There was a strong group of competitors at the Stormont 4-H Dairy Achievment Day. In the Showperson category, it was a sweep by the village of Crysler as that was where all three champions were from. From left: Alyssa Waldroff, Stormont 4-H, Honourable Champion showperson Adelia Bretzler, Reserve Champion Showperson Jasmine Uhr, Grand Champion Showperson Nadia Uhr, and Judge Lorne Briscoe of Renfrew, Ontario. Tinkess Photo

NEWINGTON – You don’t need a calendar to tell you that the summer of 2024 is now just a memory. There are signs everywhere, from the cooler mornings to the leaves changing, to the fluctuating water levels, but in this area, there is no better indicator than the Stormont County Fair. It just wouldn’t be Labour Day weekend without “The Fair.”

The Stormont County Fair (also known as the Newington Fair) enjoyed its 157 anniversary this year which means it is just as old as the country in which it takes place. A lot has changed over that time, but when you break it down into simple terms, almost as much has stayed the same. You still get to enjoy the agricultural aspect of things, you still get to be entertained, and you still get to spend time socializing with people who have a lot in common with you. There’s food to enjoy, the homecraft competitions to explore, and games to be played.

This year, as in most, the Fair opened on Friday evening and ran through until Labour Day Monday afternoon. The demolition derby is always a big draw, and although they added more bleachers this year, there still weren’t enough to keep everyone happy. People start arriving and staking out the best seats at least two hours before the first heats begin, and if you get there on time, you are usually still too late.

Saturday the rains came, just to keep things equal (I don’t think there was one fair this year that didn’t have at least one day of rain!) There was still a lot to do, and many activities were under cover.

Sunday featured the Stormont County 4-H Dairy and Beef Achievement Day, which provide an excellent opportunity what in many cases could be the future of farming in this area. It is always inspiring to see some of the competitors, particularly in the novice class, as they try to guide their four-legged partner around the ring. Showmanship is a skill that is better learned than taught, and the competitors in South Stormont demonstrated a high level of skill in showing their animal.

There were four classes in the 2024 Stormont Dairy 4-H Showmanship category: Novice, Junior, Intermediate, and Senior.

In the Novice class, Lily Griffith of Berwick came first, Colton Honey of Newington came second, while Felicity Booyink of St. Andrews West came third out of eight competitors.

In the Junior class, there was only one competitor, Addison Quaile of Moose Creek.

In the Intermediate class Adelia Bretzler came first, Myla Bretzler came second, while Nicole Spichtig of Avonmore came third out of nine competitors.

In the Senior class Nadia Uhr and Jasmine Uhr of Crysler came first and second respectively, while Grace Buiting of Berwick came third out of five competitors.

The top three in each class then had the opportunity to compete for the title of Grand Champion Showperson. Judge Lorne Briscoe of Renfrew, Ontario took a great deal of care before awarding the title of Grand Champion Showperson to Nadia Uhr, Reserve Champion Showperson to Jasmine Uhr, and Honourable Champion showperson to Adelia Bretzler, making it a Crysler sweep.

While there was a good crowd for the 4-H competitions, there was also a lot of people enjoying the bright sun and cool breeze watching the softball tournament, enjoying the midway, and having a bite to eat, which is also a very important fair tradition.

By Monday afternoon, many people at the fair could be excused if they found their thoughts wandering more to what awaited them when they returned to work or school the following day. For the members of the Stormont Agricultural Society, they would take a moment to catch their breath, give each other a pat on the back for a job well done, and then start thinking about next year, which will arrive sooner than you might think.