“For the most part, we canceled the fair, but we are doing our best to provide the 4-H and FFA livestock and static exhibits for the kids,” she said. “The kids have been working hard on their projects and we wanted to be able to allow them to exhibit, just in a safe manner.”

Rosendahl said the decision was made in May to hold a modified fair that is closed to the public. Each exhibitor is allowed an entry for themselves and some family members.

“If their family feels safe enough to come to the event then they can have up to six family members come with them to watch,” she said.

If the family doesn’t feel safe coming onto the fairgrounds, lives too far away or if others are interested in watching the youth exhibit their animals, Rosendahl said there is an opportunity for them to view the shows via Facebook Live.

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Jadyn Jass, 12, of Belmond, and a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes 4-H Club, feeds her chickens after checking in for the poultry show at the Wright County Fair on Thursday.

In addition to limiting the number of people on the fairgrounds, Rosendahl said they have made bathrooms, washing stations and sanitizer readily available. There are signs encouraging people to social distance and other recommendations on keeping people safe.

The schedule for the fair has remained the same, with livestock shows typically featuring larger breeds in the morning and smaller breeds in the afternoon.

“So really there is only one species here at a time,” said Rosendahl.

By offering a 4-H and FFA livestock and static exhibit only fair, Rosendahl said the residents of Wright County are missing out on a lot of fun and entertainment.

“The grandstand entertainment, free stage entertainment, the carnival, food stands is gone. The truck and tractor pull and the rodeo too — the rodeo is very popular for us and the American Lumberjack show was coming back this year,” she said. “We had to cancel all of the things that bring large crowds and congregations of people.”

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Jackson Biesel, 15, of Clarion, and a member of the Liberty Pathfinders 4-H Club, carries one of his turkeys to the poultry barn at the Wright County Fair. Biesel was preparing his turkey, geese, ducks and pigeons for the poultry show at the Wright County Fair on Thursday.

Rosendahl said it is definitely just not the same this year.

“It feels very weird and very awkward to me to come to the grounds and not have it be hubbub central right now,” she said. “Last night we were working at 8:30 at night and it was weird it was dead. It doesn’t feel right, but we know it was the right decision. We knew we had to do that for the safety of ourselves, our exhibitors and the entire community.”

This year’s theme “County Pride and County Wide” will be carried on to next year.

“It’s hard to not have a full fair this year, it is a celebration,” said Rosendahl. “We will be back bigger and stronger next year and really show our county pride, county wide.”

Horse show

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
The audience for the Wright County horse show was smaller than usual this year, as the fair wasn’t open to the public, just for exhibitors and their families.

Madison Ingebritson, 13, of Dows, was showing her horses Summer and Buddy on Thursday at the Wright County horse show.

Ingebritson, who is in her second year of showing horses, was excited to be able to do so.

“We are lucky to still be able to show with how much work we put in through the year,” she said.

Ingebritson said she was showing her horses in both halter and riding classes.

“I like showing horses – it’s fun to work with them,” she said. “I prefer to be in the saddle riding instead of the halter though.”

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Adelyn Vinsand, 11, of Humboldt, runs with her pony to make it to the ring on time for the pony halter class at the Wright County Fair.

Poultry show

Thursday afternoon it was time for the youth to show the judges their fine feathered friends.

Rodney Legleiter, poultry superintendent and Wright County Fair board member, said he was happy to report the numbers of poultry being shown at the Wright County Fair were up this year by about 10% to 15% with exhibitor numbers up slightly as well.

“We were very surprised because of the COVID decision we made that the exhibitors stuck with their projects and continued to go through with them, even though they did not know we were going to have a fair or not,” he said.

There is some incentive that could have helped with the growing number of poultry coming to this year’s fair.

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Morgan Mayall, 13, of Humboldt, practices for her walk/trot class at the Wright County Fair’s horse show with her horse Ollie.

Legleiter said this is the second year each exhibitor will receive a $50 check from Centrum Family Farms.

“It’s huge because the kids with poultry — it’s a small animal, it’s not as showy as the larger animals, so it gives them the opportunity to get more money for showing,” he said.

Centrum Family Farms also funded a revamp of the poultry barn with new fans, new paint, a new concrete walkway and new gravel on both sides.

With Wright County being the largest egg laying county in the United States, Legleiter said Centrum Family Farms wanted to do its part to help increase the presence of poultry at the Wright County Fair.

The birds weren’t going to get their time on the fairgrounds as in other years.

Legleiter said the animals are usually checked in on Wednesday evening prior to a Thursday morning show and then they are kept on display until Sunday.

“That is really the only big change for the poultry is a one day show and back home instead of staying here during the fair,” he said. “Otherwise the classes remain the same.”

Jadyn Jass, 12, from Belmond and a member of the Iowa Hawykeyes 4-H Club, was preparing for a long week of showing animals — starting with her poultry on Thursday.

In addition to her two pens of three and two single exhibits, she is bringing a Black Otter rabbit named Vader and a crossbred steer named Oreo and a shorthorn heifer named B.

Jass said she has been working with her animals on a daily basis ‚ oftentimes several times each day.

“For my chickens, I have been washing them and I’ve been making sure they are clean and have fresh, fresh water, so every hour I go out and I get them new, cold water and I make sure they have fresh bedding,” she said. “I have made sure they are all clean and made sure their feet are OK.”

She continued the care daily for her rabbits and beef projects as well. Staying busy, caring for animals is a favorite pastime for Jass.

“I love animals and I like showing,” she said. “I want to be a vet when I grow up.”

The Wright County Fair will continue with the sheep, goat, dairy and alpaca show this morning. This afternoon is the rabbit show. Saturday is the swine show and Sunday is the beef show as well as the bucket/bottle calf show.

-Messenger photo by Kriss Nelson
Madison Ingebritson, 13 of Dows shares a moment with her horse, Summer before a halter class competition at the Wright County Fair.

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