Teton County celebrates annual fair
The 66th Annual Teton County Fair offers exciting events from Saturday, July 23 through Sunday, July 31 in Jackson. Expect to see rodeo, Frazier Shows Carnival, live music, 4-H events and many other fair favorites at this year’s fair.
4-H exhibitors Kate Budge and Eliza Wilson are looking forward to presenting their projects and demonstrating their hard work in the show ring.
“I’m excited for my shows,” says Eliza. “I think showing is really fun, and I’m excited to spend time with my friends and my family.”
4-H beginnings
Kate became involved with 4-H at a young age and quickly developed a passion for the show world.
“I started going to 4-H meetings before I was a member because my older brother was in 4-H, so I have been around the show game ever since I can remember,” she says. “I started showing and had my first county fair when I was eight.”
Kate is showing her horse Scarlett and steers Blackberry and Raspberry at the fair this year. She is looking forward to having a fun time with her 4-H friends – playing card games and socializing in their free time – and competing in livestock shows.
“When you are a livestock kid, you are in the Heritage Arena every day, all week, so we hang out and play cards during the fair, which is a highlight for me,” she says.
Eliza has also been showing since she was eight years old, and this year will be her final year in 4-H, as she recently turned 18. She is showing a lamb named Tom Cruise and a pig named Peaches this year.
“I just want to do as well as I can – hopefully win – and have a lot of fun doing it since it’s my last year,” she says.
Life lessons
Kate and Eliza are both grateful for the many skills 4-H has provided them through the years.
“I think the biggest skill 4-H members learn is leadership and developing the personality to be able to succeed,” says Kate. “We can persevere through anything. Being able to talk in front of people and lead a group is a really important skill 4-H teaches everyone.”
“The senior members in our group are outstanding,” she adds. “They can get in front of a group of people and lead a presentation because they have those leadership skills.”
4-H helps develop responsibility, says Eliza.
“It’s a lot of responsibility to take care of animals,” she says. “I have to take care of them every day if I want to do well. I also spend a lot of time working with my animals.”
She also says 4-H members value sportsmanship.
“You don’t always do as well as you want to,” Eliza says. “Even if I don’t do as well is I hoped, I still congratulate the winners and everyone else I show with because they tried their best too.”
Past accomplishments and goals for this year
Kate and Eliza share they have many proud 4-H accomplishments and they hope to have even more at the end of this year’s fair.
“In my first year competing in the senior horse division, I showed my horse to win the all-around horse and rider which was a really exciting moment,” says Kate. “I got to compete against my older brother and the older group of 4-H’ers. It was a really close competition between all of us, so it was a really proud moment when I won.”
Eliza says her proudest 4-H accomplishment was making it to the Wyoming State Fair in 2021.
“I went to the state fair last year which was a really cool accomplishment, and I won fifth in my market class at the fair,” she says.
Kate says aside from competing, she hopes to enjoy time with her friends and family at the fair this year.
“One of my biggest goals is to relax and have a good time,” she says. “It’s really easy to go into shows and have big goals but I think having a good time is what it’s all about. It’s easy to get caught up in the show day and week and get frustrated, so just relaxing and having a good time with my friends is going to be a goal for me.”
Upcoming county fairs
There is no shortage of fun-filled county fairs taking place in the Cowboy State this year.
Upcoming county fairs include the Converse County Fair in Douglas, July 16-24; the Weston County Fair, July 23-31, in Newcastle; the Washakie County Fair in Worland, July 23-30; the Crook County Fair, July 23-31, in Sundance; the Park County Fair in Powell, July 26-30; and more.
Kaitlyn Root is an editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
