Friday, August 16, 2013

Showing season - By Allison Merriman of Windham

Each and every year people gather from all over the State of Maine to celebrate the county fairs. The one fair that has memories that stick to me though is the Ossipee Fair, with the farmer olympics that are always so fun. The pig calling is where there are six kids who train their pig from spring to the upcoming fair by sitting at the opposite end of the show arena armed with a cookie and their butt seated in a chair. They start calling their pig’s name; the winner gets a big trophy. My pig, Whistle and I never had the chance to win the trophy, but we had the time of our lives doing the pig calling with each other. The pig scramble is where pigs and kids both a have chance to run wild. They catch the pigs and take them home as their own. I had a pig myself from this contest. I named him Chase because I had to chase after him.

Now I have graduated from pigs to cows. Starting with cows at the ripe age of nine, I was psyched to start working with my heifer, Jill. Jill and I did pretty well our first year on the show circuit. All of the older kids helped the younger kids out, just as I am helping the younger kids now. The beef show is the day before the dairy show. Both are equally fun to watch, but my favorite thing to watch has always been the steers and all the many trials they are put through.


My favorite thing about the Ossipee Fair is that it is short, almost like a teaser of what is to come. I love showing my heifers at all the fairs. It always makes my summer go by so much quicker, and it keeps my afternoons and early mornings full of quality time with my show string. Cows are a big part of my life and a part that I don't think I will ever forget.




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