A hot mess

Monday, July 26, 2010
The Junior Leaders Team, which included, from left, Jake Robertson, Maddie Robinson, Samantha Williams, Bailey Goff and Mitchell Williams were the victors at Sunday's Battle of the Barns at the Putnam County Fair. This was the third year running the Junior Leaders won the contest. Banner Graphic Photo/ANDY BARRAND

GREENCASTLE -- It looked for a while like the event wasn't going to happen at all, but the 2010 Battle of the Barns at the Putnam County 4-H Fair came off Sunday -- new and improved.

Teams from all the livestock barns took part, as well as teams made up of members of the 2010 Putnam County 4-H Fair Queen's Court, 4-H'ers with projects in the community building and members of the 4-H Junior Leaders Club.

In years past, participants ran through an obstacle course carrying watermelons. This year, they threw themselves through mud puddles while carrying squashes, then ran through cones and finally, as teams, raced to the finished line on "buddy boards," a ski-like apparatus.

For the third year running, the Junior Leaders team won the competition. Runners-up were the team from the Horse Barn.

This year's Battle of the Barns had new coordinators, Chris Sheldon and Denise Oxford. Both women's husbands are members of the Putnam County 4-H Fair Board.

They put the event together in about two weeks' time.

"There was just no way we were going to let a fun event like this die," Chris said.

Chris' children were all involved in 4-H for many years. Although the 4-H career of her youngest child ended five years ago, she has remained heavily involved in the Putnam County program.

"I stay for the kids," she said. "The youth of this county need 4-H. Being involved is a lot of work and a lot of short nights, but it's worth it." Chris said the Battle of the Barns gives 4-H'ers who don't have livestock projects another way to be active during the fair.

"I like that we have a team from the exhibit hall," Chris said. "These are kids who don't have any animals, and it gives them a chance to get out here and get wet and dirty."

Many of the new ideas for the Putnam County battle came from the Morgan County 4-H Fair Battle of the Barns, which has been coordinated for many years by Chris' cousin, Donald Sheldon.

"I've done that and I've worked for many years at the swine barn," Donald said. "Any time you can get the kids involved in any activity at the fair, it's a good thing."

Chris said she anticipates coordinating the event next year -- and possibly many years beyond that.

"I'll do whatever I have to do to keep it going," she said. "I'll do whatever I can for the kids."

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  • they might think about paying a little more money for saturday night truck pull the prizes were a joke.

    -- Posted by truckpuller on Mon, Jul 26, 2010, at 10:17 AM
  • if they can not pay the prize then don`t have the pull

    -- Posted by truckpuller on Tue, Jul 27, 2010, at 7:49 AM
  • Well, I'm with the truck puller. They need to have the prize money already for the pullers so they know what to expect for prize money. What a joke the Putnam Co. fair is getting to be. Just like the battle of the barns article. It was not the battle of the barns. Change the title of competition to the 4Her's. It is great to see the kids come to gather. It doesn't have to be the battle of the barns.

    -- Posted by south putnam taxpaper on Tue, Jul 27, 2010, at 8:10 AM
  • Yes, the Putnam County Fair is becoming quite the joke. That is why cars are lined up back to the old stockyards every night. LOL

    -- Posted by JustinH on Tue, Jul 27, 2010, at 9:50 PM
  • As a past 10 year 4-H member. I think the the Putnam County fair is not a joke. If you have a problem with our fair than don't even bother coming!! As for truckpuller if you don't like the prize money don't come and pull at our fair. It's the fair that pays you guys anyways. AND I'm pretty sure that the article isn't even talking about the truck pull it's talking about the kids that competed in the battle of the barns and the name fits if you actually would come out and watch Battle of the Barns. If you think that raising the prices to get into the truck pull will fix anything it won't, you keep jacking up the prices people won't even want to come, it's enough paying what we pay to get in. So grow up and stop dogging on the Putnam County Fair!!!!

    -- Posted by farmers_daughter9008 on Wed, Jul 28, 2010, at 1:15 AM
  • Farmers_daughter9008 if you would read the article

    it was listed as different groups of 4-Hers not barn groups. Being lined up to get in to the fair grounds may also be the fact that people park along the highway so they do not have not pay so much to get in to the fair.

    There was nothing said about raising the price of admisson to the truck pull. READ the article first. Yes, I was a 10 year 4-her myself and people like you that make comments that you don't know what your talking about. It should be about the 4-Hers and not the parents doing the projects for them.

    -- Posted by south putnam taxpaper on Wed, Jul 28, 2010, at 8:47 AM
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