Jackson County Fair horse show postponed by rain
Saturday’s Jackson County Fair horse show ended earlier than expected due to rain making the Northeast Kansas Heritage Complex horse arena too muddy, but some portions of the show were still able to get off without a hitch.
Jackson County 4-H Program Manager Cara Robinson noted that about half an inch of rain had fallen overnight on Friday, forcing postponement of the horse show’s riding events until 8 a.m. Saturday, July 25 at the Heritage Complex, provided the arena isn’t muddied too much by more rain later this week.
The show’s horse judging and showmanship portions, however, were held inside the complex’s new livestock building.
“It’s come to good use so far,” Robinson said of the livestock building.
It was not the first time in recent years that the horse show was rained out. In 2013, a sizable portion of the horse show had been completed when, during the reining competition, a hard rain began to fall and turned the complex’s parking area into a muddy mess. That show’s remaining events were postponed until after the rest of the fair was over, it was noted.
Fair organizers are also hoping that inclement weather will not have an effect on the fifth-annual Jackson County Rodeo, set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Heritage Complex arena. Gates open at 6 p.m. each evening.
This year’s fair — the 90th such event in the history of the Jackson County Fair Association — marks the first year that the fair is being held entirely at the Heritage Complex. Other upcoming fair events include:
• Tuesday, July 21: Pre-fair judging and consumer judging contest.
• Sunday, July 26: Clothing buymanship display set-up, noon to 3 p.m.; decoration of hay bales; unloading of livestock from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; open class exhibit check-in from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and sheep and goat weigh-in/check-in from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
All swine need to be in place by 8 a.m. Monday, July 27. All beef exhibits need to be in place by 1 p.m. that same day.
• Monday, July 27: Swine weigh-in/check-in from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; open class exhibit check-in and 4-H exhibit check-in for items not judged prior to the fair, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.; 4-H foods judging, 8:30 a.m.; food sale, 9:30 a.m.; rabbits in place, 10 a.m.; judging of building exhibits and open class exhibits, 1 p.m.; check-in for 4-H exhibits judged prior to the fair, 1:30 p.m.; market steer weigh-in from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion foods, 3:30 p.m.; Shepherd’s Lead, 5 p.m.; 4-H meat goat show, 5:15 p.m.; 4-H sheep show, 6 p.m.; food auction, 6 p.m.; and Farm Bureau Kiddie Tractor Pull, 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 28: 4-H hog show, 8:30 a.m.; Holton Recorder photos of champion exhibits, 3 p.m.; bucket calf conference judging, 4 p.m.; 4-H bucket calf and beef show, 5 p.m.; and livestock intent to sell deadline, 10 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 29: rabbits judged, 8 a.m.; dairy goats and dairy cattle judged, 9 a.m.; Animals On Parade, 10 a.m.; presentation of building awards, 1 p.m.; Barnyard Olympics with 4-H Ambassadors, 2 p.m.; livestock row of champions set-up, 4 p.m.; livestock row of champions in place, 5 p.m.; fair parade, 6 p.m.; and 4-H talent show and Fashion Revue, 8:30 p.m., followed by karaoke with Daren and Randy.
• Thursday, July 30: pet show, 9 a.m.; livestock judging contest, 10 a.m.; round robin showmanship, 1 p.m.; set-up for livestock sale, 2 p.m.; check out livestock, 2:30 p.m.; 4-H and open class exhibit check-out from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and livestock sale (rabbit meat pens, hogs, sheep, goats and beef), 6 p.m.
• Friday, July 31: clean-up, 9 a.m.
Toby’s Amusements of Arma will return to the fair to provide the midway with games and rides nightly from Monday, July 27 through Saturday, Aug. 1. For more information, call Jackson County’s Meadowlark District Extension office at 364-4125.
