Jefferson County Fair wraps up in Rigby with emotional goodbyes

RIGBY, Idaho (KIFI) — The Jefferson County Fair wrapped up its week in Rigby Saturday, marking the end of days of livestock competitions, community events and months of work for local 4-H and FFA members.

For some young exhibitors, the final day also meant saying goodbye to animals they had spent much of the year raising.

Fifteen-year-old Tenley Walker raised her steer, “Big Guns,” and the pair earned Grand Champion Market Steer. As exhibitors prepared to load their animals Saturday, Walker said the end of the fair was emotional.

“I've had a really good year with him,” Walker said. “We're about to load them on the trailer and I'm already getting a little bit worked up. But it's okay, just the way it goes.”

Walker said participating in 4-H has taught her about hard work, setting goals, keeping records and taking responsibility for an animal.

Those lessons are a major part of what organizers say they want young people to take away from the program.

Lex Godfrey, an agricultural educator at Rigby High School and chairman of the fair's Market Animal Sale Committee, said the animals may be the most visible part of the program, but the young people raising them are its real focus.

“Often people look at these as market animal projects. They are,” Godfrey said. “But the true product is these young people that are developing and learning what it takes to take care of something and be responsible for something.”

The fair began its livestock events with a horse show Monday, followed by market animal weigh-ins Tuesday and events throughout the week. Godfrey said the fair also included activities outside livestock, including exhibits featuring produce, baked goods and art.

Organizers say the fair continues to grow. Austin Davis, a local agricultural teacher and livestock committee chairman, said organizers expanded into a tent this year after running out of barn space. The fair has also added new pens, arenas and an auction block.

Friday night's Market Animal Sale brought in more than $800,000 in livestock sales, according to Godfrey. He said additional contributions, known as boosts, could push the total above $1 million.

“That will go back to these youth in our community,” Godfrey said. “That makes me feel very good about the future we have and the investment we're putting into our youth.”