Weather slows crowds at fair

"It was pretty dog-gone hot," said Cathy Wyllie-Hill, executive director of the Elmore County Fair Board.

And those hot temperatures resulted in a slow start for this year's Elmore County Fair as activities for the public got underway on one of the hottest days of the year.

"It was 116 degrees," in Glenns Ferry on Wednesday when the fair opened its gates and the Royal West Carnival and midway entertainment began, Wyllie-Hill noted, but "We weathered the storm," a phrase that could be taken both literally and figuratively.

The hot temperatures during the first part of the week caused a few vendors to cancel and a group of scheduled entertainers to break their engagement, yet in the end both the fair and rodeo were a great success, said Wyllie-Hill.

Attendance was on the low side both Wednesday and Thursday evenings but storms that moved through area on Friday and Saturday yielded cooler temperatures, bringing people out of hiding and down to the fairground.

Despite the weather, all livestock shows stayed on schedule and youth exhibits were up and finished in time for the opening of the exhibit hall. Noting the contributions made by local youth groups including 4-H and Optimists clubs, Wyllie-Hill said, "The youth participants should be congratulated for their showmanship, and responsibility to their projects and for finalizing their projects."

The livestock sale was well attended, reported Wyllie-Hill and most people were pleased with the results. Local 4-H clubs provided a free buyers' breakfast on Saturday, and the Optimist provided a free all-attend luncheon that afternoon. Both were well attended.

Some new events were added to this year's fair schedule including a mud bog race and snowmobile grass race, both held on Saturday. Later that afternoon, the first annual Little Miss Elmore County was held in the midway area with Cowboy Rudy acting as emcee.

Each little lady, dressed in her best clothes, was invited up on the outdoor stage to answer questions put to them by Cowboy Rudy. The crowd was charmed by the little misses, each of whom received a sash barring the name of their sponsor, a crown, gifts and medallion. Wyllie-Hill said this would be an annual event.

Thursday's Ice Cream Social drew an appreciative crowd that devoured 12 gallons of ice cream-some homemade and some donated by merchants, and dozens of homemade pies, cakes and cookies.

The carnival is always a huge draw for the fair. This year, 1,000 presale tickets were sold and of those 980 were redeemed during the carnival. On-site ticket sales at the carnival were also brisk, Wyllie-Hill said.

According to fair records, money generated by the carnival has risen from $2,121 in 2000 to over $13,500 this year. A portion of the proceeds is given to the fair board.

Volunteers are always an essential part of the fair, and this year was no exception. Hundreds of volunteer hours are spent planning events, setting up exhibits, supervising, gate tending, cleaning up and a myriad of other tasks needed for success.

Attendance for Thursday's Youth Rodeo was down somewhat from last year, reported Rodeo Chairman and overseer Jerry Gorrell. The weather was probably a key factor. But those who did turn out were rewarded with a rip-roarin' show as young cowpokes roped, rode, tied and raced their way through a variety of events.

Little cowpokes roped dummy calves and untied ribbons from goat tails, as older cowboys and cowgirls participated in the keyhole race, and other roping and riding events.

The ICA sanctioned rodeo held both Friday and Saturday night drew a moderate crowd. Again, the weather may have played a key factor as rain clouds threatened both nights. But despite the moderate attendance, Gorrell was pretty happy with this year's rodeo.

Again, Slash T Rodeo Company provided the livestock, and the animals certainly were not in the mood to be ridden.

"We have some really good cowboys here," Gorrell said. But most were no match for the bucking horses and wild bulls. Very few riders made it to the buzzer and as the rodeo wound to a close it was 15-year old Dallee Mason, of Weiser who walked away with a $1,575 purse in the bull-riding event.

Several cowboys commented on this year's upgrades at the arena, Wyllie-Hill said. More dirt was brought in and new fence posts were installed. "A majority of the cowboys said this was the finest arena they've been in, Wyllie-Hill said.

Gorrell noted the contributions by volunteers who help put the annual rodeo together. "It's a lot of hard work," noted Gorrell who has served as Rodeo Chairman for nearly eight years.

This year's rodeo was not without its mishaps. On Friday evening as newly appointed rodeo queen Jessie Smith, of Mountain Home, was galloping her horse around the arena the animal spooked. Smith was thrown to the ground, but was uninjured.

A man standing behind one of the arena's gates was not as lucky. The flag, which Smith had been holding, snagged in a stirrup further spooking the horse. Panicked, it smashed into the gate. The impact threw the man backwards. He was air ambulanced to a Boise hospital.

No details have been released regarding the extent of his injuries, but Wyllie-Hill said he was expected to make a "full recovery."

In all, organizers were happy with this year's fair. Ideas for next year's fair are already brewing.