Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Dogs take to ring in final day of fair
FAYETTEVILLE —Kibbles, a white Havanese, didn’t want to budge despite the best efforts of his handler, Colton Workman, 6.
Mom Brittany Huffaker soon joined the pair in the ring to assist Colton in leading his great-grandmother Emma Lee Elmore’s dog around the ring.
“Colton doesn’t give up,” Huffaker said. “It’s a fun way to end the fair.”
At least Kibbles didn’t drool all over the place like last year, Huffaker said afterward. But Kibbles wasn’t the only ornery one. A German Shepard whined. Another Corgi bit at its leash.
The dog show is an annual tradition at the Washington County Fair, which began Tuesday and ended Saturday. The event gives Washington County children as young as 2 the experience of showing an animal, said Kim Sullivan, the dog show superintendent.
“A lot of them only have a backyard,” Sullivan said.
Some contestants bring dogs straight from the farm, while others walk in from the show barns and ask to join in the dog show, Sullivan said. They are welcome.
Children entered their animals in categories for pure
breeds, mixed breeds and rescue dogs.
Other rounds of competition were for obedience, handling and a look-a-like contest where the children and dogs dressed up, Sullivan said. Ribbons were given to the best dogs, but Sullivan made sure every child received a prize from a table full of pens, flying discs and dog toys.
Elmore left her home in Mansfield at little before 7 a.m. with three dogs for her great-grandchildren to show Saturday. The morning was hectic, but her great-grandchildren enjoy playing with the dogs and handling them, she said.
Tabor Lewis, 12, led Cowboy, a young tri-colored Corgi, around the ring Saturday morning in the same round as her brother Colton.
Tabor, a sixth-grader at Lincoln Middle School, began showing animals at age 5, showing hogs and chickens. This year, she won a first in her class and finished fourth overall with a lamb.
“I just like the experience of getting to work with the animals,” she said.
Ray and Brittany Huffaker of Lincoln spent the week at the Washington County Fair with their four children, Brittany Huffaker said. Brittany Huffaker grew up showing hogs. Participating in the fair is teaching her children about respect, good sportsmanship and helping others, she said.
After viewing the group of seven pure-bred male dogs, Sherry Gibbany, the dog show judge from Mountain Home, explained she had to choose just four dogs as finalists. She told the children her decision would be based on their overall appearance. She looked for how well brushed they were, whether their nails were clipped and whether they were clean, acknowledging that was difficult in a show barn with a dirt floor.
“All your dogs look great,” Gibbany said. “It’s kind of tough.”
Cowboy and Kibbles didn’t make the final cut, but Gibbany encouraged the contestants whose dogs weren’t chosen among the best to keep working with the dogs and to take them to different places to practice walking them on a lead.
Gibbany told the children she could tell some dogs were immature, a few had nails that were a little long and some dogs were overweight.
“You all are winners in my book,” Gibbany said. “I know I’m going to see every one of you pretty soon.” Waterford Estates doesn’t have a bond in place, Pattillo said. The developer didn’t get one, he said.
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality replaced requiring bonds or letters of credit for the systems with a trust fund, according to the legislation the state passed last year. Owners or operators of the community sewer systems must contribute to the trust, said Kelly Robinson, state environmental agency spokeswoman, in email previously.
The agency does regular inspections and investigates complaints to evaluate whether systems are operating in compliance with regulatory and permit requirements and, when necessary, takes enforcement action, she added.
The money in the trust, which replaced the state’s other financial requirements, isn’t enough to prevent or fix major financial and environmental problems, County Attorney Steve Zega has said.
Poye said the county hasn’t attended a City Council meeting to answer questions. The biggest question is why Goshen needs the county to oversee systems the state already does, he said.