FAIR: ‘I like to perform for the kids and see everyone’s excitement’

Magill said Wheatland High School FFA is the primary team working on the Yuba County exhibit, but she and her team are helping them because Magill has been creating exhibits for more than 20 years at the State Fair.

“This is my 21st year creating exhibits – I do it to try and let people know that we have agriculture here, but people don’t realize there’s so much history here,” Magill said. “If people were to go to the old Montgomery Ward building in Marysville and walk down the hallway, they can see all the old exhibits and history.”

Each year, she said, there’s a different theme, and in previous years, the county exhibits have showcased Chinese history, the Gold Rush era, the wagon train and more. The 2017 theme is “California – Memories in the Making.”

“We try to make it educational for the people attending the fair,” Magill said. “The kids work as docents sitting in the exhibit and answering questions to fairgoers about the county.”

She said about 25 FFA students from Wheatland and Marysville high schools signed up to help with the exhibit as well as several parents and teachers – including her husband, Jeff Magill, a coadviser with Wheatland FFA. honor to represent my county at the state,” Irwin said. “It’s a little nerveracking because I don’t want to let anyone down.”

She said before becoming part of FFA, she was shy and had a difficult time talking to people, but her experience with the club has helped her be more outgoing.

“If any kids younger than me ask about FFA, I tell them to do it in a heart beat,” Irwin said. “It’s done so much for me to get out of my comfort zone and do challenging things.”

Irwin also works two jobs – at Tractor Supply Co. and at a restaurant.

Several FFA members from Sutter and Colusa county are also going to the State Fair, according to their advisers.

Hayley Barker, 12, of Rio Oso has been an equestrian vaulter since she was 6 and will be participating in the State Fair for her fourth time.

Barker is a member of the Citrus Heights-based Nu Balance Vaulting Club, a group that competes in events and performs for entertainment purposes, which is what they’ll be doing at the State Fair almost every day and sometimes twice a day.

“It’s amazing. I love the fair, and I look forward to it every summer,” Barker said. “I like to perform for the kids and see everyone’s excitement, especially because I’m a flier and you see everyone smiling and clapping while you’re going around in the air.”

She and the other club members perform on horses – sometimes up to three people on a horse at one time – using special tack equipment to keep themselves stable and the horse safe.

“It’s basically gymnastics on horses,” Barker said. “We do cartwheels, hands stands, leaps and jumps and the horse is usually trotting or cantering.”

Barker and the other club members train several times a week on their horses as well as off the horse doing strength and conditioning, and stretching routines keep their skills sharp.

Her mother, Dolly Bark- er, a competitive vaulter for many years, said she likes seeing her daughter follow in her footsteps.

“My daughter got into it because I was into it when I was younger – it’s popular in Europe,” Barker said. “I was 8 years old when I started and did it until I was 20 and coached later.”

Barker said she learned so much about horsemanship and teamwork when she was competing.

“You have to have good balance, and you have to have good communication,” Barker said. “People ask me if I’m afraid, but it doesn’t bother me because I’m so used to it from my days.”

California State Fair Media Director Sabrina Rodriguez said the organizer of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition awarded two local olive oil companies medals in the competition.

Apollo Olive Oil received gold medals for its Mistral and Sierra Organic olive oils, and Sutter Buttes Olive Oil won a Silver medal for its Garlic Herb olive oil.

The California Commercial Wine Competition, part of the California State Fair, awarded Grant Marie Winery and Cordi Winery medals for two of their products.

Grant Marie Winery was awarded a bronze metal for its 2015 Grenache and a silver metal for its 2015 Grenache/Syrah.

Cordi Winery took home two bronze metals for its 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Negroamaro.

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