About usThe Great Frederick Fair Inc. and The Frederick County Agricultural

Society Inc. publish News as a general information service for its Life Members, business clients and associates. Additional information

regarding an of the matters published within may be obtained from the

Administration Office.

boArd officersColby D. Hubble – President

Charles B. Cramer – Vice PresidentRobert W. Frank – Secretary

Maurice A. Gladhill – Treasurer

boArd of directorsJohn E. Bare

Joseph F. Devilbiss, Sr.James S. Grimes

Nancy N. HendricksNancy F. Keller

Jacqueline L. KrehJohn P. Murphy

J. Ray Ramsburg, III Assistant Treasurer

Shelly J. Stull

The Great Frederick Fair Inc. is a member of:

The Maryland Association of Agricultural Fairs and Shows Inc.

The International Association of Fairs

and Expositions

The Chamber of Commerce of Frederick County

The Frederick County Tourism CouncilThe Pennsylvania

Association of Fairs

How to reAcH us...The Administration Office at

The Great Frederick Fair is open from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. M – F

301.663.5895 p – 301.663.9719 fwww.thegreatfrederickfair.com

Street address: 797 E. Patrick Street By mail, address materials to

P.O. Box 604, Frederick, MD 21701

32 fAir of dreAms – Country nights & Carnival lightsfAir of dreAms – Country nights & Carnival lights

On the hot summer day as the doors of the Null Building opened, the fresh gush of air conditioning was refreshing. Looking around the inside of the iconic Frederick Fair building, there was a table in the middle with two extending sections on each side, packed with art of all kinds: photographs, quilts, paintings, knitted objects, baked goods, even painted mailboxes and homemade jean aprons. Through the chaos of the never ending lines of art and crafts, was an employee talking to a group of fairgoers.

Ken Hubbard is a man who has been working at the fair for 34 years. Hubbard said, “When I first started working at the fair, I was at the Grand Stand helping set up and clean up for all the entertainment.” He also worked as an usher for the shows. “After years of working there, it got to be too noisy,” he said. So Hubbard decided to do something a bit calmer.

Hubbard continued coming to the fair every year as a worker for the Household Building Home Arts & Crafts Demonstration. His job was to make sure the children didn’t get too close to the art in the building and helping people find what they wanted to see. When speaking of the photography contest, he said that the entries were received on Saturday, Sept. 9 and entered into classes. The classes help the judges to sort through all the entries and to decide on a winner for many smaller groups of photographs. Hubbard went on to say that the pictures were judged on Sunday, Sept. 17. “Everyone who enters something into the contest always is so creative with what they do,” Hubbard said of the displays that he has seen throughout the years.

Although, he has great appreciation for all the hard work put into the crafts, he’s had some really great laughs through the years. Hubbard talked about a photograph that a woman brought in. The photograph depicted her sister. He said, “She came to us and asked if she could enter the work even though her sister had no idea the picture was taken.” It was definitely clear that the picture was taken in secret because it revealed her sister feeding three hogs from behind, exposing the hogs’ and the sister’s derrieres.

Before Hubbard worked at the fair, he helped his two sons set up for the dairy cattle show. They go to many fairs yearly but have had a soft spot in their hearts for The Great Frederick Fair. Hubbard lives about 10 miles north of Frederick, and his daughter-in-law works at the main office of Urbana High School. With many family members around, Hubbard gets to see all the people he’s close to and has met over the years. When asked about why he finds himself coming back to the fair every year, Hubbard said, “Seeing people I only see once a year and meeting new people.”

Like many people, being able to come to this event and catch up with people, is one of the biggest reasons many people, like Hubbard, have such an immense love of the Frederick Fair.

cAtcHing up At tHe fAir By: Alice Ramos

Vendor focus: Hemp’s meAts By: Jazmin Colon

wHere’s tHe beef? By Francesca TestenThe Great Frederick Fair is home to many displays of agriculture

and livestock from around the county. Fairgoers have the opportunity to learn about different types of livestock and how they are judged for quality.

The Open Class Beef Cattle Show was held on Governor’s Day, Tuesday, Sept. 19, in Building 18, and displayed many fine competitors. In shows such as this, cattle are divided based on weight or age. According to Whitney Wastler, a longtime 4-H and FFA competitor, “The steer are divided into weight classes, while the heifers are categorized by age. The cattle are then judged based on the foot and leg structure, their walk, muscle cover (fat content), and overall attractiveness. The judging of beef cattle in a show follows a very structured process and involves a great deal of preparation from the owners.”

