New event coming to 2014 County Fair

VW County Fair information

A Lamb, Pig, and Calf Scramble is a new event at the Van Wert County Fair this year.  The event will be held at 7:30 Saturday night as part of the “Triple Play” in the Grandstand.  Rounding out the triple play are Emerald Blue, a young country music duo from Nashville, and a hot air balloon glow.

The scramble is new for Van Wert County, and the Fair Board has had quite a few inquiries as to what it actually is. Debuting at the 158th Van Wert County Fair, but very popular at nearby fairs the past couple of years, the scramble is somewhat a revival of the “greased pig” contests of years’ past.

As a warm-up, the event actually starts with a “chicken catch” for kids 7 and under.  Approximately 12 kids per heat will attempt to catch a chicken as they run around the 32-by-72 foot pen.  Prizes will be given to those who can complete the task. No registration is required for this round; kids just need to show up at the event that evening.

The true event kicks off with the Lamb Scramble for kids 7-10 years old.  Again, a heat of approximately 12 will try to catch 4-5 lambs that will be let loose in the pen. Participants will be given a halter to put on the lamb’s head and then lead the lamb to the center of the ring. The kid who catches a lamb in the shortest amount of time wins the grand prize of $25.

Next, children 11-14 will try to catch a pig. To add a level of difficulty, the kids arms will be coated with Crisco. Quickest time to catch the pig and bring him to the center circle wins a grand prize of $50.

Lastly, the main event for the older youths is the Calf Scramble. There will be heats for youngsters 15-18 and also one heat for college age (19-22) young adults.

Just like the lambs, participants will need to halter a calf and lead it to the center of the ring to complete the catch. Grand prize is $75 for the calf scramble.

Entries are limited to the first 36 entries for each scramble event and entries can be taken from now until the event at the Fair Board office.

Participants in the Sheep, Pig, and Calf Scramble will be provided a helmet for head protection.  All entries require a waiver signed by a parent of each participant.

Mercer Landmark and Rural King are helping to sponsor the event.