Published: July 28, 2009 12:01 am      

Mineral County Fair

Events scheduled throughout the week

FORT ASHBY, W.Va. — As the first day of the Mineral County Fair began, young people from around the area prepared to show animals, some for the first time.

“I’m selling animals to raise money for my college tuition,” said Kaitlyn Taylor, 17, of Fort Ashby. “It’s my first year doing it. ... It’s really interesting. I didn’t know it was a lot of work, especially raising the animals.”

Taylor, who will be attending Potomac State College this fall, said she plans to major in Animal Science and hopes to work with animals in her career. Preparing for showing and selling a goat and a pig has been an interesting experience so far this year, but she hopes to be able to add a cow next year.

Taylor’s neighbor, Donnie Alt, had his two sons, Devon, 11, and Derek, 9, at the fair. Alt said coming to the fair has been a tradition for him for 30 years now. In 31 years, he said, he only missed one fair, when Derek was still in the hospital after he was born.

The experience, Alt said, is absolutely worth coming each year.

Derek, who is at the fair for the first time to show animals, enthusiastically explained that he and his brother both had goats and dairy cows they would be showing at the fair, and Devon, who will be doing this for his third year, said he also had a steer.

Jimmy Cosgrove of Cumberland said he was excited to have his first chance to show the eight cows that his family had. The 11-year-old said next year he would be able to show a goat his family purchased at the Allegany County Fair last week.

Having their animals judged and purchased is not the only reason that young people come to the fair. Kaylee Self, 15, of New Creek, said there is camaraderie among everyone there.

“We usually hang out in the barns at night,” she said. “We help one another.”

She said this is part of what makes the fair one of the things she looks forward to each year.

Shyloe Harvey of Keyser agreed. She said though they are technically competing against one another, most of the people are really good to one another, hanging out at night and giving pointers for what to do while showing an animal.

“I have a lot of fun while I’m here,” the 17-year-old said.

The Mineral County Fair will run all week until Saturday, with highlights including demolition derbies tonight and Wednesday night, Stock and Modified Mug Bogs Friday, as well as performances by various groups, including Queen City Funk and Soul tonight, Teal Steel Wednesday, Jody Haught Thursday, Appalachia Friday and Rockie Lynne Saturday.

For more information on the fair, visit http://www.mineralcountyfair.org for a full schedule.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.