RBC I The Rio Blanco County Fair contests kicked off last week with great attendance and talent from our 4-H’ers! We began contest week bright and early Thursday, July 21 with the “Ultimate Team Cake Decorating Challenge” at 10 a.m. with almost 20 4-H’ers ready to compete. Teams were formed from the Meeker Cake n’ Bakers club prior to the contest. The concept for the team challenge format was created by leader Suzan Pelloni as an alternative to individual decorating challenges to take pressure off members and create a fun, team-centered event.Cake decorating was followed by fashion revue preparations and a modeling clinic with the amazing Miss Kari Jo Stevens who helped our girls learn the ins and outs of walking like models. The seamstresses at this year’s fashion revue were from the “Sweet Sewing Sisters Club” of Meeker, with their wonderful leader, Diane Lange, and with special help from Iris Franklin for our independent member. RBC has 10 completed clothing construction members this year and we are so proud of them.Saturday was a beautiful day at the Meeker Sportsman’s Range. With families from Meeker and Rangely, we had a great turn out of 28 4-H shooters this year at the annual RBC Fair county shoot-off. RBC is very lucky to have amazing leaders in our shooting sports program. We have two new clubs in Rangely this year: archery’s “Rangely Stick Throwers” led by James Odom and Brandy Shelton and .22’s led by Daniel and Tammi Dorris. Meeker Shooting Sports clubs were led by Jon Wangnild for .22’s, Hal Pearce and Troy Osborn for shotguns, and Quentin Smith for archery. Twenty-five pizzas was barely enough to feed the large group of shooters and their families. It was a great day.Fair events pick up again this Friday and Saturday with the all-around horse competition and horse show. Monday kicks off fair week with the 4-H dog show and open dog show. The rest of the week is filled with 4-H and open livestock classes, barbecues provided by RBC Woolgrowers, Stockgrowers, White River Swine, FFA, Lions Club and FNBR, and fun contests. New this year is the classic car show and best photo contest as well as traditional events for the whole family such as the rabbit chase, pet rocks and the always popular Lil’ Buckaroo rodeo and the annual 4-H/ FFA junior livestock sale on Saturday, Aug. 6. It’s not too late for community members to enter any of the open dog or livestock classes. Entry forms are in the bright orange fair book or you can pick them up at the extension offices. Have you thought about what handmade goods, flowers, veggies or home-cooked exhibits you are going to bring down to the indoor classes? The silent auction returns this year to benefit the talented artists of RBC. Any exhibit entered in the indoor classes may be placed into the silent auction if so desired. Exhibitors place a “minimum bid” and wait for the bidding wars to begin and the exhibitor keeps the highest bid.With too many events to mention, grab a fair book and find your fun next week with “Flowers, Feathers, and Old Fashioned Fun” at the 2011 Rio Blanco County Fair. Fun, food, contests and activities for the whole family. See you there.
