THE 4-H SHOW MUST GO ON: More than 100 shows reduced to about 35 this year

METCALFE — The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns put the kibosh on country fairs and livestock shows this year. But not all of them.
In a normal year there would be well over 100 4-H livestock shows but there were about 35 this year, of which 25 were in-person, according to an estimate from 4-H Ontario.
One of the most recent was the West Carleton 4-H sheep club’s competition. The Carp Fair was cancelled so the competition was held at a club leader’s house on Sept. 24. The McCord family, of McCord Farms at Kanata, hosted the show and their two sons had a strong showing. Darren McCord had the champion market lamb and was named overall champion showperson. His brother Tim McCord had the reserve champion market lamb.
There were 13 4-H members in the competition. Grace Munro was reserve champion showperson. Mark Munro had the champion ewe lamb and Grace Munro had the reserve champion.
Darren McCord said he picked his lamb in June and had a hard time keeping motivated knowing that the Carp fair was cancelled. “I was bummed out,” he said. When the club arranged to compete at his family farm “I could mentally prepare and work the lamb,” he said. His champion market lamb was sold at an online auction for $400 to the Oattes Cattle Company in Cobden.
The Metcalfe Fair open junior beef show was also expected to go ahead on Oct. 3. with one exception. Nobody had to leave home. Competitors instead recorded themselves showing their animal at home and sent in a video. Judges were to evaluate on showmanship and the fair board planned to send out awards.
Dundas 4-H Dairy Day was held on Aug. 15 at the South Mountain Fairgrounds, even with the stands empty and midway silent. Cassidy Porteous was the overall champ, winning both grand champion heifer and grand champion showperson. Taylor Mathers was the runner-up, winning reserve champion showperson, and Bruce Porteous was the honourable mention.