Show Day!

Yesterday, as I said, was long. But now, show day is over for another year. I hesitate to write about it, because it exposes the dark side of some 4H events. If I say that many of the exhibitors at our county show are children and grandchildren of the superintendents of our show tent, does that hint at why I call it the dark side? If I say that many of those kids are less than enthusiastic about their show day, and yet still pull in ribbons, does that make it clearer? I hesitate to talk about it, because it sounds like sour-grapey parental whining. But, when it's pointed out to you not by your kid or yourself, but by another spectator, well. Well.

As in all competitive events, things can be aboveboard and fair, or a little questionable and unfair. It's life this side of Heaven, and, although we want to protect them from it, our kids need to experience it and learn how to handle it with class.

Two observations were made in the show ring. One is that kids will work hard, even when they see no result coming from their work, if they love it. And two, if you're going to be around humans, and bending over and twisting your body around, don't wear 1)white pants and 2) a black thong. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Some pictures of the day.

Little goats need pedicures, too.



The only kind of showgirl I want MSP to be.



Oh, and ribbons were won. She received 6 4H blue ribbons for her goats, which means she worked hard on her project and it showed. She earned 2 reds for her chickens and eggs; that means she could learn a little more there, and she will. It was her first year in the poultry tent, after all. She earned blues for her projects I talked about on Monday. The first, on body conditioning scoring, also earned a merit; one of three in the class. The second, her box, is gathering lots of oohs and aahhs in the 4H barn. Overall, it's been a decent year for her.

She still would have liked at least one rosette. But, who wouldn't?