Fair day fun
Who knew that inflatable rides could be so adventurous? Morgan Fraser of Williamstown claimed the challenge of these rides during the Avonmore Fair July 21. Vogel photo
The winners of the pairs class during the Western Pleasure show on Sun., July 22 at the Avonmore Fair brought sisters Naomi and Kylie Cornelissen to win the red ribbon. Vogel photo
Grace MacDonald
Record Contributor
AVONMORE – The 158th annual Avonmore Fair took place July 21 to 23. Families were able to enjoy inflatable rides and games, as well as a Wild West show by Tom Bishop and an Ultimutts Stunt dogs show. “The Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show provided wonderful entertainment all weekend. Many people viewed this show multiple times during the fair and became attached to certain dogs (and one special cat) as they performed. This resulted in larger cheers each time a vote was asked of the crowd during their shows!” said Roxborough Agricultural Society director and fair entertainment committee chair and grounds superintendent, Brent McIntyre.
Saturday saw very warm temperatures and clear skies. The Western Gaming Show had one of the biggest turn outs. Spectators enjoyed the speed events where riders and their horses competed for the fastest times. There was also over 100 4-H competitors who came out to show their cows. “The 4-H dairy calf show saw wonderful attendance with over 110 calves entered and subsequently great viewing numbers. This show has grown in the last few years due to the timeless efforts of director Jill Robinson and her group in contacting clubs and collecting an impressive list of show sponsors. Even eight pee-wee competitors found their way to the show ring. The 4-H beef show was smaller than normal due to competing schedules of numerous breed shows in other areas, but it was none the less impressive with exuberant participants despite Sunday’s early morning rains,” said McIntyre.
Saturday evening saw entertainment by Tom Bishop, whose show was a highlight of the weekend. With this show travelling from the Niagra area, MacIntyre said he was disappointed they did not arrive as scheduled on Friday so their show could have been set up earlier and fairgoers could see the scope of this show in advance. “Despite this delay, the performance proved extremely thrilling when it came to showtime! Trick riding, Roman riding, various rope spinning tricks both on horseback and off, and even western gun tricks were interspersed with audience participation to provide fun filled shows!” he said.
On Sunday, the heavy rain did not stop the western and english competitors from showing their horses. “The Western Gaming shows had over 75 horses registered. Organizers Crystal and Paul Vogel worked hard to garner these animal numbers as well as their show sponsorships. Paul was worried about the strong possibility of high temperatures, as this had caused the cancellation of some horse shows this summer. Luckily there was enough cloud cover during mid-day that temperatures were kept in check,” said McIntyre
Around noon, the sky’s had cleared up and made for a very cool afternoon at the Avonmore Fair. It was a weekend that all enjoyed.
