A pig, soon to be auctioned, thrusts its snout through the bars of the holding pen Monday afternoon during the 4-H Livestock Auction. By Ellie Bogue of The News-Sentinel
The fair may have been officially over on Monday, but there was still 234 orders of business to tend to at the annual 4-H Livestock Auction.
Auctioneers tongues flew and pigs, goats, cows and their owners scurried into the holding pen as the average bid only took fewer than two minutes. Bids began at 12:30 p.m. and the final chicken was sold around 5 p.m., County Extension Educator Michael Talbott said.
Talbott said the auction is always a major boost to 4-H’ers who raise and show quality market animals at the county fair, but for the first time this year helped put needed meat into the mouths of hungry families. Businesses and buyers could donate the animals they bought to the Community Harvest Food Bank.
Lyle Voneran, a farmer from Monroeville, made his first visit to a livestock auction Monday.
“I’m here to support the kids. They put a lot of work into their show animals for the fair, and I’m helping them support the community,” he said. “So it’s a win-win.”
After the wood chips stopped flying and the Show Barn was cleared out, Talbott and other volunteers tracked the results of this year’s auction, even as a bidding war for a pig tacked on another $2,000 to the pot. In the end, sales from this year’s auction totaled more than $120,000.
For a comprehensive list of this year’s numbers and a list of record-holders, check out my coverage of the auction here: 4-H buyers now may donate meat to food banks.
Post by Amanda Junk for The News-Sentinel.
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… And this was Friday night at the fair with the Farmer Olympics and the Classic Car Cruise-In.
Our first stop of the evening was the Farmer Olympics at the waterball court. Over 20 participants were eagerly waiting for the competitions, which consisted of a variety of individual timed events, to start. We were biting our nails over the nail driving competition. The first round of farmers were boys 12 and under. With safety goggles in place, they hunched over their blocks of wood ready to take out fairground aggression (they really wanted that elephant ear, perhaps?).
Jim Pliett with his remodeled Ford.
We also cruised over to the Classic Car Cruise-In, conveniently located nearby at the grounds area. When I walked up to the 2006 Mustang seated beautifully beside the 1923 Ford T-bucket, I felt like I was dreaming. The cars were so shiny and pretty and I loved them. I wanted to put them in my pocket and take them home — but, unfortunately, my pocket was not big enough for these classic cars. We spoke with the owners — Jim and Anne Pliett of Fort Wayne — who said he has had over 60 cars in his lifetime. Though, he admitted they were not all as cool. His favorite car he’s owned? A 1987 Ford Mustang — coincidentally enough, that was the year, make and model of my first car.
Anne Pliett of Fort Wayne with her 2006 Mustang.
It was indeed a wonderful night to watch a crazy bunch of farmers — all tired from the week — to compete in some fun events and it was a treat talking to fellow car lovers. The weather was perfect, the smell of junk food was in the air and animals were within sight. What more could you ask for from a Friday fair night?
Read more in Amanda Junk’s Fair update in tomorrow’s paper!
Post and photos by Kelly Metz of The News-Sentinel.
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Red Neck Relay
A team of red neck racers load bales of hay onto the back of their pick-up truck.
The Red Neck Relay competition was the first of its kind in the history of the Allen County Fair. Darlene Thomas of Fort Wayne, a 4-H volunteer, told us the idea came from Portland, Ind., where pick-up teams (no pun intended) have loaded bales of hay onto truck beds and raced around an obstacle course for about 28 years.
The rules were pretty basic, as Thomas explained them: All that was necessary were teams of three (one a licensed driver) and a pick-up truck. The challenge? Stack 25 bales of straw onto the truck, travel the course muddied by a water truck and marked by orange safety cones, unload and restack the straw bales onto a trailer. The prize? For finishing first, $30.
When Kelly and I first approached the Allen County Pull Strip to catch all the action, Thomas told us the racers were in for a rough ride. Was she correct? Find out the answer, the results of the competition and more about today’s events in Kelly Metz’s coverage of the fair in tomorrow’s edition of The News-Sentinel.
Post and photo by Amanda Junk for The News-Sentinel.
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Llamas, anyone?
This llama belongs to Rebecca Paden, 10.
