State Fair Mini Donkey Show

Washing Donks: We brought 6 this year (WAY too many) and a huge storm blew in while we were getting them ready the night before so we weren't able to finish. Therefore I was washing donkeys at 5:00 a.m. the next morning by flash light.

Amelia and Matilda:

Mollie and Crystal:


Getting ready for the costume class: Elmer's glue-ing glitter stars to Crystal's hips and rhinestones on her face. Oh the torture she endures for us!



In the show ring:



Mollie and Crystal as "PegASSus",3rd Place Winner:


Amelia, Meredith and Matilda as "Jack" 'O Lantern, 4th Place Winner:


Mollie receiving her ribbon for doing her illustrated talk on "How to raise baby chicks". She had no trouble speaking in front of a group at the 4-H building (shocking, huh?!)


Me and my "mini me" ready to show:



Ah, yes, this picture says it all. This was not my night. It wasn't Ruby's night either. Notice the back hooves dug in, the head up in that pose all too well known by donkey owners that says "uh, uh, I ain't goin'!" This was how Ruby was in the show ring. Me pulling, her dragging. Not pretty is it? It was like a picked a donkey out of the field, gave her a bath and put her in the show ring, never training her at all. Oh well, we all need humbling experiences like this from time to time to keep our egos down. She did quite a good job of that for me!




Did I mention it was over 100 degrees and the comfort index in the Coliseum was at least 150! Mollie and Millie's faces show it all!




Ah...Red and I were having SO much fun!



Me and Maggie and Mollie and Crystal: we competed against each other in the jennet 3 and over class AND SHE BEAT ME! Mollie and Crystal took 2nd Place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was Mollie's first time showing and we were so proud of how she handled her animal. She did all the right things when the judge was judging Crystal and did it like she'd done it a thousand times before. Great job Mollie!!


Mollie and I also competed in the trail class: We had been working with Crystal on walking over a bridge, a sheet of plywood, ground tying in a box and walking on a tarp (all very scary things to a donkey for those out there that don't know!) but when they set up the trail class we were surprised to find out she would also have to do a jump! This would be the end of the world to most donkeys! However the first time we asked Crystal to do it she sailed right over! We didn't place because we still need to work on backing but I was very proud of how Crystal (and Mollie) did for the first time out.


Just like a pro!



The end. I'll end this very long post with my favorite picture. It takes a lot of hard work to get these animals to the State Fair. Mollie spent many hours working with Crystal this summer. I had my moments when I would hear her say "am I done now?" and would get frustrated that she wouldn't want to work with her for hours on end, after all she is just 5 and sometimes those caterpillars she would find while out working were more interesting. She did, however do a very fine job and it was so fun to watch her show. She just might be another "donkey whisperer" in the making! This was definitely not the most fun State Fair, the temperatures were crazy and we weren't able to come in the day before. It was stressful (to me) to come in the day of the show, set everything up and have to be in costume in just a couple of hours. In fact I can think of only one other more miserable day, the day I gave birth, however, just like with labor pains the memory of the pain fades and you start considering going through it again. So, even though it was quite the miserable day, we are already planning for next year. Hhhmmmmm what costume to make? Oh, I'll think about it later, I've got 360 days to figure it out!