From birth, many cattle are brought up to compete in shows, an intensive process, which involves months of daily grooming. Heifer owner Kim LesCallett remarked, “It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours to groom a heifer.” Grooming the cattle is only half of it. Training the steer or heifer to be more personable is also a very important part of competing in a beef cattle show. Personality is a key quality to an award-winning contestant; combative cattle are not ideal.

As well as the preparation for the show, there are also certain procedures that must be followed during the show. One rule stipulates that the cattle must be brought around the show ring counterclockwise. Owners should make sure that their cattle will always be seen by “always keeping the cattle between yourself and the judges,” said Wastler, a friend of LesCallett.

LesCallett and Wastler competed in the show with their heifer, Lizzie. Lizzie, a black chimaine breed heifer, is a year and four months old. Lizzie won second place in class. “Ribbons, awards and reputation,” LesCallett said, are all things that a cattle show winner is privileged to receive. Lizzie was judged alongside two other heifers, for their marketability and appearance, in a bovine beauty show. The rib shape, shoulder straightness, and cleanliness of the cattle were all taken into consideration when the judges made their decision.

The 4-H and the Future Farmers of America took part in the event as well. Several children and young teens won ribbons for their beef cattle, proving that the next generation of Beef Cattle Farmers is just as dedicated and proud of their livestock as the cattle farmers of today.

Entering Gate 3 at The Great Frederick Fair, the familiar smell of cooking meat from Hemp’s greets fairgoers the same way it has for many, many years.

Billy Hemp, the owner of Hemp’s, has been selling food for the past 32 years at the fair. He first came to the fair to promote the meat market, and since then Hemp’s has become a separate entity of the business located in Jefferson, Maryland.

During his first 10 years, he not only sold food, but as a trained EMT, people came to him for first aid assistance. “Me and the cook were trained down at the fire station,” said Hemp. “Before there was a Fire Rescue team here, people came to us.”

Today, Hemp’s sells several hundred pounds of meat per day. Their most popular item is their pit beef sandwich. To prepare for the busy day ahead, workers arrive at 6:00 a.m. to begin cooking the meat and fix

up napkins, ketchup bottles and plates. At 11:00 a.m. they finally open, greeting several hungry customers, some of who have been regulars for years.

From 5:30 to about 8:30 p.m., though, is when the true rush arrives for Hemp’s. Hemp said “evening times are the worst … so we cut out the conversation part of ordering.” To do this two or three workers are placed by the lines taking down orders, so customers have their meal all planned out along with the price. Hemp also stated that hiring quick workers helps keep waiting times down.

Owner Hemp said, “My favorite part of the fair has to be getting to see a lot of different people.” He has workers who have been a part of Hemp’s since the very beginning while others have just recently joined the business. Every year he comes back with one of the staple fair foods for all fairgoers to enjoy.

8 a.m. Open Class Sheep Breeding Show - Bldg. 28 (Meat Breeds)9 a.m. All Buildings Opens to Public

Equine Showcase/Expo - Presented By: The Great Frederick Fair, Inside Gate 34-H/FFA Beef Steer Show - Bldg. 184-H/FFA Dairy Goat Show - Bldg. 32Sulky To Saddle Tack Room Display, - Near Bldg. # 23 (Track Barn)

9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Home Arts & Crafts Building Demonstration - The Null Building (#9)Farm & Garden Building Demonstration - Bldg. 14a

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Open Dairy Cattle Arrival - (Ayshires, Holsteins)10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Community Day - Presented By: The Great Frederick Fair - Grand Rental Events’ Community Tent

11:30 a.m. Entertainment Mark Hanak - Grandstand (FREE)Noon Standardbred Harnes Racing - Grandstand (FREE)

12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Kiddie Carnival Rides Opens ($) – (Midway)2 p.m. – Close Carnival Midway Opens ($) – Pay One Price

3:30 p.m. Pretty Pig Contest - Bldg. 256 p.m. 4-H/FFA Decorated Lamb & Lead Contest - Bldg. 28

6:30 p.m. 4-H/FFA Poultry & Rabbit Dress Up Contest - Bldg. 147 p.m. Demolition Derby – Trucks/Vans/Figure 8 - Presented By: South Mountain Collision & Auto

and Middletown Valley Heating & Cooling - Grandstand ($)7:30 p.m. 4-H/FFA Market Goat Sale - Bldg. 14

wednesdAy, september 20 – Agriculture dAy

contentsFair Life . . . . . . . . . . . 1About Us . . . . . . . . . . 2Where’s The Beef? . 2Catching Up at the Fair . . . . . . . . . 3 Vendor Focus: Hemp’s Meats . . . . . 3A Medieval Ring Toss . . . . . . . . . . 4Schedule of Events . . . . . . . . . . 4

Thank you to Urbana

High School!

