Last week, the Malad Valley held the last big fling of the summer at the Oneida County Fair.  Ribbons were won, animals were sold, people saw friends they hadn’t seen in months, and fried food was on the menu for a lot of hot and tired people by the end of it.  

This year’s market sale was dedicated to the Daniels family, who have been supporters of the Fair and the community for many years.  The assembled members of the family were on hand on Saturday morning prior to the sale to receive the appreciation of participants past and present, and everyone who appreciates the family’s tireless dedication, hardwork, and good nature.

Joining the plaque of Above and Beyond volunteers were two familiar faces and names in the world of the county fair, Donna Potter and Patrick Werk, both of whom served for many years as official Fair Board members and still contribute a lot of hours during the fair season.

Patrick Werk was approached by Leigh Love and Diane Skidmore to join the Fair Board in 2012, and he served from 2012-2023, an amazing eleven years.  He missed one year due to a trip to Germany, but was still active in planning during it.  He started his tenure in charge of team branding, and moved on to being the chairman of the classic rodeo.  Pat was instrumental in getting the back pens redone as well as the arena, panels, and gates and roping boxes so that everything was updated, and safety issues and concerns were fixed.  As well as getting the new roof on the pig barn, and sheep barn replaced, he was part of getting the newer tractor and water truck which the fair board purchased.  For eleven years, his parents Steve and Toni donated four tickets to the NFR to help with the Fairboard raffle.  Patrick is now on the indoor arena committee, and finding time being a part of 4H helping his kids with their projects.

Donna’s family wrote that: “Donna served six official years on the Fair Board.  She has always loved the fair and what it represents, and that is projects.  She turned her dining room into a workshop on many occasions for various things relating to the fair.  She enjoyed her time with her fellow board members and consistently maintained a positive outlook on the many different fair improvements she was a part of.  She was even able to rope her family into a few summer evenings every year when extra hands were needed.  To this day, there is residual white overspray on her pickup from painting the livestock sheds, and I’m sure many other marks and reminders can be traced back to when Donna was on the Fair Board.  As her family members, we are proud of her accomplishments in her time on the board, however we are now taking our Mom, Wife, and now Grammy back, because we have some projects too!”

A moment of silence was held for Rauhn Panting, a fixture of the Oneida County Fair and the local ag and ranch communities for many, many years.  Rauhn passed away during Fair Week after an illness, and more than once it was overheard that “Rauhn’s probably still out there at the sheep show” by those who remember him fondly.  Rauhn moved to Oneida County in 1979 to begin serving as the extension agent, which he did for an amazing 34 more years.  His kindness and knowledge made an impact on generations of young showmen and 4-H members, as well as local farmers and ranchers.  

Beyond the livestock components of the fair (which are being foregrounded this week), the week also contained both the Cowboy Classic Rodeo, as well as the much-loved Family Fun Rodeo.  A Horse Pull night was added to the schedule in place of motorsports this year, and while not as loud was deemed to be just as exciting by many who attended.

Scales and Tails made its always popular return, with its creepy complement of reptiles and other creatures that never fail to delight the young and old alike.

Mini-golf, a lazer maze, several craft classes, a concert by Rough Stock, magician and hypnotist acts, vendors, raffles, and food trucks helped round out the days, which for the most part stayed tolerable, heatwise.  The wind kicked up during the afternoons on several days, requiring some battening down of the hatches, but otherwise it was a lovely send off to the summer.

The open class categories were competitive as always, although entries were somewhat down in number.  Despite that, there was a lot to see for those who came to find it.

As the books close on the 2024 Oneida County Fair, we will bring you some additional stories and pictures we weren’t able to fit into this issue.  There’s no sense in rushing into the Fall, after all!