The 2015 Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo ran from Wednesday through Saturday last week and drew large crowds of participants and spectators.
If you didn’t make your way to the fairgrounds, you missed a lineup of different rodeo events, live entertainment, family fun and tasty food. Locals and visitors alike occupied the fairgrounds for what ended up being the most successful year for the Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo, according fair board chairperson Jule Wadsworth.
Adding to the success of this year’s fair were the addition of two new events, cow dog trials and the jackpot barrel racing. Organizers said both events were successful, well attended and already scheduled to return next year.
The rodeo was held Friday and Saturday nights and drew sizeable lineup of cowboys and cowgirls. Bleachers were full to the max with enthusiastic spectators. Emma and Laura Pearson, local teenagers, sung the national anthem before the rodeo, and Chad Steele announced, providing entertainment and filling the shoes of Stuart Twitchell, the rodeo announcer for seven years prior. The gymkhana and junior rodeo, providing competition for the younger cowboys and cowgirls, were also successful with more participants than previous years.
The Lincoln County Adventure Relay was once again considered successful, drawing nine teams and two single cyclists. The relay began in Eagle Valley at Eagle Valley Resort and trekked through Echo Dam area, Condor Canyon, Bullionville, Cathedral Gorge and finished at the fairgrounds. A storm through Echo provided more adventure to the relay as runners and cyclists battled extra mud and water through Condor Canyon, but the cooler temperatures made for ideal running/cycling conditions. The Pearsons, of Cave Valley (Pioche area), composed a team of kids ranging from nine to 15 years of age, who made it to the finish line with smiles on their faces, alongside adult family members of another team who earned second place overall. Participants enjoyed having teams composed of different age groups and capabilities in the relay, chasing the same goal, the 30-mile finish line.
The FFA and Cattlemen’s dinners fed large crowds to a point where they ran out of food. The fairgrounds also had several different food vendors available. The fair board was hoping to have more entries into the exhibit hall, but the participation has decreased over the years. The entries on exhibit though provided a display of local talent and ability. Everyone is hopeful of more entries and participation next year.
Overall, organizers and participants felt it was a great weekend with a full lineup of events to reach the interests of most everyone. A storm on the horizon all weekend only briefly interfered. The Lincoln County Fair Board said it is extremely pleased with the turnout of this year’s events, and the group is already moving into the planning for next year.
[huge_it_gallery id=”3″]
