It's show time

RONAN - "When you're showing your cat, it's like getting it ready for the prom," cat show judge Cindy Bras said during her review of the junior showmanship competitors Friday morning at the Lake County Fair. "Do the nails, do the hair, everything."

Felines were just one of many project categories in which 4-H students could participate at the fair. Projects could be raised, cooked or created during the annual event that ran from Aug. 5 to 9 at the county fairgrounds in Ronan.

Spread across tables in two buildings, project topics ranged from entomology to aerospace, photographs, dried grains, live flower arrangements, knitted hats and banana bread. Others chose to raise market animals to sell at an auction, or show their pets for purple ribbons. The possibilities were as endless as a participant's interests.

Hallie Hovenkotter, of Polson, showed her Jersey Woolly, Thumper, in the junior rabbit showmanship competition.

"My rabbit moves around a lot, so that was hard to deal with," she said.

Despite her struggles to keep the animal still on the table, Hovenkotter's knowledge and sparkling personality helped her achieve the reserve champion ribbon for the event.

"Everybody needs to slow down," rabbit showmanship judge Valerie Uptagrafft said to the group of junior competitors. "This isn't a race, so just slow your handling down."

Nine-year-old Philip Vaughan, of St. Ignatius, and his Indian Runner duck impressed poultry judge Vikki Stevenson, who said that ducks were infamous for causing chaos on, and often running clear off, of the show table. Stevenson awarded Vaughan the purple grand champion ribbon because, even for a novice, she thought he showed a mastery in his handling of the skittish bird.

"That duck can run faster than thin air," his mom, Amy, said.

However, for most of the competition, the animal stood still as a pencil as Vaughan stroked its long, thin neck, slowly and evenly, just as Uptagrafft, the rabbit judge, instructed the day before. The Vaughans, who have raised more than 20,000 chickens professionally over the years, said their son really took the reigns on his duck project from day one.

"Instead of raising a chicken, like everybody else, we had to raise ducks," Amy Vaughan said with the smile of a mother whose son just kicked some royal butt. "This has been his deal from the start."

Swine chairman Paul Toussaint said one of the neat things about 4-H is that you don't have to be a cattle-owner to show cattle or be a pig-farmer to raise pigs.

"This gives the kids a taste initially," he said. "The 4-H program is a seed, and if it fits the mold for them and they get positive results, then they have the possibility to explore those different fields."

In Lake County, there are so many people in the various agro-industries who are willing to volunteer with the 4-H programs, that those students whose parents don't have strong knowledge can still participate.

"There are people around to help and guide them," Touissaint said. "We demand a lot out of the kids. We want the kids to step up."

Most 4-Hers were rewarded this year with a big profit from their animal's market sale, which was up in all categories from pervious years.

"Traditionally, this fair has been very kind to the kids," 4-H parent and long-time volunteer, Jan Lake, said. "Other places, there is more money, but not the community support."

Lake said that last year's down economy probably contributed to the low-market sales, which saw many students barely break even. This year, however, as sales were up, all that hard work translated into more money in the college funds of many fair participants.

As Lake County 4-H Council President Trevor Motichka points out, raising a market animal for the fair teaches a student more than how to feed and care for it. There's also the business and financial side of things to consider.

"Once they sell the animal, the first thing they have to do is pay back the bank or the feed stores that gave them a charge account," he said. "For my kids, I'm essentially their banker, but I don't charge interest."

As leadership is a valued skill in the 4-H program, senior students, with years of showmanship under their belt, are often resources for juniors and novices, Motichka said. Teamwork also comes into play during the fair and friendships are cultivated over shoveling hay, scrubbing away dirt or trimming hairs.

"They do it because they have fun," Motichka said. "They help each other do chores, and even with other clubs, they work as a team."