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August 23, 1999
Officials disappointed with fair attendanceTractors, horse show mark concluding dayBy GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- Cloudy weather and the threat of rain on Sunday kept crowds away from the Brown County Fair. Fair officials were disappointed with the turn out for all four days, blaming the weather for the lack of interest, according to a fair spokesperson. Under one tent, Bob Pelzel of Sleepy Eye was displaying his 1936 John Deere Tractor, one of the oldest tractors on display at the fairgrounds, while a variety of Oliver tractors paraded the grounds during the afternoon. "They have some really interesting tractors here," James Lewis of rural Mankato said. "Seeing the modern technology available in tractors these days, it is amazing to think these existed." Lewis, who was visiting the fair with his friend Martin Alexson and four-year-old son Nathan, came for the horse show and decided to take a few minutes to wander the grounds an look at the tractors and watch Bob Zinniel of Sleepy Eye create animals with his chainsaw. "It is great to see that people have kept these tractors all these years," he said. Under another tent, 4-H members were holding a "Good Old Days" fashion show, complete with poodle skirts. But, the main attraction of the day was on the edge of the fairgrounds, where horses were the order of business. About 100 people from all over the region braved the threatening weather for the Open Class WSCA Horse Show. From Arabians to Appaloosas, horses were being ridden and led around the rink of a miniature rodeo arena. Following a variety of shows for halter classes, English classes, lead line and Western pleasure rides, a variety of contests were held for participants of all ages. "This is the highlight of the fair for us every year," Melissa Jamison of rural Madelia said. "We used to raise horses and have always enjoyed watching the skill these riders have in controlling their animals." It is more than just winning a ribbon that makes these people ride, it is the enjoyment of the sport and their love of performance, she said. A variety of game classes allowed riders to demonstrate their talents with games such as egg and spoon, pole weaving, pony barrel races and jumping figure eights, where participants rode around an obstacle course and concluded by jumping over a pole.
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