Hartford County 4-H Fair kicks in Somers Friday, Suffield teen competing in livestock competition

From Eversource Energy: For the past four months, 17-year-old Halie Shea has spent her down time training, bonding, and grooming her animal, Lady Bug. Lady Bug is not a puppy, a kitty or even a horse - she's a 6-month-old calf.

Shea’s hard work with Ladybug will soon be put to the test when she shows off the calf to a panel of judges during a Livestock Judging Contest at the annual Hartford County 4-H Fair in Somers. The Suffield High School senior is a member of UConn’s 4-H Program and a member of the Merry Moo’ers 4-H Club. She also serves as an officer with the Hartford County 4-H Fair Association, which hosts the fair. The 4-H program fosters youth’s passions and interests - everything from dance, to agriculture, art, food and more.

The youth-run 4-H fair relies solely on community donations, so Shea works hard with her peers every year to raise enough money. This year Eversource stepped in and made a financial contribution to help. Eversource employee volunteers are also lending a hand to help them set up the fair grounds.

“It means a lot to us. We’re really thankful,” said Shea of the donation. “We sell lots of advertisements and we need the help to keep the fair going and we sometimes struggle to make it happen. Getting the fair ready can be pretty exhausting too, so we can use all the help we can get.”“This fair provides an excellent opportunity for young creators to show off their skills and for people like Halie to share their passions,” said Eversource President of Corporate Citizenship Rod Powell. “We're committed to making a difference in the communities we serve and supporting programs like the UConn 4-H Club is a great way to give back to our customers and neighbors.”

The fair has a handful of attractions and events from a food truck festival, to a craft fair, a rabbit show, a tractor pull, and a livestock contest, the one which Shea and Lady Bug will compete in.

“This is an opportunity for youth to enter their exhibits and projects they’ve been working so hard on throughout the year,” said Jennifer Cushman, the extension educator for Hartford County 4-H. “They also get feedback and guidance from trained professionals who can help them on future improvements.”
During the livestock contest, Shea and her calf will be judged in a few different categories, including showmanship, how Lady Bug behaves, how the pair work together, Lady Bug’s looks, and even how Shea is dressed and presents herself.

“Lady Bug is sweet and she’s a little crazy sometimes,” said Shea laughing. “She looks really nice. I’m sure we’ll do well in breed classes.”

The fair is open to the public on Aug. 18, 19, and 20 at the Four Town Fair Grounds in Somers. For more information and for a list of fair events, visit here.

Image via Pixabay