Metcalfe Fair 2015

Grady worked so very hard all summer with his steer.  Actually....he had been working with it since last Christmas.

This wasn't a trained steer that we purchased.  This steer needed to be halter broken.

He was out washing it nearly every evening..... sometimes until dark.

And feeding it.  He purchased the feed himself.  SO. MUCH. FEED.

He also purchased a wash stand/chute.   And a fan....that got hit by lightning.  So he bought a second fan.  He even hired a guy to come and trim one of the hooves because it just wasn't perfect.

This was his 4-H animal for the year.  It was his show animal.  He showed it at the Cobden Fair

and the Renfrew Fair. 

Everyone would tell him how beautiful his steer was.

It was his market steer headed for the auction at the Metcalfe Fair. 

The Metcalfe Fair is Eastern Ontario's Regional Fair.  It was once the Ottawa Winter Fair.  It was the most important fair at one time for all the local 4-H kids in Renfrew County.  If your steer could make it to the Ottawa Winter Fair....that was pretty amazing.

Grady liked the idea of having his steer go to this fair....even though no one else in Renfrew County takes a steer there.  We were sort of the 'outsiders' when it came to the steer show.

We knew that there were only 10 steers in the sale.  Grady could handle a 10th place ribbon and a handshake.  We were all ready for anything....or so we thought.

But for some unknown reason they decided to split the steers into two 'classes'.  There would be a lighter class and a heavier class.  Ten steers is not a lot of steers.  A judge can easily handle placing ten steers.

Grady's steer weighed in at 1550 pounds.  It was the heaviest of them all.  He was placed in the heavier class....with three other steers.

The lighter class was judged first.  There were six of them....and four were chosen to return to the championship round.

The heavier class had two chosen to advance to the championship round.  Grady wasn't one of them.

That was fine.  We weren't there to win.

There were six steers in the championship round.  They were all placed and awarded ribbons.  They got handshakes.

Grady and the other three 4-H members didn't get to return to the ring.

They didn't get ribbons.  They didn't even get a handshake.

That's not what 4-H is about.

They didn't get anything.  No recognition for all of their hard work.

I believe that you don't build yourself up by putting someone else down.  I will not get into the politics of the Metcalfe Fair....but there were several questions I had that had no answers.

And I will not be returning.

Brenda