NEWSLETTERseptember 20, 2017 – vol. 3, no. 5 14 fAir of dreAms – Country nights & Carnival lights

fAir life By Maria Reyes PachecoThe fair holds a special place in the hearts of locals, and it’s no different

for Colby Hubble, the President of the Board of Directors at the Great Frederick Fair. “I came here practically every day,” she said because her grandfather was an integral part of the fair.

Colby grew up in the Fair like many Frederick people. Her grandfather, Mehrle Wachter, was part of the horse racing and she remembers coming to the fairgrounds. The Great Frederick Fair was a huge part of her life and it never stopped, even after her childhood years. Hubble has worked with the horses at the fair for 12 years. She has also been a part of the Board of Directors for the Fair the past eight years.

Hubble has seen the fair grow since she was a child. She remembers how more days were added to the fair and when an addition was installed to the grandstand. Even as the fair grows and changes the beauty of the fair remains. The “kid’s excitement” always remains, said Hubble.

The fair also continues to grow into all the generations. On the last day of the fair many kids— many from the 4-H exhibits—are already planning what they’ll do next year. “The kids work so hard, and it gives them an opportunity to show the community what they have done,” said Hubble.

All the hard work of the kids, and ultimately the Frederick community, is put on display on Governor’s Day. Governor’s Day, this year, takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and allows “us to show off our fair,” said Hubble. Governor Hogan came on Saturday, Sept. 16, and he was able to walk around and greet locals. Hubble explained that it’s also a day that was created to give thanks to our local and state political leaders.

Hubble looks forward to seeing all the events this year just like she did as a child. She hopes that this Frederick tradition will be a part of many people’s life. Who knows? Maybe the future President of the Fair is toddling around somewhere right now?

A medieVAl ring toss By Victoria SaltersImagine trying to catch three rings on a string with

a thin stick while riding a horse at the same time. This is what it’s like to participate in a ring jousting competition. And for pro class rider, Brad Vogel, this is the sport he’s been in for over 20 years.

Since Vogel has so much experience, it’s no surprise that he won the Pro portion of the jousting tournament at The Great Frederick Fair held on Tuesday, Sept. 19, with a perfect nine out of nine rings.

When Vogel was just 12 years old, he decided to join a jousting club that a woman had started in his hometown of Jessup, Anne Arundel County. The woman who started the club was actually the state and national champion at the time. He said that the club was a necessity in the community of his hometown. The young people, from ages 12-15, needed a supervised activity to get into, and so, many youths joined the club.

Trotting along, taking a look at how the horses are trained is another part of this wonderful sport. According to Maria Vogel, who has jousted, “It takes about three to five years, on average, for horses to be trained.” Training takes this long because the horse needs to be able to trust the track and the rider. The horses must also be taught to ride in a straight line and have a consistent gait.

After the horse’s gait is worked on, it must get used

to having a lance near its head. To accomplish this Bob Enfield, President of Western Maryland Jousting Club, has the horse get used to being ridden with a broom near its head. This broom act as a fake lance until a real lance is used.

Even before the horses are trained, there are specific requirements that each horse must meet. The horse typically should be 14.3 hands tall (4 feet l1 inches), but it can vary some depending on the height of the rider. When asked, Enfield said that the more popular horse breeds for ring jousting are Quarter Horses and Arabians. Other types of horses can be used as well.

Temperament is also another important factor when training a horse. Typically, a quiet horse with a smoother gait is the standard. The horse needs to be able to trust and listen to the rider to keep the same gait and not slow down or speed up during a ride in the competition. A good temperament is also helpful because horses will typically act a little strange when riding in a new area and track until they get used to it.

In Ring Jousting, there isn’t a large amount of equipment that is used for the rider and horse. Typically an English saddle is used because of its flatter design but Western saddles can be used as well.

Ring Jousting is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and is one of the main attractions at The Great Frederick Fair.