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Fair begins with check-ins, Cowboy Olympics
Published 7/30/2009 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
4-Hers and their families leaped, crawled, rolled, roped and pushed their way through the Cowboy Olympics obstacle course Wednesday night.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Elizabeth Marcy, left, describes one of her pictures to judge Louise Ehmke, Healy, Wednesday during the Finney County Fair's photography consultation judging.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Mary Lynn Buchele, right, describes and shows the dried soups she has in a gift stock pot to judge Stacy Davis, Scott City, Wednesday during the Finney County Fair's 4-H food consultation judging in the grandstand meeting room.
The course included pushing a team member in a wheel barrow, climbing over fences, jumping through tires, tying a ribbon on a goat's tail, pushing a Ford pickup, rolling a team member in a barrel, carrying a bucket of water, roping a steer head, climbing over a big round hay bale and sprinting to the finish.
Members of "The K-Staters," who finished third, were excited after their 2:59 run, the fastest time recorded yet that night.
"We feel good about our time and hope it holds," Brandon Barrett, adult team member, said.
Rileigh Greathouse, younger team member, said the hardest part for her was pushing the pickup truck.
"It was so hard. We had to use a lot of force," she said.
Alicia Harp's team, made up of Patrick Clifford, Joy Clifford and Reed Harp, struggled and took the most time with roping the steerhead.
"Did you see us try to do that?" she said. "We had no technique!"
Joy Clifford said the hardest part was being rolled in a wheelbarrow.
"I thought I was going to bump into something or get dizzy," she said.
Alicia Harp said the hardest part physically was climbing over the big round hay bale. She said she enjoyed the obstacle course but it proved to be challenging.
"This was definitely out of my comfort zone. It was hard. I'm an accountant, not a cowboy," she said.
A team that called themselves "Team Legit" won the event in a time of 2:31. Team members were Chelsea Gerber, Kendal Clawson, Tanner Parr and Abby Nurrel. Each team member took home a Nintendo DS.
Second place winners with a time of 2:46 were "The Wild Ones" made up of Brock Baker, Lindy Bilberry, Sara Bilberry and Timothy Gillen. Each team member received an iPod Nano.
"The K-Staters finished in third with a time of 2:59. Team members included Austin Greathouse, Sally Dinkel, Barrett and Rileigh Greathouse. They each took home a Polaroid digital camera.
Crop Production Services, Western Auto, Samy's Spirits and Steakhouse and Crazy House sponsored and donated to the event. Entry was free.
Marisa Kleysteuber, organizer of the event, said this year was the first for the Cowboy Olympics. She said she got the idea from doing a similar event on the Kansas State University rodeo team.
She said similar past events at the fair hadn't been too popular and she thought she could plan a fun obstacle course. The fair board agreed to let her throw the event.
Last night, Kleysteuber said 96 people participated with a total of 24 teams. She said the teams had to be made up of three 4-Hers and one adult.
The teams had to have one person from 7 to 10 years old, two from ages 11 to 18 and one adult.
The bleachers were packed in the Horse Palace arena, and young people lined the fences to get a better view.
"We planned this one before the fair really starts, at the beginning so people can relax and enjoy themselves. At the end of the fair, everyone is tired and ready to head home," she said.
Tonight's events include a hamburger feed sponsored by Western State Bank and the Finney County Fairboard at 6 p.m., KIUL's "Lord of the Wings" chicken wing eating contest at 7 p.m. and 7 Bridges Road, a Tribute to the Eagles, at 8:30 p.m.
Friday's events include bucket calf judging, all beef judging, a watermelon feed, hot dog eating contest and international food court. Tomorrow night's entertainment will be a truck and tractor pull.
On the Web:
Finney County Fair: http://www.finneycountyfair.org/
Download a copy of the Finney County Fair book.
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