Presidios and Stetsons

It was September 5th, the first day of the county fair. We sponsor a 4H program for the local Youth At Risk program and today we have two teens showing our animals! We have two sheep and two goats showing this year. The teens worked really hard to get their animals looking top notch, and we are really proud of them. Last year we won two first place and two second place ribbons for our pigs. We sold those pigs that very day. My dad gave each teen a hundred dollars from those sales.

My mom is also showing in the fair. She made two of her famous pies, one peach and one apple. She makes them every year. We have the Blue, Red and White Ribbons hanging in the kitchen, proving how good they are! And she always makes an extra of each one for us to eat at home after the show.

Fair day was always a family day for us. We woke early and loaded the animals and the teens into the truck. We always wore our best fair atire. Our best western shirts, ironed riding jeans, our Presidio boots and best Stetsons. Our family also had a tradition of wearing matching bandanas around our necks. We had the 4H kids wear them as well and the animals too. Dad wore his favorite rodeo themed belt buckle. It was the fair and we liked to represent "The Higgins" winning style in the festivities.

We unloaded the teens and their animals and then went with mom to drop off her pies. The cake and pie barn was just starting to fill up. Mom got her number and placed her pies on the shelf.

"The judges wont be there until 1:00pm. " she said.

We went back to watch the 4H'ers show their animals. One of the teens name was Sydney and she brought Dougie and Petunia with her. Dougie was a Nubian goat and Petuna was a Navajo ewe sheep. Sly, the other teen and also Sydney's brother brought with him Daisy who was also a Nubian goat and Baba also a Navajo ewe to show . They were all clean as a whistle, trimmed and shaved, with brand new sparkly halter's and leads. They even smelled nice. Well, nicer than usual. Both Sydney and Sly were wearing bleach white buttondown shirts, ironed jeans, their bandanas and had their hair neatly combed. Thier parents showed up and we all sat together to watch them hopefully win some ribbons!

The first show was for goats only. We watched them parade in front of the judges. One by one stopping, standing, telling the judges about the animals ancestry, showing frame size, how sound the animal is, structural correctness, muscle, volume and capacity, style and balance, and growth potential. They also explained what they fed each animal, how well their animal is cared for, all the while showing how well the animal behaves. It was quite a show! There were about twenty goats total and all cared for by our local youth. When Sydney or Sly went by we cheered loudly!

Finallly a winner was called, It was one of our neighbor's goats, Silly Willy that won. Sydney came in second with Dougie. We cheered and hollered and made a little scene. Daisy didn't place in this show but there was still more shows throughout the day and tomorrow as well. Sly was sad, but we cheered him on. He kept his head high and congratulated his sister.

We decided to leave the teens at the 4H tent for a while to get lunch. Bratwursts, and corn on the cob. "Ooh," said my mom, there is no line for the cotton candy!" I volunteered to get her a cotton candy while she waited in line for the corn, and my brother and dad waited for the brats and soda pops.

We were to meet up at one of the picnic tables. I waited for them, holding a paper cone of cotton candy in each hand. I figured I would get two. I didnt think about how I was gonna eat the brat or corn on the cob while holding cotton candy but it was too late. Both hands were full.

I noticed a large heifer roaming through the crowd. At first, it didn't seem odd. He was loose just meandering along. He was a young cow but big and buff. He seemed like a gentle giant and I wondered if he was supposed to be loose. He meandered right up to where I was standing and without missing a beat, he bit off some of my cotton candy and started chewing.

"Hold that heifer!" I heard someone yelling. My hands were full but I tried to grab his halter anyway. The heifer wasn't having it. He pulled hard away from me and I couldn't hold him. I got cotton candy on my Stetson and then on my shirt. I couldn't keep my grip unless I dropped the cotton candy all together. Down it went onto the ground which was muddy from the water truck trying to keep the dust down. But even without the cotton candy, I could not hold on. The cow pushed me with all his might, whipping his head from side to side. I stepped on the cotton candy slipping in the mud and fell to the ground, letting go of the halter. The cow backed away and kept on moving. He trotted along without a care, still chewing.

Now he was heading right toward my mom who had just gotten the corn on the cob. She was heading toward me and saw me on the ground. I yelled to her, "Stop that heifer!" I got up and ran toward my mom and the heifer. When she saw the heifer heading toward her without a lead, my mom being farmed raised, dropped the box of corn on the cob and tried to grap the cow's halter as it was going past her. My family are all farmers and horse trainers. It is our instinct to jump into action, to drop everything to get an animal under control.

The cow being too excited, yanked it's head up and down a couple times while pulling my mom trying to get in between the porta potties. I tried to reach them, as mom lost her grip causing her to trip and she let go of the halter falling in the mud. I helped her up and we went back to pick up the corn on the cob when she stepped on a cob, and slipped again pulling me down with her. We were now falling onto the buttered corn. No one was hurt but the corn was covered in dirt and besides mud, we also had butter stains on our clothes.

My dad and brother heard the commotion and seeing the heifer, they tried to stop it by blocking it. They stood close together, ready to split apart if the cow tried to go either way. But they were carrying four bratwursts with relish, onions and mustard and four colas. The heiffer decided to turn when he saw my dad and brother who then decided to run after it carrying the food in it's paper box. The guy who owned the cow was running after it as well. "Stop him! Stop him!" There were a lot of people there, but it was a big strong cow and intimidating especially being out of control.

