Fair, rodeo crowds match last year's numbers

A rider loses his mount during the ICA rodeo held in conjunction with the fair.

The Elmore County Fairgrounds is in quiet repose now. The bustle of last week's Elmore County Fair and Rodeo is a fleeting memory as groundskeepers hustle to catch up with watering and mowing and the exhibit hall and livestock barns get a final once over.

Overall, it was a good year at the fair, said Rena Kerfoot, executive director of the Elmore County Fair and Rodeo (ECFR). Participation in both the 4-H and Optimist Youth projects saw an increase and admission to this year's fair matched that from 2012, but did not include those individuals who were granted free entry on Military Appreciation Day, those with student IDs nor those who snuck in through the unmanned back gate.

Kerfoot did not have the gates for the carnival last Sunday morning. She said the sale of pre-sale tickets for the carnival was delayed by two weeks because they were not received in a timely manner from the carnival contractor. That may have had a negative impact on the total gates, but despite that, one of the individuals associated with the carnival told her it had done well.

Phoenix Crossley, 12, shows off her hedgehog, R2-D2.

Kerfoot expressed disappointment that two of the larger rides that would have been attractive to teens had broken down somewhere in the outlands of Colorado while enroute to Glenns Ferry and that the necessary part to repair the trailer had to be custom ordered.

Despite that mishap, youngsters like Kaylie Crane and Harlee Sievers were having a good time at the fair.

After stepping down from The Traveler --a daunting contraption that spun riders at a head-dizzying, stomach-wrenching speed -- Harlee declared it as her favorite ride so far. Her "best friend" Kaylie also enjoyed the ride, but her head was already whirling from being named Overall Grand Champion of Market Sheep earlier in the day.

During the evening, fairgoers danced to the music of the Jeff Palmer Band.

Mechanical rides brought by the Town and Country Carnival drew youngsters, as did the blow-up attractions.

On Thursday afternoon, under a sweltering summer sun, Hayden Moseng, Amber Pruit and Kjnara Swanson, from Mountain Home, giggled nonstop as they slid down the Wild Rapids and were met by a spray of water from a ride operator holding a hose.

Daytime temperatures that rose above the century mark all week long kept morning and afternoon attendance down, but when the sun set and the rodeo let out the fairgrounds became a beehive of activity.

Following both Friday and Saturday evening ICA rodeos, crowds who'd gathered to watch cowgirls and cowboys compete for top prize in bull riding, bronc riding, barrel racing, and roping events wandered over to the midway to enjoy a variety of carnival food and dancing under the stars to the sounds of the Jeff Palmer Band. Kelly Mack also entertained at this year's fair.

Although the Culinary Arts entries were up, in general Open Class exhibits were down this year. Kerfoot said there were 144 total exhibitors, 47 of which were youth, and the fair paid out $1,300 to the winners of each division.

She is hoping that future years will see an improvement in participation. And that might not be a far-reaching hope if the fair board can move the fair to later in July or even early August.

Holding the fair in mid-July has always been problematic. Produce raised by area farmers and in home gardens is not ready for harvest, making for "slim pickins" in the open class produce division.

In addition, Kerfoot said holding the fair a little later in the summer could improve the chances of contracting with a larger carnival.

She has been talking with an outfit in Payette that is willing to include Glenns Ferry on its seasonal schedule if the fair is held later in the summer. She also indicated that it is difficult to compete for larger carnivals because some surrounding states, such as Wyoming, pay contractors to appear at various state fairs.

Yet, the later date could be problematic for 4-H and Optimist Youth who attend school in Mountain Home because it would conflict with the beginning of school and fall sports programs. However, the fair board is planning to discuss the concept with Mountain Home Schools Superintendent Tim McMurtrey.

While the expansion of youth livestock projects continues, it comes as a mixed blessing, Kerfoot acknowledged. The increase of participation also means that the fairgrounds is experiencing growing pains.

Faced with a reduced 2013-14 budget ($26,000 less than last year), finding funds to make necessary changes will challenge Kerfoot and the ECFR Board of Directors. But they remain undaunted.

Of their list of priority projects the top one is to install a second swamp cooler in the small animal barn.

Rabbits, chickens and other small animal exhibits share the metal building located behind the sheep barn. It was constructed prior to last year's fair and a swamp cooler was installed to keep it cool.

But this year's extreme heat forced fair officials to move the animals to the 4-H section of the exhibit building, and alerted them to the fact that one swamp cooler does not provide enough cooling in the building. Additional insulation on the barn also is needed, Kerfoot said.

Other priority projects include stabilizing the scales used for weighing sheep and swine. The existing portable scale will be relocated and attached to a permanent foundation, which will prevent it from getting out of calibration. This year, all of the swine projects had to be re-weighed due to false readings resulting from the scale's instability, Kerfoot explained.

The Fair Board also hopes to make upgrades to its electrical systems for both the midway and RV parking area. The lack of available power in the midway area has been an ongoing problem for years and, this year, resulted reduced exposure for vendors that were hidden behind food concessions fronting the midway. Kerfoot explained that the layout of this year's midway was a consequence of that lack of power.

The RV area located along the fairground's southern border also needs power upgrades. At present, the fairgrounds can accommodate 40 RVs with water/electric hookups at that location, and another 14 water/power hookups behind the stands at the rodeo arena.

While future expansion and improvement projects may appear insurmountable with the fair's current budget, youth program leaders and parents are looking ahead with a positive attitude, indicated Kerfoot.