A Priddis teen is almost set for her biggest show of the summer as she prepares her heifers for competitions in the region’s oldest and largest country fair.
A regular competitor in the Priddis & Millarville Fair, 13-year-old Clara Blatz has her animals almost show-ready for the confirmation purebred heifer, confirmation commercial heifer and showmanship competitions.
“I will be using my first purebred angus heifer me and my dad bought and my heifer from my 4-H year,” she said. “I would like to get some judges’ comments on my heifer and see if she will produce nice calves for me when I produce my angus herd.”
The 110th fair takes place at the Millarville Race Track Aug. 19 and 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As a member of the Millarville Stockland Beef 4-H Club, Blatz has been preparing her heifers for months – getting them accustomed to halters and people.
Shortly before the Priddis & Millarville Fair she will groom them.
Blatz entered her brother’s commercial heifer in the cow shows last year, placing second in showmanship and third overall. Her older sister won first in showmanship for commercial heifer and second overall.
Blatz hopes to win the grand champion award for her purebred heifer this year.
The teen is the sixth generation in her family to compete in the fair. She’s entered baking and photography competitions, winning several ribbons over the years.
“I like to go to the fair because it’s a nice local show and it’s just one more show that I can go and show off my cattle and get my cattle used to shows if I chose to go to a bigger provincial show,” she said. “It’s also a good way to see what other people think of your cattle and ways to improve your herd.”
Suzanne Sills, chair of the organizing committee, said the cow shows returned to the fair last year after taking a hiatus for about 15 years when it was agreed the competitions had run its course.
“If we have some classes that aren’t very popular we drop them,” she said. “Last year was the first year we brought cattle back after an extended absence. We gave it a whirl and we were really happy with the number of entries.”
Some competitions go back to when the fair started 110 years ago, including the white bread baking contest, while others have been added over the years like the gluten free bread class, said Sills.
“We always have that balance between tradition and new,” she said. “You get generations of families competing against one another and friends competing against one another. That thrill of competition exists today.”
Many of the competitions will be centred around this year’s theme, Celebrating Milestones, to honour Canada’s 150th anniversary, the 4-H centennial anniversary and the fair’s 110th year.
“A number of our classes are designed around illustrating how you would celebrate any of these milestones like cake decorating, flower arrangements and photography,” Sills said. “It’s a chance to get really creative. It’s really neat to see what people come up with.”
In addition to an array of competitions, the fair also features a tractor pull, petting zoo, children’s activities, musical entertainment, goat milking demonstration, the Millarville Musical Ride, auctions, an antique auto show and magic show, among others.
Some of the most popular fair activities are the rooster crowing competition, pie and watermelon eating contests and the animals, Sills said.
“The goats and the rabbits are always really popular,” she said. “I have never known an animal to have as much personality as the goats.”
Among the new additions this year are a rabbit show and garden rock painting.
For the second year, the fair takes place over two days as well as the farmers market which features products that are made, baked and grown in Alberta.
“Last year was the first time we ran the fair on Sunday and we ran a small market,” Sills said. “The vendors were skeptical, but we had a strong attendance. We will have more than 100 vendors on Sunday.”
The cost to attend the fair is $5 per person. Children eight and under are free.
For more information go to millarvilleracetrack.com and find the fair under the events tab.
