Crawford County Fair contest gives horse exhibitors a chance to show off their versatility

By Wednesday afternoon at the Crawford County Fair, Junior Fair horse exhibitors already had completed three full days of competition.

The temperature was well into the upper 80s, despite a stiff breeze. Even the tractor offering wagon rides around the perimeter of the fairgrounds seemed to be moving extra-slowly.

But it was almost time for the versatility class to begin, and the 10 competitors and their teams were hurrying to prepare.

Winning the versality class has always been "pretty prestigious," explained Trisha Tackett, horse council president and head adviser of the Young Riders 4-H Club.

More photos: Monday at the 2022 Crawford County Fair

More photos: Tuesday at the 2022 Crawford County Fair

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"If you win versatility, that's a big statement, because that means you've worked a lot with your horse and you and your horse are a good team, and the horse is versatile along with you," she said. "So it's a good competition; it's fun."

Five competition classes are picked at random

In other competitions, entrants compete once and then someone gets a blue ribbon. But versatility includes five classes, and no winner is announced till the end, she explained; "that's the fun part." Those five classes are picked at random, and happen in random order.

"Today, we start with Western showmanship, which is an in-hand class, so the kid is on the ground and they lead the horse," Tackett said. "And our next class is actually like a speed class, contesting class, so they actually have to do a certain pattern at a run with their horse. And then the next class is reining, which is another pattern class. It's a little bit speedy, but it's more about control, how they do the pattern."

The next class, Western horsemanship, is more of an all-around class, again based on a pattern, she said. Entrants are judged on how their horse behaves, how they ride their horse and how the pattern is executed.

"And then the last class is hunter under saddle, which is like a pleasure class and they ride on the rail, and it's judged on the horse," Tackett said. "They place first through fifth in each class, and then we tally up points... at the end, whoever has the most points wins."

Horse and rider are required to remain in the ring throughout the entire competition — even during saddle and wardrobe changes.

For example, after the Western showmanship class, competitors and their two team members had five minutes at ringside to get the horse saddled, change jackets, headgear and perhaps pants and then ride to a waiting area at the far end of the show ring. "Yakety Sax" played on the show ring loudspeaker as the teams scrambled, and judge Chuck Schroeder sat in a folding chair nearby, making notes.

The winner of the versatility competition was won by Megan Young.

About 40 4-H members compete in the Junior Fair horse classes, all members of the Young Riders and 24 Carrots 4-H clubs, Tackett said.

"We have a good group of kids, and a good group of parents," she said. "So we have fun up here. And it's an all-year-round project. It's not like the livestock, where you get it in March and you only keep it until fair week. ... They put a lot of time and a lot of effort into these animals, for sure."

They have to care for the horses all year round, even riding them in winter when the weather's good, Tackett said.

"Definitely a lot of work, but the kids really have fun, and to see them enjoy it like they will the versatility ... makes all the work worth it," she said.

New building attracting attention

It's been a busy week, said Rebecca Miller, the fair's secretary/manager.

"It's going great," she said Wednesday afternoon. "Numbers are up. A little warm, but people are still coming to the fair."

The new multi-use building that's under construction in the center of the fairgrounds has been attracting a lot of attention, she said.

"It's quite the show out there; it's a big display," she said. "It's come a long way. It's going to be quite the thing."

Fair officials hope to have construction completed by the end of the year.

"Of course, there's a lot of finish work inside," Miller said. "Once you get it up, you have to get all of that stuff done."

Once it's complete, the building will house the 4-H food stand, a meeting and dining space, and new offices for the senior fair, junior fair and Crawford County OSU Extension.

The old junior fair office and 4-H food stand were demolished to make room for the new construction.

Miller — who has been a fair director for 15 years and fair secretary for five — said she believes the modular building that houses the senior fair office was added in 1986, or maybe earlier.

"They weren't supposed to last that long," she said. "But as with everything, we made do and it's been fine. It's going to be great to have OSU extension so close. I know they're going to want to have a home out here and Junior Fair — they made a makeshift office in the Old Merchants — but they'll be happy to have their own little space. And the lunch stand will be happy to be back where they were. It will be good. The new normal."

But the temporary arrangements for this year have worked out well, she said. "We're making do and making the best of it."

For the first time this year, fairgoers have been able to purchase tickets online. The fair has partnered with Columbus-based HomeTown Ticketing to offer tickets online at crawfordcofair.com. The website offers daily and weekly passes, plus tickets for the OSTPA tractor pull on Friday and the demolition derby on Saturday.

"That seems to be going really well," Miller said. "People are very receptive to that. Of course, you can still pay cash at the gate. But they're pretty receptive to do that and it's easy at the gate. A few hiccups, but we've got through those."

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Horse versatility class 'pretty prestigious' at Crawford County Fair