It's a grand county fair

Bean counters, bale tossers, seed spitters participate in Ag Olympics

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- They came. They counted soybeans in jars, identified seeds and weeds, chugged jello, tossed eggs, spat watermelon seeds, threw hay bales, pounded nails, and showed their favorite pets Wednesday at the Brown County Fair.

For Deanna Helget of New Ulm and the Milford 4-H Club, it was just another day at the "office." Her pet, a six-year-old English Springer Spaniel can shake your hand. Helget was the pet show Overall Champion.

"He's like a child to me," Helget said.

At the Helget farm, the dog chases chickens, hunts mice, and rounds up horses and doesn't get along with the mule. He replaced a dog the Helgets lost in the March 1998 tornado that tore through Comfrey, St. Peter and everything in between in its path.

Helget won't compete at the state fair with her dog, but she has already qualified for three state fair trips in recent years in veterinary science.

She has hopes of earning state fair trips in the coming days. She'll show her rabbits on Thursday, chickens on Friday, and she'll compete in horse shows that start at 8 a.m. Saturday.

A 2004 New Ulm High School graduate, she will study animal science at South Dakota State University this fall.

Cody Schwartz was the pet show Reserve Champion. First-graders Colleen Juni and Katie Schwartz won purple ribbons.

Dog show winners were Mary Schroeder of New Ulm, Reserve Champion Open Dog Showperson; and Daniel Schroeder of New Ulm, Champion Novice Dog Showperson.

Meanwhile, eight-year-old Ben Ristow , f New Ulm and the Milford 4-H Club, talked about the basics of chemistry in the New Ulm Civic Center. He began memorizing the Periodic Table of Elements just for fun.

A third-grade at Jefferson Elementary this fall, Ristow said he enjoys learning about atoms and space the most. Building with Legos, painting, drawing and coloring are among his other interests.

"He scares me sometimes, the way he learns things so fast," said his mother Rhonda. "His art teacher have told me she was amazed at how he seems to suck up information."

Seven-year-old Katie Schwartz of Springfield and the Burnstown-Brookville 4-H Club enjoys playing with "Snow White," her bantam chicken that eats bugs.

The Schwartzes have been raising the rare chickens for five years.

"The kids enjoy bantams and Polish chickens the most. They play with them a lot," said Lorne Schwartz.

The Ag Olympics will be held 4 to 5:30 p.m. daily through Saturday. Events include cow pie bingo, Jello eating, rooster crowing, a shovel relay, egg throwing, bale tossing, watermelon seed spitting, four-legged races, corn shelling, nail pounding, cow milking and frog jumping.

A large pool filled with corn, coins and prizes for children age five and under is near the Ag Olympic site at the north end of the midway.

Fair Swine Superintendent Dan Hacker of Sleepy Eye said livestock interest is up with about 50 people expected to show in a new event, the Open Class Market Hog Show. It begins at 9 a.m. Friday in the Swine Barn Arena.

An out-of-field and antique tractor pull begins at noon Sunday at the fairgrounds.