Moving Day: 4-H Clubs Liven it up in Livestock Barns at Wasco County Fairgrounds; Showmanship starts Friday

Kelli Ford, 9, of Maupin is part of the South County Wranglers 4-H Club and she brought in her calf a 4-month old named Eeyore, which was given to the Wranglers by a neighbor who had to leave town to take care of a family member.

TYGH VALLEY, Ore., Aug. 13, 2025 — Pickup beds and livestock trailers lined up at the Tygh Valley Fairgrounds on Wednesday as 4-H members from across Wasco County hauled in steers, sheep, rabbits and poultry ahead of weigh-ins and showmanship classes that begin Friday. For many families, the next three days are the payoff for a year of pre-dawn feedings, after-school barn chores and careful record-keeping.

Betty Odom is the South Wasco County Wranglers 4-H Club Leader and has been for decades. She was recently inducted into the Oregon State 4-H Hall of Fame

“Not everybody is going to be an athlete or excel in academics, but everybody can put in the hard work here and they can excel,” said longtime 4-H leader Betty Odom, who was recently inducted into the Oregon State 4-H Hall of Fame. Odom has worked at or in the Wasco County Fair for 55 years and has led the South Wasco County Wranglers club for decades. “These kids work year-round, rain or shine,” she added.

Gavin Anderson, 17, The Dalles, waters his animals in the barns at the Wasco County Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

Inside the beef barns, 17-year-old Gavin Anderson of The Dalles filled a trough for his market steer. “You have to make sure they are comfortable,” he said. “That’s why I’m giving him water to keep the weight on. They get scared when you move them.” Market beef competitors will also be judged on “born and bred” and “rate of gain” categories, said division leader Misty Duling — awards that recognize locally bred animals and daily weight gain over the project period.

Across the grounds, younger members hustled to finish pen decorations and check in on “static” entries — from sewing and art to LEGO builds — even though exhibit halls don’t open to the public until Friday.

Eleven-year-old Kallin Glasgow of Dufur was eager to see how his working LEGO scored.

Eleven-year-old Kallin Glasgow of Dufur was eager to see how his working LEGO tractor scored. Nearby, siblings Emma, 11, and Ethan Hovis, 13, of Wamic dropped off turkeys and helped festoon their club’s pens with strips of denim and bandannas. Odom said the club includes Cloverbuds, ages 5–8, who show for experience and ribbons rather than prize money.

Small-animal barns were just as busy. Audrey Lyslo, 12, of Wamic arrived with five Rex rabbits — four for meat and one show favorite.

Audrey Lyslo, 12, of Wamic holds Tucker - possibly the softest rabbit this side of the Mississippi.

“Feel how soft he is,” she said, cradling her white-and-red buck. She hopes to put auction earnings toward veterinary school.

Thirteen-year-old Hannah Sowell of Tygh Valley proudly introduced “Darth Layer.”

Thirteen-year-old Hannah Sowell of Tygh Valley proudly introduced “Darth Layer,” her black Orpington hen, along with two turkeys — one nicknamed Moca after the drink she had the day she got him. “I’ve been doing this since I was seven,” she said. “It’s fun to learn the history of the breeds — and this is helping fund a trip to Iceland and other educational tours.”

4-H Jr. Ambassadors left to right, Rylie Nordquist, Jazlyn Getchell, Lexi Ward and Rae Hansen. Top row left to right, Gabe Ford and Bryan Richman.

Helping hands came from a team of 4-H junior ambassadors, who cleaned barns, painted the horse barn earlier in the year and solicited sponsorships from local feed and hardware stores. “We try to make it easier for the kids,” said ambassador Jazlyn Getchell. Fellow member Rylie Nordquist said 4-H teaches practical food literacy: “It’s important to know where animals are coming from, how they are fed and taken care of.”

Odom paused to thank county 4-H program coordinator Leah Lowe and her husband, T.C. Ashley — “Johnny on the spot,” she said — as leaders hustled between pens and wash racks. The excitement builds toward showmanship and the annual Youth Livestock Auction, where many members, like Lyslo and Sowell, translate months of effort into dollars for education and future projects.

Fair highlights for 4-H families and supporters begin Friday with swine, sheep and cattle showmanship (starting 7:45 a.m., 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively), followed by Saturday’s Large Animal Master Showmanship from noon to 1:30 p.m. and the Youth Livestock Auction at 3 p.m. Awards and senior recognition run Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Evening attractions include the NPRA Rodeo at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, a Google-sponsored drone and laser light show at 10 p.m. both nights, and live music on the rodeo stage.

Betty Odom chats with the ColHoBe 4-H Club this afternoon, as she had taught some of them survival skills in Dufur in recent months. ColHoBe stands for Columbia Hog and Beef and it is one of the oldest standing clubs in Wasco County, dating back to the 1950s.

For Odom, who spent 33 years teaching subjects from physical education to language arts and special education — and who remembers when girls couldn’t show animals — the week still comes down to simple lessons. “4-H is about really great leaders and great parents and the lesson that hard work is the key to success,” she said.