4 Wiley Farm
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
    • Cows
    • Semen
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
    • Cows
    • Semen
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise

This is Us​ - our life, our story, our farm

The Ohio State Fair...2019 Edition

8/5/2019

0 Comments

 
'We ended the summer show season with a few days at the Ohio State Fair.  

If it feels like you have read this post before...I kind of feel like I have written this before.  As the years go on, we do the same things over and over.  It should make things easier...right?

Well, I don't know if our July's will ever be easy, but maybe we just don't have to think as hard and can rely on the auto pilot a little more.  

Heading into the Ohio State Fair, I just didn't feel very prepared.  Planning for the show was pretty last minute, because the time just wasn't there.  Over the years, we have kept detailed notes, so it really is easier...but it felt a little bit too easy...so I was sure I was forgetting something.  

Well thankfully, I didn't forget anything... at least that I know of.
Picture
Coming off of the county fair, we always have to will ourselves to the state fair.  We are usually just too tired to really care. 

Once we arrived, it didn't take us long to get into the spirit of things.  
Picture
We had an awesome group of exhibitors this year. 

Some old...and some new, but everyone got along great.  We talked, joked, helped and just had fun together.  
Picture
Monday evening was the informal junior show.  

This is all about the kids...their opportunity to learn and just have fun.  

We started the show with showmanship.  The kids were divided up into Junior, Intermediate and Senior divisions.  The goal is to let the kids showcase their showmanship skills, and then learn where they can improve.

One of the great aspects of having the junior show before the open show, is it gives the kids an opportunity to learn something new and then put it to use the following day.  
Picture
Isaac and Walker were in the Senior showmanship division.

And they were not at all happy to be in the same division!

They are both pretty good...so Isaac had to be on his A-game...or he might get beat by his little brother.  

The judge had a hard time deciding, so he tried to trip them up a little bit.  He had Isaac pull out of the first position in line and move to the back.  
Picture
Walker moved up to fill the empty position...but he hesitated just a little too long.  

It was the deciding factor and Isaac was placed first in Senior showmanship.  

Isaac could breathe...for a little bit...because Walker will be on his heals next year.  
Picture
Following showmanship was the junior show.  

Yes, that is Angel.  

She still isn't back to where she was, but she is far better than she was a month ago.  

We took a big risk taking her to the fair, but we figured she could handle an hour drive and two days away from home.  We weren't so sure about things on Monday night, because she was just sipping water and it was very obvious that she was not feeling well.  

But...she was there, so we were going to take her through the ring whether she liked it or not.  
Picture
Walker showed Romance.

Good, old Romance.  A trooper who just goes with the flow and never misses a beat.  I wish all our cows were as easy keepers as Romance
Picture
Angel was named the Junior show Grand Champion Female.
Picture
And this is why we do it.

All the late nights and super early mornings.  All the e-mails, phone calls and paper work.

It is all for a picture like this.  A group of kids who have worked hard and pushed themselves outside of their comfort zones.  Kids who leave the ring with a smile on their face and a bag full of good stuff.  
Picture
Tuesday was another day with a different judge.  

​And a day to show some bulls.  
Picture
Last fall we had two bulls born just a few days apart.  They are both sired by "Mean Gene".  

We diverted from our normal naming process because it isn't often that you get the opportunity to name a pair of bulls Smith & Wesson.  
Picture
It was the first show for both of them and they weren't too amused with the whole walking thing...but we managed.  
Picture
Smith did a whole lot better once Walker dropped the nose ring lead.  

Yes...we had to resort to a temporary bull ring after Walker ended up on Smith's back during ring practice.  
Picture
I guess that bull ride was worth it, because Smith won Reserve Grand Champion Bull.  
Picture
We were also very honored to receive both the Premier Exhibitor and Premier Breeder awards.

Yes...he was as confused and he looks.  They asked for a representative to come up and claim the banners...but he couldn't hear and couldn't figure out why I kept telling him to go up.  

Just another day of craziness in the Wiley household..
And the highlight of our week....

Being asked to represent Ohio Cattlemen live on NBC 4.  

And the alarm went off at 3:45 a.m. just so they could be on TV.  

​Wednesday, Daniel and I went back to work...and Isaac slept until noon.  The boys have two more weeks before school starts...and I don't think they are going to wash another cow!

You might also like...
The Ohio State Fair...2018 Edition
Summer's Climax - The Ohio State Fair
Summer...Take 2
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Let's Connect

    Picture

    Author

    Hello!  I am Heather... the city girl turned mom to manure loving country boys. My husband and I both grew up in the city, but spent weekends visiting grandparents in the country.  We are first generation farmers who learn best by almost always doing things the hard way.  I hope you enjoy following along with our adventures down on the farm.

    Shop Our Farm

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    10 On The 10th
    Books
    Calving
    Character
    Everything Else
    Food
    Hay
    How To
    Photography
    Showing
    Things We Love

    RSS Feed

    Popular Posts

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

The Cows

​Why Minis?
Our Winners
For Sale

The Family

Home
About Us
Contact Us
Disclosure

Follow Us

Blog - Down on the Farm
Instagram
You Tube
Facebook

Associations

​Miniature Hereford Breeders Association
American Hereford Association
Ohio Cattlemen's Association