By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
There’s a new livestock show planned for the Wood County Fair this year and the competitors won’t be long-time animal handlers.
Dubbed Ring of Dreams, the Aug. 3 livestock show will provide individuals with developmental disabilities an opportunity to show an animal during the 2023 county fair.
Amanda Barndt, a former fair board director who has a passion for everything about the fair, especially the animals, is organizing this first-time show experience. Participants can be any age, but they must be at least five years old. They will get to choose whether they want to show a beef feeder calf, pig, goat, lamb or rabbit during a mandatory sign-up event at 6 p.m. July 6 in the sheep arena at the fairgrounds. They will also need to sign a waiver before they can participate.
“The animals make different noises and wiggle a little bit differently. A beef feeder’s moo sounds really good until it’s right there, and the animal is bigger than you thought. Or a rabbit sounds fun until you realize those claws are a little too sharp for you. I want to make sure it’s a hands-on choice, not just a spur-of-the-moment decision,” Barndt explained.
Then, two weeks before the fair on July 20 at 6 p.m. in the sheep arena, the real work begins with a practice session. Each soon-to-be exhibitor will be paired with a junior fair member who raises the individual’s animal of choice. The junior fair member will explain and demonstrate how to show the animal in the show ring, assuring the individuals that they will be on hand when the time comes for the show in August.
The idea for a show that lets individuals with special needs show animals is not new, Barndt said. Other county fairs, such as Henry County, have included a show featuring special needs exhibitors, and the horse department has done something similar with just horses. She wanted to bring the full show experience to the county fair, and with this year being the 150th Wood County Fair, the timing was perfect, she said.
Support for the idea has been overwhelming. Barndt took the idea to the Senior Fair Board in January and received unanimous approval for the show. She has received a lot of interest from organizations that work with individuals with special needs such as the Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Wood Lane Residential, The Ready Program at Wood County Hospital and some educational programs in local school districts.
She also has numerous offers of sponsorship to help with expenses, such as T-shirts for exhibitors and the junior fair members who provide the animals and the expertise during the practice and the show. In addition to receiving a T-shirt, each participant will receive two gate passes, one for themselves and one for a guardian, family member, caregiver or friend. A photographer will be on hand to take photos of the experience as lasting souvenirs of the experience.
Barndt hopes for a large turnout of participants, volunteers and spectators when the show kicks off at 4 p.m. Aug. 3 in the Pratt Pavilion at the fairgrounds.
“I hope that friendships develop out of this partnership,” Barndt said. “These are big memories, and I hope we can capture the hearts of everyone involved.”
For more information about the event, email barndt_amanda@yahoo.com.
