Dog, cat shows lead up to official fair start

Bethany Pyle, Lamar, judges Pumpkin for Best in Show, while owner Erin Reedy watches, during the 2008 Vernon County Youth Fair cat show held Sunday afternoon in the home economics building at the fairgrounds. --Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail

Like dozens of other exhibitors at the Vernon County Youth Fair, dog show contestants work hard behind the scenes, -- often for months on end -- to prepare for the moment when they'll find out who's top dog in the arena.

Jaynee Beatty, who showed her Austrian Shepherd, Sadie, explained that she grooms and cares for the dog, and works with it weekly, sometimes more often than that, on basic obedience tasks such as "sit," "lay down," and more. "Sometimes we work on agility," Jaynee said, and Sadie loves to swim, which is fun and provides good exercise for the dog.

Her family breeds dogs, and showing her dog at the fair sprang from that experience.

Dozens entered their dogs -- from mixed breeds to purebred animals in almost every shape and size -- in a variety of classes in the July 3 show, where they were judged on showmanship and obedience.

In classic dog show style, each exhibitor paraded his or her dog around the arena, staged the dogs individually and exhibited their control of the dogs, some of whom proved difficult charges for their owners.

Brent Snead stages his dog for the judge during the Vernon County Youth Fair Dog Show on July 3. --Lynn A. Wade/Nevada Daily Mail

Clover Kids also took a turn in the ring, getting an early opportunity to experience the fair from inside the arena. Clover Kids also reported having spent much time working with the dogs and looking forward to the fair.

The show was one of the first events of the youth fair. A cat show also took place on July 5. Shooting sports took place in June, and the Fashion Revue, which is to be presented in the pavilion at the fairgrounds at 5:30 tonight, was judged on June 29. Dog and cat show awards, as well as shooting sports awards, are also slated for presentation at 6:30 tonight.

Look for full results in the Vernon County Youth Fair Results special section, to be distributed July 29.

Meanwhile, the ongoing Super Teen Contest will bring lively competition to the ring for its second phase at 8 o'clock tonight; and the queen and princess coronation is slated for 7 p.m.

Wednesday's events include the horse and mule show in the rodeo arena at 9 a.m., the dairy goat show at 10, dairy cattle at 2 p.m., plus a meat goat show followed by the goat pee wee class. The ladies lead show and judging of sheep begins at 7.