Fryeburg, Maine Country Fair

Your old fashion country fair where animals and agriculture are the main event. Of course there is fair food galore, but rides and games are a more minor part of this fair.

We went day one of the fair and got there at 7:30 a.m. as we knew it was going to get crowded, and we might have a harder time find a parking space for our dually truck. Residents lining the way to the fair are charging same price as the fairgrounds to park your vehicles. We stopped at one of the homes and the couple was so very nice and made sure we were parked in a way that we would be able to easily get out later.

We were not alone at 7:30 in the morning. The fair was already a-buzz.

First stop was the 4-H horse show. Youngster were giving their horses a final groom, then getting themselves into their riding outfits. It was great to see these youngster manager this rather large animals, and they did a fine job.

Next, we saw Sheep herding trials, and this was so interesting. The breed of dogs at this trial was the Border Collie, and the precision of teamwork between the handler and the dog was so good. The dog at times is quite a distance away from the handler and through various whistle sounds will perform the necessary activity to get the herd to where they should be.

Apparently, separating one sheep from the herd is extremely difficult, but with timing between handler and dog. The dog is able to separate the desired sheep.

Horse pulling. Contestants came from all over New England, and the winning team of two, pulled 9,700 pounds 17 feet. The trickiest part is after getting the horses in front of the weight to be pulled and getting the harness connect to the sleigh. As soon as the horses are in position, they want to take off, and if they are not connected, they take off pulling the four men behind them. The men have to get the horses to stop as soon as possible under this condition, because they have a limited time to get the pull done.

The people at these events were quite different. At the horse show, they seemed financially well off and dressed very stylishly for the event.

The sheep herding handlers seem like your average person in jeans and tee shirts, but with a single focus with their dogs. These dogs need a good deal of training and only have a few years where they are fast enough to manage the sheep. You can see the enormous love these folks feel for the dog. Even when a dog did a horrible job, the owner/handler never yelled at and was very affectionate toward the dog after their trial.

The folks watching the horse pull seemed to be farmers and locals for the most part. They look like they have had a hard life, worn out and looking older than they probably are. Nice, hard working people who love the land and respect the animals they tend to.

If your spouse eats a bloom” in onion, you will remember it for days! TG