Fun had by all at county fair

SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Fair was the place to be Friday afternoon and evening.

A host of fun activities kept visitors busy from ice cream eating and cake decoration competitions in the afternoon, while an animal sale at night allowed the county’s youngest ranchers to show off their work.

Competition heated up with some cool treats at 2 p.m. when kids in three age groups tested their resistance against brain freezes in an ice cream eating contest. Celebrity guests like Ronald McDonald and Smokey Bear were on hand to cheer contestants on as they dove into bowls of chocolate ice cream.

First up, kids six and under took the table to shovel up some ice cream. Unlike other age groups, the youngest competitors were furnished with spoons for their efforts. Parents crowded around the table to take pictures as contest organizers gave the signal to start. When the dust cleared, Ethan Christensen, Zack Weis and Traxton Nordby took the top positions.

Next up, the 7- to 10-year-olds had a chance at the frozen desert. However, no one handed out any spoons this time. Contestants held their hands behind their backs and had at their ice cream face-first. Several finalists were selected after a narrow finish, with Brice Paulsen, Riley Cessna, Keirsen Brackett, Bonin Nordby and Lehana Ogbeide in the top spots.

Finally, 11- to 14-year-olds wrapped the contest up with another round of hands-free ice cream eating. This time, Riley Heacock, Jesse Bell and Andrew Hobbs ranked in the top positions.

While there was plenty to engage visitors’ interest throughout the day, it was the animal sale at 6 p.m. that drew the big crowds. Business representatives, ranchers and parents filled the bleachers as young 4-H participants presented their chickens, rabbits, sheep, steer and pigs before the audience. Animals were laden with the ribbons they earned from the fair’s judges. Some of them — especially the sheep — proved particularly stubborn as their caretaker moved them from one end of the corral to the other.

A sign posted at the auctioneer’s podium indicated that the turn prices per pound sat at 83 cents for sheep, $1.10 for goats, $1.15 for blue steer, $1.14 for red steer, 58 cents for blue swine and 56 cents for red swine. The 4-H youth hoped that their auction would yield a final price above market value and earn a profit. After a purchase, the buyer got to choose whether to take the animal home, turn it into meat, or charitably give it back to the original owner. Many opted for the final option.

This was a particularly important animal sale for the fair, as it represented the 100th year of 4-H in Idaho.

The first club was formed in Lemhi County in 1912, and the organization has only grown from there. A celebration of those 100 years will take place 1 p.m. today at the south lawn.