Knowing the ropes: Hallie Hovenkotter

Veteran 4-Her Hallie Hovenkotter is taking it easy at the Lake County Fair this year. Taking it easy is relative.

In her six years, Hovenkotter, now a sophomore at Polson High School, has tackled the task of raising about every type of animal available to Lake County 4-H participants. She’s raised bunnies, cats, sheep and an animated dog, Amy, with whom she captured second place at last year’s Lake County Fair. She’s done gardening and created a collection of arts and crafts entered in years of open class competition. This year, however, Hovenkotter said she’ll stick to her main three projects: lamb, cat and rabbit, and maybe a few pieces of art.

The “rabbit expert” among her friends, Hovenkotter has raised and shown the breeds of Mini Lop and Jersey Wooly so many times you’d think she could do this county fair stuff in her sleep, but Hovenkotter admits there are still challenges to showing her animals.

“They are never predictable,” she said of her four-legged friends. “I’ve had rabbits that were great at home, but tried to jump off the table in the ring.”

Adding another element to the task, showing your animals means knowing your animals inside and out. Knowing their colors, parts, eating habits and the required care it needs to be healthy — earning a purple ribbon in showmanship is no small accomplishment.

“I always study up and make sure I know everything about my animal, but the judges can ask stray questions about other breeds,” Hovenkotter said. “The pressure is on when you’re in Senior Showmanship. They expect you to know everything.”

An Overall Grand Champion for two years in a row, Hovenkotter and her classy cat, a Maine Coon Mix named Lily, will be looking for the hat trick at this year’s Lake County Fair.

“She likes to look pampered, gorgeous,” Hovenkotter said of the rare breed kitten she rescued from the animal shelter years ago. “She hunts mice, gets all dusty and then comes inside and she’s all delicate... It all depends on the animal, how much care you need to give it.”

Having the responsibility of caring for another living thing is one of the main draws for fair participants and their parents alike. It is a huge accomplishment for a 4-Her to see an animal grow and prosper under her care, but as Hovenkotter learned this year, it’s not always fun and games.

“The lamb project has been the hardest project I’ve done,” she said. “With other animals, you can raise them and have fun, but the market animals have to meet certain weights, you have to feed it right...”

Hovenkotter has raised Suffolk sheep for the past three years, but this year decided to go with a Suffolk/Hampshire cross. Sheep, it’s said, have a weak immune system.

“You have to watch them at all times,” Hovenkotter said. “I have not had a year where one of them didn’t get sick.”

This year, because of the cold spring, the first of Hovenkotter’s two lambs died of pneumonia. Thankfully, the companion lamb has done well, once the climate improved.

“I really like 4-H because it taught me what I like about animals,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll always have animals in my life.”