Clallam County Fair sports fare
(Note: all events at fairground grandstand)
• Thursday/Friday, Aug. 17-18
5, 6:30, 8 p.m. — Jet City FMX Extreme Moto-X Nitro
• Friday Aug. 18
9:30 a.m. — Western Games
5, 6:30, 8 p.m. — BMX Pro Trick Team
• Saturday Aug. 19
Noon — Logging Show
5 p.m. — Rodeo
• Sunday Aug. 20
Noon — Rodeo
5 p.m. — Demolition Derby
More info: www.clallam.net/Fair/
Fair Admission Prices
Daily Season Pass
Adults (18 and older) $8 $24
Senior citizens (62 and older) $6 $13
Students (13-17 yrs.) $6 $13
Children (6-12 yrs.) $5 $12
5 Years and younger w/adult free
Parking Free Free
From roping and riding to metal-bending, car-crunching action, the 2017 Clallam County Fair has plenty in store for the local sport and recreation fan.
Each year, the community’s annual fair hosts a number of exhibitions and events for the sports enthusiast and this year’s fair — set for Aug. 17-20 — is no different.
For more information, visit www.clallam.net/Fair/.
Motorcross demos kick it off
JetCity FMX, a Pacific Northwest-based freestyle motocross demo team, aims “to bring quality entertainment suitable for all ages” with their high-flying show, set for 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday at the fair grandstands. JetCity FMX brings some of the biggest tricks in the motocross world, from Superman seat-grabs to huge bar tricks, monster whips and the popular back-flip combos.
The 4-H Western Games kick off Friday’s events with a 9:30 a.m. start on Friday. See experienced riders race around barrels, perform pulls and more dynamic feats with their horses. Saturday sees the fair’s logging show at noon. Watch as loggers from throughout the Northwest demonstrate skills with axes, saws and more.
Rope and ride
The Professional Western Rodeo Association hits the grandstand area Saturday at 5 p.m. and resumes at noon on Sunday. Events include: bareback bronc riding, breakaway roping, bull riding, cowgirls barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. (See event descriptions below)
Do the Derby
The Demolition Derby caps the fair sports festivities with a 5 p.m. start on the fair’s final day (Sunday, Aug. 20).
Demolition Derby fans need to buy a $12 ticket (in addition to regular fair admission fees), sold starting at 9 a.m. outside the Yellow Gate (west side of the fairgrounds) on Sunday, Aug. 20. The Demo Derby begins at 5 p.m.
For information on derby entries and tickets, call Jessica Little at 477-7653.
And more …
Local 4-H club members show off their skills in a number of events during the fair, including showmanship, English performance, reining, performance class, trail classes and more, all at the fairgrounds horse arena. In addition, 4-H members put their canine and feline friends through one gauntlet after another in the cat barn and dog arena all four days.
The Olympic Peninsula Fly-Fishers are back at the county fair, demonstrating fly-tying skills in the hobbies and crafts barn from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Those looking for something a little more sedate but a challenge nonetheless can take on the Sequim Valley Peggers, P.A. Peggers and other cribbage experts at the hobbies and crafts barn.
For the youths, check out the KIDZONE. Located in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds, the KIDZONE offers pony rides, a rock climbing wall, “Euro bungee” and more, open all four days of the fair.
Fair fees
Daily fair admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students (13-17) and senior citizens (62 and older), $5 for children (6-12) and free for youths 5 and younger.
The following weekend (Aug. 25-27), the fairgrounds host the Clallam County Junior Rodeo from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Call Jenny Wilson at 360-461-9423 for more information.
Rodeo romp
For two days the fair is home to riders from the Professional Western Rodeo Association (PRO-WEST). The rodeo includes the following events:
• Bareback sees the rider with his feet placed above the break of the horse’s shoulder. If the cowboy’s feet are not in the correct position when the horse hits the ground on its first jump out of the chute, the cowboy has failed to “mark out” the horse properly and is disqualified.
Throughout the 8-second ride, the cowboy must grasp the rigging (a handhold made of leather and rawhide) with only one hand.
The rider is judged on his control during the ride and on his spurring technique. The score also is based on the rider’s “exposure” to the strength of the horse. In addition, the horse’s performance accounts for half the total score.
• Breakaway roping is a modification and adaptation of men’s tie-down calf roping. The contestants begin behind a rope barrier. The barrier is released automatically by a measured length of twine around the calf’s neck. When the calf reaches the end of the twine, the barrier is tripped. If the roper rides through the barrier before it is tripped, a 10-second penalty is added to the total time. The loop must be thrown and go over the head of the calf. When the slack in the rope is pulled tight, the tension will break a string that is holding the other end of the rope to the saddle horn. When the rope “breaks away” from the saddle, the judge will drop the flag to stop the timing watches.
• Team roping starts with the header, the first cowboy out of the box. He chases down the steer and ropes it around the head and once around the neck or around both horns. The header must turn the steer to the left, giving his partner (the heeler) a chance to rope both of the steer’s hind feet. If the header breaks the barrier, a 10-second penalty is added to the total time; catching only one hind leg results in a 5-second penalty.
If the heeler tosses his loop before the header has changed the direction of the steer, it’s called a “crossfire” and it results in a disqualification.
The run is complete, and the clock is stopped, when the steer is secured, the team ropers’ horses are facing each other on opposite sides of the steer and the slack has been taken out of both ropes.
• Barrel racing sees the contestant enters the arena at full speed on a sprinting American Quarter Horse. As they start the pattern, the horse and rider trigger an electronic eye that starts the clock. Then the racer rides a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels positioned in the arena and sprints back out of the arena, tripping the eye and stopping the clock.
The contestant can touch or even move the barrels, but receives a 5-second penalty for each barrel that is overturned. With the margin of victory measured in hundredths of seconds, knocking over one barrel spells disaster for a barrel racing competitor.
• Bull riding puts the spotlight on one’s upper body control and strong legs. The rider tries to remain forward, or “over his hand,” at all times. Leaning back could cause him to be whipped forward when the bull bucks.
Judges watch for good body position and other factors, including use of the free arm and spurring action. Although not required, spurring will add points to a rider’s score.
As in all the riding events, half of the score in bull riding is determined by the contestant’s performance and the other half is based on the animal’s efforts.
• Saddle bronc riding demands that each rider must begin his ride with his feet over the bronc’s shoulders to give the horse the advantage. A rider who synchronizes his spurring action with the animal’s bucking efforts will receive a high score. Other factors considered in the scoring are the cowboy’s control throughout the ride, the length of his spurring stroke and how hard the horse bucks.
Model spurring action begins with the rider’s feet far forward on the bronc’s point of shoulder, sweeping to the back of the saddle, or “cantle,” as the horse bucks. The rider then snaps his feet back to the horse’s neck a split second before the animal’s front feet hit the ground.
• In steer wrestling, the wrestler is on horseback and starts behind a barrier, beginning the chase after the steer has been given a head start. If the bulldogger leaves too soon and breaks the barrier, he receives a 10-second penalty.
The steer wrestler is assisted by a hazer, another cowboy on horseback, tasked with keeping the steer running in a straight line.
When the bulldogger’s horse pulls even with the steer, he eases down the right side of the horse and reaches for the steer’s horns. After grasping the horns, he digs his heels into the dirt. As the steer slows, the cowboy turns the animal, lifts up on its right horn and pushes down with his left hand.
After the catch, the steer wrestler must either bring the steer to a stop or change the direction of the animal’s body before the throw or is disqualified. The clock stops when the steer is on its side with all four legs pointing the same direction.
