How to go
What: Warren County Fair
When: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. today and Saturday
Where: 665 N. Broadway, Lebanon
Cost: $8 per person;
When caught in a fierce demonstration of lamb showmanship, Mikayla Pitman understands fully that one can’t be sheepish.
Pitman, 17, was the grand champion of the sheep showmanship competition at the Warren County Fair on Thursday morning. In showmanship competitions, the quality of the lamb isn’t as important as the ability of the presenter to demonstrate his or her ability to control the sheep and present it in a pleasing manner. And despite a sheep’s supposed-mellow temperament, sometimes a firm hand is necessary to make the animal move, stand straight or stand in place.
“It takes a lot of practice and work,” Pitman said. “Like months of working with them, walking with them, making sure they will obey you. He’s like my baby.”
Sometimes a not-too-ginger pull of the sheep’s head is necessary to get them to follow commands.
“You have to push against them and make sure it keeps walking with its heads up,” Pitman said. “Like with people, good posture is important.”
Pitman said she’d been living with her grandparents in Oregonia to keep up with practicing for the showmanship competition. She is already excited about defending her crown next year.
“I’ve got one year left to enter,” Pitman said. “I love the fair. It’s just great fun.”
Pitman said she wasn’t nervous prior to the competition, but overcome with excitement.
It was a day filled with sheep competitions at the Warren County Fair. Cousins Danielle and Jenna Wehrle won Grand Champion and Grand Champion Reserve in the county bred sheep competition that followed the showmanship competition.
“I’ve been raising sheep all my life,” Danielle Wehrle said. “It takes a lot of work to make sure they look good for a judge.”
Danielle Wehrle said she had been working with her current sheep — which she did not name — since February.
“I wasn’t very nervous standing before the judge,” Danielle Wehrle said. “I knew I had a good animal and just tried to focus on keeping him in place and looking good.”
Wehrle could not talk for long before having to dash off for the rabbit show competition.
The elements have not been in the fair’s favor in recent years. Whereas last year, extreme heat drove attendance down, this year’s fair was interrupted by pouring rains and high winds.
Fair Board secretary Tari Maddox was optimistic that the worst part of the weather was over.Maddox said that on Tuesday night, fair attendance was up by a few hundred people over the past few years.
“The weather is supposed to be better on Friday and Saturday and those are the two biggest days for attendance at the fair,” Maddox said. “Other than some rain today, things have generally been running smoothly and we are looking forward to a very successful fair.
The fair is open from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. today and Saturday. Gate admission is $8 per person. The fairgrounds are located at 665 N. Broadway in Lebanon.
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