Converse County Fair highlights way of life
Douglas – Exhibitors involved in 4-H and FFA are putting final touches on their static and livestock projects as they head to the Converse County Fair, July 16-24.
Glenrock family heads to fair
For Glenrock brothers, Tyler and Brandon Wulf, participating in the Converse County Fair is always a highlight of their summer. Tyler is 15 years old and going into ninth grade this year.
He will be showing two steers, a Red Angus/Charolais cross named Diablo and a Black Angus/Charolis corss named Ice. He has been a part of the Sand Creek 4-H Club for four years and an FFA member for two years.
In preparation for the fair, Tyler bought his two steers in November from his great-great-uncle in South Dakota. He has spent many hours taking care of his projects and teaching them how to lead.
He notes one of his favorite things about the fair is “hanging out with the animals and showing – it’s a lot of fun.”
He shares he is appreciative of the support he has received from local businesses and his family, in particular Elk Horn Explorations, LLC and Herder Feed, both of Glenrock.
“They helped me out this year in addition to my parents and great-great-uncle. I couldn’t do what I do without everyone’s support,” he mentions.
Tyler offers words of advice for future contestants, saying, “Just have fun and keep going.”
Twelve-year-old Brandon will be taking his three rabbits, Little Bea, Bailey and Krista, and two pigs, Rocky and Rosco, to the fair.
Before going to the fair, Brandon works with his animals and makes sure he has everything he needs in his show box – feed, show supplies, soaps, brushes, revive lotion for his pigs and a hose, among other things he might need, he explains.
“I really enjoy going out and showing my projects,” he notes. “One of my most memorable experiences was last year when I took one of my steers down to the river close by – walking through the water was pretty fun.”
This year his focus will be on his rabbits and pigs.
He shares, “For anyone interested in showing pigs or rabbits, I’d be happy to give showmanship tips – for pigs, you want to keep your pig close to you, your free hand behind your back and always look at the judge.”
“If you work hard, you might have a better chance at doing well,” he adds.
Brandon also wanted to thank James from Herder Feed for helping their club out.
Douglas family heads to fair
For Douglas sisters and Wild Bunch 4-H Club exhibitors, Ceara, Savanna and Elza Moffatt, showing at the Converse County Fair has been a family affair. The girls have spent a lot of time working with their projects – from feeding, washing, halter breaking and working on showmanship.
Ceara is a recent graduate of Douglas High School. Her post-secondary education plan is to attend Casper College and the University of Wyoming to study agriculture education and communication.
This year, Ceara will be showing her market lamb Wyatt in the FFA show and her steer Earl in the National Western Stock Show Catch-A-Calf program. For static exhibits she will be taking some photography. Being involved in these programs has helped Ceara prepare for the future, she notes.
“4-H and FFA has really benefited me a lot in becoming the leader I am and has given me valuable life skills,” she shares. “It has taught me how to communicate with others and how to write a budget with my Catch-A-Calf program.”
“Being a part of these programs for so many years has really helped me prepare for the real world,” she adds.
Ceara is looking forward to showcasing her projects at the fair and is proud of the hard work she has done in preparation.
She encourages younger youth to get involved by saying, “Youth should give it a try – I’ve shown lambs, steers, pigs and goats, and there is an animal out there for everyone. It’s more of a learning experience no matter if you win or lose, it’s all about having fun because these are the memories that will last forever.”
Savanna is 16 years old will be going into the 11th grade at Douglas High School this fall. She is planning on bringing a variety of projects to the fair. She will be showing her lambs Rick and John, a goat named Pat and two chickens.
Savanna will be showing a majority of her projects in the FFA show and will have one of her lambs in the 4-H show. Savanna has learned working with livestock prior to the fair is the key to success.
“If you don’t work with your animals prior to the fair, things might not go well,” she jokes. “It’s really important to work with them.”
Besides showcasing her projects, Savanna is also looking forward to watching the younger exhibitors show.
“It’s really cool getting to see the younger generation get out there and showcase their projects, and it’s really cool to see the future generation of 4-H and FFA grow up in agriculture,” she says.
