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Domingo Aguirre named fair's grand marshall
Domingo Aguirre has been named as the Grand Marshall for the Elmore County Fair and Rodeo, which this year has a theme of "Honoring Our Basque Heritage."
Aguirre was presented with a plaque marking the honor during ceremonies held Saturday at Carmela Winery.
Aguirre was born in Mountain Home to his Basque immigrant parents, Domingo Aguirre, Sr., and Juanita Urquidi Aguirre.
He grew up in Mountain Home and at their Prairie ranch.
After two and a half years at the University of Washington, he returned to help his father, a sheep rancher and Domingo realized that ranching was what he wanted to do as his life's work.
In 1968, the sheep business was declining as Basque herders were harder to find. At that time the sheep were sold and Domingo and his brother, Felipe, went into cattle ranching, which they pursued until the 1990s. He always said he loved moving cattle with a good horse and his dogs.
Domingo was a member of the Elmore County Planning and Zoning Board for numerous years. He was inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame. He liked being in the Air Force Appreciation Day parades and the Elmore Country Fair Parades with his team of horses. For many years, Domingo especially enjoyed taking young people from different community groups Christmas caroling with his team of horses and wagon.
Sports have been very important to Domingo from his high school days to the present time. He attends many high school athletic events and was once a judge for homecoming activities.
Extremely proud of his Basque heritage, Domingo enjoys participating in Basque festivals and picnics and has emceed the entertainment -- the Basque sports of carrying weights, lifting of large weights, and javelin throwing.
Domingo married his Basque wife, Dolores Baninaga, in 1946. He has two daughters, Sylvia Aguirre and Diana Aguirre Bush, son-in-law Robert Bush, a granddaughter Angela, and a grandson, Robert W. Bush.
The 2006 Elmore County "Wild West" Fair and Rodeo kicks off July 24-29, featuring entertainment on the midway, a carnival, a rodeo, exhibits and demonstrations.
The fair and rodeo are held in Glenns Ferry, just off I-84 exit 121 to the community.
The fair will open July 24 at the fairgrounds in Glenns Ferry with registration for open class events and a series of judging competitions that day and Tuesday for 4-H and Optimist youths and the 4-H horse show beginning at 8 a.m.
Registration for the open division will be held Monday, July 24, from 6-9 p.m. and on Tuesday, July 25, from 8-11 a.m., followed immediately by the open class judging at 1:30 p.m., after the judge's luncheon.
A local team sorting event will be held at the rodeo grounds beginning at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 27, is the first of the full day of activities and the day the carnival midway opens.
Inland Empire Shows Carnival will be on site for four days this year with new rides to please event-goers. The carnival features over 30 rides, games and attractions.
A limited number of the Advance Sale Pay One Price (POP) tickets are available beginning this Friday, July 7, at Paul's Market and D&B Supply in Mountain Home, and The Corner Market, Southside Market, Hometown Hardware and The Stop in Glenns Ferry, for $15. The tickets will be on sale until Tuesday July 25, or while they last. At the fair tickets will cost $22.
A Player's Bonus Coupon will be given to every player each time they play a game on the carnival midway. All prizes on the midway have Player's Bonus Coupon values and fairgoers can redeem the coupons to get the prize of their choice at any booth, if enough have been earned.
According to L. Reed Williams, President of Royal West Amusements and Inland Empire Shows Carnivals, "We decided that it was more fun for everyone on the midway to offer a way, besides winning, to get the prize you want. The Player's Bonus Coupons give you something back for just playing, even if you don't win a particular game."
Families attending the Elmore County Fair this year also will receive a special Carnival Buck when they purchase their ride tickets at the carnival ticket booths. They'll get $1 off any large or medium drink with a food purchase, $1 off a bag of cotton candy, and three $1 coupons toward any of the games on the midway that they play.
"We like to give the folks who come to our carnival a little something extra. We know that they spend money at the event, and we want to ease their budgets a bit to thank them for making our carnival part of their experience," Reed said.
The carnival will be open from 4-10 p.m.Wednesday through Friday, and from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
The exhibit building will open at noon on Wednesday, the first day in which most activities are available to the general public. Besides the midway and carnival activities, the first hornet car races ever appearing at the fair will be held at the motocross site on the rodeo grounds beginning at 7 p.m., and the "Relative Rock" country rock band will provide entertainment on the midway in the evening.
Girls competing in the Fair and Rodeo queen contest will perform in the horsemanship phase of the competition at the rodeo grounds on July 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The exhibit building opens at noon Wednesday through Saturday and will remain open until 10 a.m.
Thursday's activities are part of the alcohol-free Family Day at the fair.
The All-Youth Junior Rodeo will begin at 6 p.m. at the rodeo grounds.
The Little Miss Elmore County Fair Pageant begins at 7 p.m. on the midway, open to all young girls ages 3-8. To enter, call the fair office at 587-2136, ext. 287.
At 8 p.m. on the midway the Elmore County Hispanic Organization dancers will perform, and music will be provided by the Hispanic band "Explosivo Norte."
Friday's activities begin with entertainment on the midway from 5-9 p.m., including hypnotist Andrew Becker performing from 7-8:30 p.m. and music by the Jeff Palmer Band beginning at 9 p.m.
A dog demonstration will be held at the rodeo grounds at 4 p.m. and a drill team, Treasure Valley Leather Slappers, will perform there at 7:15 p.m., just before the rodeo.
The ICA/IMPCA Rodeo begins at 8 p.m. The rodeo queen will be announced during the rodeo.
Slash T is the stock contractor for the rodeo.
A wild-cow milking contest and an open saddle bronc competition, open to any member of the public that would like to try riding the bucking horses will be held during the rodeo. Register for either event by calling Jerry Gorrell at 599-7373 by July 17.
Saturday is Cultural Day, honoring the area's Basques.
The 4-H Livestock Sale will begin at 9 a.m., followed at 11:30 a.m. by the Optimist Youth Group Livestock Sale.
The hypnotist will perform at 6 and 7:30 p.m.
The second night of the rodeo begins at 8 .m., and the Jeff Palmer band will perform again on the midway beginning at 9 p.m.