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2009-11-20

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:27 PM

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Jacob Radcliffe, 8, Pomona, participates in the ring toss event Tuesday evening during the Barnyard Olympics at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, 17th and Elm streets, Ottawa. Youth from across the area turned out for the event.

Barnyard Olympics brings farm fun to the city

Giving farm life a toss

By COURTNEY SERVAES, Herald Staff Writer

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Raylyn Bollin, 12, Quenemo, runs Tuesday evening with a bale of hay during the Barnyard Olympics at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, 2641 S. Main St., Ottawa. The event also included relays and a milking contest.

Karrenna Willcut has the 4-H emblem burned into the metal on her senior class ring.

That’s how much she loves the program.

Willcut, who served as an ambassador at Tuesday night’s Barnyard Olympics, said the program has taught her about leadership.

More specifically, the Barnyard Olympics — which are part of the Franklin County Fair — teaches the older 4-H’ers about patience.

“It’s fun,” Willcut, 17, said about the event. “You get to interact with the kids.”

Willcut, and other 4-H ambassadors, were responsible for heading up the olympics, Diana Kay said.

Kay, who helped organize the event, said it has grown every year since it began three years ago.

“I’m surprised so many kids showed up,” Kay said.

During the event, participants competed in several events, including a barrel race, hay stacking and a bucket brigade — though Kay said it was more like a ball brigade.

“The nicest thing about it is that it doesn’t matter if the kids are big or little,” she said.

Kay added that the younger children enjoy the event and see that the older participants are having fun, too.

The children were divided into teams and then placed into separate categories — beginners and advanced.

Kay said it is nice to see the ambassadors working with the younger children to make things fair and equal.

Willcut said she enjoys spending time with the younger children.

“You get to laugh with them,” she said. “And teach them to behave.”

Courtney Servaes can be e-mailed at cservaes@ottawaherald.com.