Most of the people the cow came towards jumped out of the way, When occasionally someone did grab it's halter the cow would push them down or start running and drag them along. No one was able to keep control of it. Even when the owner got a hold the cow managed to break free. This cow was running. The owner was chasing the cow around. Me, my dad and my brother were chasing the cow around. My mom had given up. Finally my dad and brother were able to grab it's halter. Unfortunately this did not slow this cow down! He kept running and kept pushing on my dad trying to get him to let go. In order to keep hold of the cow, both my dad and brother dropped the box of food which my dad immediately slipped on letting the cow go as he went down. Seeing my dad go down my brother let go of the cow himself and somehow ended up on the ground. The cow stopped for a minute right then in front of my dad and brother on the muddy ground. I ran up and saw my opportunity. I was determined to catch this cow! I leaped forward with my hand reaching but tripped over my dad as he was getting up. Landing on my side in the mud. I tried to get up but there was mud and cotton candy making my boot slippery and I kept falling down. The three of us covered in soda and mud, and brats with mustard, onion and relish. The cow ran on.

At this point there were a lot more people after this cow. It ran through the 4H small animal tent and you could hear the kids and animals yelling, It ran through the garden barn and emerged with zinnias in it's mouth and a couple of marigolds in his halter. It ran through the pie and cake barn knocking over only a few of the pies and cakes (thankfully), and emerging with cake on it's face. This cow was having a field day! Literally! Finally two cowboys on horses roped him and got him under control. The owner who was running after the cow, hooked him up to a lead. The cowboys kept their ropes around him and the three of them walked the cow back to the large livestock barn.

We looked at each other realizing each one of us was a total mess. People were looking at us covered in food and mud. Someone handed me napkins. "Food fight?" some guy asked as he walked by looking at us. I still had cotton candy stuck to my Presidios. I sat on a bench and picked it off with a stick. That didn't actually work. My dad and brother had cola, mustard and mud on their jeans. I had mud and butter and who know's what else smeared all down my pants. Mom's pants and shirt was muddy and oily with butter.

We wiped ourselves off as best we could and headed for the cake and pie barn to see the damage. Fortunately for mom, her pies were still there. We joked about how the cow didn't choose her pie and what that might mean. I had cotton candy stuck in my hair and on my shirt and on my precious Stetson as well. "Geeze, I just had this cleaned. "I guess I"m takin it back in. And these boots" I said remembering how my boots looked.

"Sorry son," my dad said and showed me his Stetson covered in mud. Sly ran up to us with a giant smile holding out a blue ribbon! We all applauded. He looked at us. "What happened to you guys?" he asked when he saw us. He looked around at crumbled pies and cakes and pies and cakes being cleaned up off the floor. "And what happened here?" He looked astonished.

"A crazy heifer got loose" my dad said smiling "So you got a Blue Ribbon!" "Congratulations! That is awesome, son." We all shook his hand and hugged him and patted him on the back.

"The same cow that ran through our show?" Sly asked.

"Yes, sir! I believe it was!" said my dad.

"You should have seen us trying to slow this thing down!" I exclaimed.

"So that's what happened to you?" he said smiling. We all started laughing.

They had to pospone the judging at the pie and cake barn and also at the garden barn where the heifer ran through.

We decided to go home, change our clothes, and come back to the fair. The teens had more shows and more ribbons to win, so they stayed at the fair with their parents.

We had originally planned on staying all day into the night. The County Fair comes once a year and we look forward to it. There are rides and games, music, dancing, shopping, shows, contests, animals and even lectures! But our clothes were wet, dirty and sticky and none of us felt like staying in these clothes. When we got to the truck, there was a single Marigold laying on the hood of the truck. "Do you think that cow came way down here?" I asked picking up the flower.

"We didn't even get to eat our brats!" My brother said disparingly putting newpaper down on the seat and then sitting on it in the back seat of the truck. "I'm so hungry!" my brother whined holding his stomach and squinting his eyes for effect."

I put some newspaper on my seat as well and got in next to him.

" Dude," I said. "If that was your cow?"

"He'd be dinner!" he chimed up.

"We'll get snacks at home," mom said. "But I'm coming back for my brat and cotton candy!" She said looking back at us smiling. "Crazy heifer." she said still smiling and shaking her head in disapproval.

"I dont think he's winning any ribbons." My brother said."Did you see him with cake on his face?"

"He ate my cotton candy!" I whined.

"I loved the flowers in his hair," my mom said. Those purple Zinnia's, they were quite pretty. Someone's gonna be sad about that!" she said looking out the window.

"We should eat pie when we get home!" my brother yelled.

"I second that" said my dad and he raised his hand.

"I third it." I said raising my hand. My brother raised his hand for effect.

"Pie it is!" Mom said, raising her hand. We'll change our clothes, and have a piece of pie with some fresh whipped cream and then we will head back to the fair!" She zestfully made a fist and swung her arm with approval.

"A day at the fair," my dad mumbled from the driver's seat, "ruined my good hat." He rubbed his leg where it had made impact with the ground. He shook his head smiling, staring at the road ahead. "That darn heifer." and then a minute later, "Pie it is!"