The 4-H Llama Showmanship was today and it was a quiet, but interesting time. I didn’t get a chance to talk to many people, because everyone had to stay quiet for judging, but it was still fun.
The fair has been great so far, I got a bit of a sunburn yesterday while I was standing at the pull strip but the food smells great and the animals are cute.
For more fair reading:
- The News-Sentinel will be featuring 10-year 4-H members through Fair week:
Lauren Manck and Matthew Danielson
Sarah Potter and Elizabeth Rose
Elaine Shank and Regina Shannon
More 4-H profiles to come! - “Allen County Fair: Thrill of it all”
- Animal Planet— Ellie Bogue takes snapshots of the Allen County Fair
Post and photo by Kelly Metz of The News-Sentinel.
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Actually I can’t, those are just song lyrics, but I bet the super cool men, women and children who rode in the Allen County Fair Motorcycle Races can.
Check out that air!
At 7 p.m. Tuesday night the fairgrounds were filled with the sounds of revving engines, there weren’t any Tokyo Drift style street races going on, but motorcycles were getting some sweet air and kicking mud up when they went around turns. About 60 riders showed up for the event — which lasted almost four hours — and there were several different classes, so one racer wasn’t picked overall.
Amanda and I were standing on the sidelines and when the 7-8 age group was racing, I got determined to interview the racerwho has the helmet with a mohawk out the top (like a knight). It was a girl and her name was Autym, she had been racing since she was four! When I was four, I was still playing with barbies, not riding dirt bikes.
It should be an awesome action-packed fair week for this busy intern.
Post and photo by Kelly Metz for The News-Sentinel.
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A display of pageantry
The Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival ended on a bittersweet note, we didn’t want to festival to end, yet, I’m always up for new beginnings. And the Allen County Fair has already began with the Miss Allen County Queen Pageant.
It’s Gloria Helfrich’s last year with the pageant, after over a decade of service as the director. She has been involved with the fair in several committees and as president for 35 years and now, she’s letting someone else take over. Not until, of course, she put on one final show. I shadowed Helfrich for the whole day — starting at 10 a.m. — on Sunday while she prepped the music, lighting and the contestants for their big night.
At 6 p.m., the doors of Concordia Lutheran opened and friends and family awaited the show. The theme for the night was “Rock This Town,” and balloons and floral arrangements in bright colors decorated the stage in the already crowded auditorium. Dan Austin of K105-FM was the emcee and Tom Didier made his first appearance at the pageant to sing famous songs from the 40s, 50s and 60s such as “America” by Neil Diamond and “New York, New York,” by Frank Sinatra.
Before the crown was passed, the pageant committee — who is retiring as well — made a tribute to Helfrich which left the crowd misty eyed. 2007 Allen County Queen Katie Fox said Helfrich was her “fairy godmother” and several people claimed Helfrich as the force behind the pageant.
Kate Taylor
The winner was eventually announced as well as the runner-ups. Kate Taylor of Homestead High School was crowned Miss Allen County 2008.
Also this week, keep on the look-out for profiles of 10-year 4-H members. Today, Laura Manck and Matthew Danielson were placed in the spotlight. A total of 16 members will be featured, and if you run into them at the fair, wish them luck!
Posted by Kelly Metz for The News-Sentinel.
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Don’t miss our fair schedule
Just click on the “schedule” link at the top of the page. Or click here.
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New 4-H clubs set for fair
From Thursday’s News-Sentinel, about new urban 4-H clubs:
Gina Smith of New Haven and Lisa Sexton of Fort Wayne have never met, but they have something in common – they saw the need for 4-H in their communities.
“Several of us parents were driving up to a half-hour one way every week to take our kids to 4-H meetings,” Smith said. “We got together and thought, ‘It’s about time to start our own.’ ”
So they did. The Imagine School Rising Suns and the New Haven Clovers will participate in their first Allen County Fair this year, starting Tuesday at the fairgrounds on Carroll Road.
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Fair days ahead
Don’t miss our fair preview that first appeared in The News-Sentinel’s Ticket! section on Thursday.
Read about new events, the contractors’ rodeo and the redneck relays.
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Allen County Fair blog 