The annual Grange Fair is always a great opportunity for photographing. The first day of the fair I went to photograph the harnessing exhibition. The draft horse pictured is a Belgian. They are gorgeous animals which stand over 18 hands in height. The draft breeds are noted for their gentle, calm, and sweet dispositions.
Here is the Belgian in full harness. He will be hitched with a team mate to pull a wagon and offer fairgoers an opportunity to ride behind the horses. Always a very popular event.
Here is a 4-H girl showing off her turkey. He was a very sociable bird, and the kids loved him. They were feeding him blades of grass.
A beautiful face belonging to a pony giving pony rides. It's always hard for me to see these wonderful creatures hitched to a wheel, walking in circles for hours. The children love being on the ponies, but my heart aches for these gentle souls. I often ask myself if this is exploitation of animals for man's entertainment? But then, I suppose, I could say that my use of my own horse for dressage was also exploitation? However, the ponies were clean, in good flesh, and their feet were well trimmed, so it was apparent they were well cared for. AND, best of all, they wore no bridles or bits, so the children could not yank on their mouths.
What's a Grange Fair without animals and farm equipment?
There were tents where different non-profit organizations and businesses interacted with the fair goers to raise money and provide information and education. This one-eyed screech owl was helping spread the word about AARK, a certified wildlife rehabilitation center, badly in need of donations.
It's always heart-warming to see the bond that 4-H kids have with their animals. This young lady was relaxing with a couple of her sheep.
Cows are a huge part of the fair. Many different breeds are represented and shown. 4-H kids even get an opportunity to judge the cows. Here are a Holstein (b&w) and a Guernsey. The two of them seemed to be having a conversation about what was going on around them.
OXEN -- I found these huge animals fascinating. They had the most beautiful faces, and were unbelievably gentle. They were yoked together. This was a demonstration to show how yoked oxen are used for working. I wondered whether oxen were a breed so I researched and found out they are simply steers of any breed of cattle, that are at least four years old, and taught to work. A steer is a castrated bull. A full-grown ox is usually larger than a bull because it is allowed to live, and, therefore, reaches full maturity. When farmers choose an animal for an ox, they choose one with horns. The horns keep the yoke on their heads when they back up. The horns grow as their bodies grow, so the horns can get quite large. Different breeds have different shapes and sizes of horns.
I loved this shot I got of the ferris wheel just as dusk was falling. You won't get me on one of these things!
There are many displays, and I liked this quilt. Different "bug" fabrics were used to suggest bugs in jars. I thought it was pretty clever.
One of the produce tables with many different types of home-grown vegetables and the ribbons awarded.
The Grange Fair reminds me so much of the Shippensburg Fair in the town where I grew up. It was exactly the same with animals, 4-H, fair queen contest, rides, food, vendors, a horse show, and competitions in many categories. There's a part of me that will always be a "farm girl."
Here is the Belgian in full harness. He will be hitched with a team mate to pull a wagon and offer fairgoers an opportunity to ride behind the horses. Always a very popular event.
Here is a 4-H girl showing off her turkey. He was a very sociable bird, and the kids loved him. They were feeding him blades of grass.
A beautiful face belonging to a pony giving pony rides. It's always hard for me to see these wonderful creatures hitched to a wheel, walking in circles for hours. The children love being on the ponies, but my heart aches for these gentle souls. I often ask myself if this is exploitation of animals for man's entertainment? But then, I suppose, I could say that my use of my own horse for dressage was also exploitation? However, the ponies were clean, in good flesh, and their feet were well trimmed, so it was apparent they were well cared for. AND, best of all, they wore no bridles or bits, so the children could not yank on their mouths.
What's a Grange Fair without animals and farm equipment?
There were tents where different non-profit organizations and businesses interacted with the fair goers to raise money and provide information and education. This one-eyed screech owl was helping spread the word about AARK, a certified wildlife rehabilitation center, badly in need of donations. 
It's always heart-warming to see the bond that 4-H kids have with their animals. This young lady was relaxing with a couple of her sheep.
Cows are a huge part of the fair. Many different breeds are represented and shown. 4-H kids even get an opportunity to judge the cows. Here are a Holstein (b&w) and a Guernsey. The two of them seemed to be having a conversation about what was going on around them.
OXEN -- I found these huge animals fascinating. They had the most beautiful faces, and were unbelievably gentle. They were yoked together. This was a demonstration to show how yoked oxen are used for working. I wondered whether oxen were a breed so I researched and found out they are simply steers of any breed of cattle, that are at least four years old, and taught to work. A steer is a castrated bull. A full-grown ox is usually larger than a bull because it is allowed to live, and, therefore, reaches full maturity. When farmers choose an animal for an ox, they choose one with horns. The horns keep the yoke on their heads when they back up. The horns grow as their bodies grow, so the horns can get quite large. Different breeds have different shapes and sizes of horns.
I loved this shot I got of the ferris wheel just as dusk was falling. You won't get me on one of these things!
There are many displays, and I liked this quilt. Different "bug" fabrics were used to suggest bugs in jars. I thought it was pretty clever. 
One of the produce tables with many different types of home-grown vegetables and the ribbons awarded. 
The Grange Fair reminds me so much of the Shippensburg Fair in the town where I grew up. It was exactly the same with animals, 4-H, fair queen contest, rides, food, vendors, a horse show, and competitions in many categories. There's a part of me that will always be a "farm girl."
1 comment:
What a wonderful set of shots - a nice time! I love the ferris wheel photo and it's cool to be a farm girl.
I loved the tractor shot myself - yellow and green, so summery - and the kids with the animals brought a smile to my face. I especially liked the focus on the owl shot.
Glad you had fun there. What about photo contests at the fair?
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