“Showing at the Converse County Fair is a really neat experience to be a part of and it’s awesome to be able to see all of the youth getting involved, she adds.
Savanna offers advice for other exhibitors saying, “Work with your animals and hard work does actually pay off in the end, even if it’s not immediate.”
To round out the three sisters is Elza, a 13-year-old who will be a freshman this year at Douglas High School. She plans on bringing her two goats Luke and Bo – named after the movie, “Dukes of Hazzard” – in addition to several static exhibits including paintings, a wood working project and photography.
She notes working on projects takes a lot of trial and error.
She shares, “I’ve started a lot of my projects, but it takes a lot of time, with mess ups and errors, to get them perfect. Being able to attend and show at the fair is so much fun.”
One of her favorite parts about the fair is the community and comradery amongst the families attending.
She says, “Our community really comes together to be there for each other. It’s a time where we can be with friends, share accomplishments and share with others how hard we’ve worked and a place where you can see the new generation coming up.”
She encourages others to take the time to try everything saying, “Get out there and try everything, you don’t know unless you try.”
Involving youth
in agriculture
For Kori Wulf, having her kids involved in 4-H is very important to her and her family. Kori was very involved with showing horses and pigs when she was young, and she wanted to provide her children with the same experiences and life lessons she learned as a kid, she notes.
“Through these programs, they learn how to run a business, about meat quality, raise animals and it teaches them how to care for something,” she says. “A lot of kids don’t know where their meat comes from, and through 4-H and FFA children can have an understanding on how agriculture works.”
In addition, being involved has taught her children how to talk and communicate with people and how to be proud for what they have done, she adds.
“I’m a big advocate for 4-H and FFA and am proud of the skills they have learned and milestones they have accomplished through this program,” she says.
Andrea Moffatt credits 4-H and FFA for providing her girls an opportunity to learn and grow.
“It’s been fun watching them grow through each animal,” she shares. “I’ve seen these girls work really hard towards their goals and it has been fun watching them through these programs.”
She shares all three girls will get to show in FFA this year and to her, this is a big deal. Andrea is a Glenrock native and FFA was not available to her as an exhibitor.
“It has been really important to us as a family our children had the opportunity to be involved in FFA,” she adds.
“Our whole life revolves around agriculture,” Andrea concludes. “Many people ask me what my hobbies are, I often say whatever my kids are showing.”
Schedule at a glance
Saturday, July 16 will host an 8 a.m. 4-H Dog Show and a 12 p.m. Cat and Pocket Pet Show. The day will finish with a 6:30 p.m. 4-H Fashion Review.
An exciting day is scheduled for Sunday, July 17, with the Converse County Fair Truck and Tractor Pull starting at 6 p.m.
The 4-H and FFA Horse Show will begin at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 18, followed by the Youth Gymkhana at 6 p.m.
On Tuesday, July 19, there will be a family fun night at 6 p.m.
A packed day is scheduled for Wednesday, July 20, with a 5 a.m. Pee Wee Pet Show, 7-9 a.m. pancake breakfast and a 9 a.m. 4-H and FFA Market Goat Show, followed by the sheep and swine show at 5 p.m.
Starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, there will be a rabbit show, followed by a 4 p.m. Cowbelle Supreme Cow Contest, with a beef show to follow at 5 p.m. and the Women’s Match Bronc Riding at 6 p.m.
On Friday, July 23, a variety of events will take place. The day will include an Animal Round Robin, a small round robin contest and a 4 p.m. pre-sale awards and Junior Market Sale. To finish the day, there will be live music and dancing at 7:30 p.m.
A 12 p.m. car show will kick off the fair events on Saturday, July 23. There will be a 5:30 p.m. team roping, followed by a Mark Wills concert scheduled at 6:30 p.m. to finish the day. Tickets can be purchased online at conversecountyfair.ticketleap.com/ or at the door for $30.
On Sunday, July 24, the Converse County Fair will host a local ranch rodeo starting at 4 p.m. Events will include wild cow milking, team branding, doctoring and penning.
For more information, visit conversecountyfair.com.
Brittany Gunn is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
