rain to fall at some point during the event.

And it usually doesn’t just drizzle. No, there’s typically a downpour at some point that causes plenty of shrieking, sends people scurrying for cover and creates somewhat of a mud-fest in its aftermath.

This year was no exception. But I think I speak for many fair attendees when I say it’s always kind of funny.

•Fascinating livestock judging jargon.

I don’t know if I can pinpoint why, but there’s something about listening to a judge talk about animals being shown that I find very captivating.

Whether it’s a sheep that has “good elevation,” a pig needs a bit more “strength” in its hind portion, a goat that exhibits “good squareness” or a steer that boasts a “great carcass,” the language of a livestock judge is one-of-a-kind and always makes me pay attention.

•Animals acting up.

Of course, the animals being shown never ask to be there, and some take a bit of offense to the situation.

But that just offers more potential for a humorous situation, as a goat might rise up and sort of “box” its handler, a sheep might flop on the ground in the middle of the arena as if to dare its exhibitor to make it participate, or a pig might take off running and cause sawdust to fly as it makes a sharp turn to avoid crashing into the arena fence.

It’s actually interesting that more of that kind of thing doesn’t happen, but the animals are for the most part quite cooperative and make their entries and exits with little or no hassle. Must be the training, right?

•People having a good time.

This is a given during fair week.

Whether it’s the kids showing the animals, the crowds watching the competition or anyone else who’s on hand, it’s pretty safe to say that they all share the same good mood.

About the only one exception I can think of (which I’ve seen a few times over the years) is when a little girl cries during the Junior Livestock Sale because she’s heartbroken about having to say goodbye to the goat or sheep she has come to love while raising it. But that’s understandable, and the good news is that it presents an opportunity to learn about dealing with adversity.

Anyway, I didn’t spend as much time hanging out at the fair this year as I have over the past 14 years (because of my new status as a “part-timer” with the newspaper), but I was there long enough to see that it was the same great event that it always is.

And speaking of the Texas County Fair Board, hats off to each and every one of its members for producing yet another great week of activity. They’re all volunteers and they put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to make the massive event possible.

And it shows, every time.

Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.

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