EATON — Pee Wee Shows give children who are not 4-H aged the opportunity to show an animal and become interested in 4-H at a young age. At the Preble County Fair, there are five different Pee Wee Shows, run by different organizations and families.
The Pee Wee Jersey Dairy Show was held on Saturday, July 27. According to Cathy House, the Pee Wee Jersey Dairy Show was started by Carl and Inez House in the early 1950s and it has been a family affair since. House Family Jerseys: Bill, Cathy, Chip, Paige and Addyson House sponsor the Pee Wee show. Everyone is a winner and every winner receives a ribbon and a dairy treat.
“The show seems to grow every year and we have much more than Jerseys in the Pee Wee Show now, we have all the other dairy breeds now. It is really an event we enjoy,” she said. “We watched over time where there are fewer and fewer farm families. The number of small family farms is diminishing, especially dairy farms. Kids don’t get an opportunity to come face to face with where their milk comes from.
“If we are able to offer them a show ring experience, let them get close to an animal they might never have a chance to be close to, they will know where their food and milk comes from. Everybody qualifies, everybody wins.”
The Pee Wee Beef Show was held on Sunday, July 28. According to Beef Committee Chair Brad Johnson, any kid who is below 4-H age and can have access to a calf can participate in the Pee Wee show. The judge speaks with the child and then they are offered a free snow cone voucher.
“Its all about getting them on the mulch so someday they will come back and show cows in 4-H,” he said. “This is a great experience. It is ring time, handling calves, and the prep-time to get the calves ready. They get to experience being in front of people and showing. The beef part of 4-H is family — every little kid in your house, if you have steers or heifer, are involved in it.”
The Pee Wee Goat Show was held on Monday, July 29. According to Goat Department Head Jim Ray, the show was held after the Goat Showmanship Classes. They had a good turnout, with enough participants they had to break the show into two classes. They had approximately 50 kids participate in the Pee Wee Goat Show. Every participant got a ribbon and a free snow cone.
“We hold this for the next generation, to get them interested in it, so they can see what it is like. Just this experience of coming into the ring with an animal, seeing what everyone else is doing, and getting used to doing it for the future,” Ray said. “I just think it is fun to watch the kids and see how excited they all are. Even the judges like to do it too!”
The Pee Wee Sheep Show was held on Tuesday, July 30. According to Sheep Department Head Kenny Rader, the little kids want to do a pee wee show, because they want to be like the older kids.
“It may entice them to join 4-H and want to do it in the future, to be like their big brother or cousin. Hopefully it will entice them to do 4-H when they’re older and when they get to be that age,” Rader said. “The kids get smiles from ear to ear doing this show.”
There was also Pee Wee Swine Show on Tuesday, July 30.
