Hitt Mountain Livestock 4-H Club Ready for Washington County Fair
The Washington County Fair and Rodeo has always been a big deal for kids of all ages. In Cambridge, members of the Hitt Mountain Livestock 4-H Club have been hard at work since last December, preparing for this annual event. Getting ready for the fair takes dedication, time, and careful planning.
The Hitt Mountain Livestock 4-H Club has 45 members, including approximately 35 regular members and 10 Cloverbuds. The older members, those 8 years of age and older, take larger animals to the fair including, swine, sheep, beef, goat, and horse projects. Meanwhile, the Cloverbuds are learning more about animals through smaller animal projects such as rabbits, chickens, and ducks.
The University of Idaho (U of I) Extension website, explains more about Cloverbuds. “Cloverbuds is a fun, educational program for younger children. Children must be ages 5 to 7 by Jan. 1 of the current 4-H year. Fair exhibits by Cloverbuds are noncompetitive and are optional. Cloverbud members may show projects on lap animals such as rabbits, cavies, cats, small dogs (that weigh less than the member), chickens and mini-goats.”
I had the fun opportunity to visit with five members of the Hitt Mountain Livestock 4-H Club and learn more about them and the animals they are taking and showing at the fair. Sydney Loveland will show her steer, Jace. Madden Warfield will show his pig, Belly Bean. Gia Bilboa will show her pig, Pumpkin. Porter Loveland will show his steer, Rusty. And Briggs Papineau will be showing his pig, Mimi.
All five kids talked about getting their animals ready for the fair and what their days are like. They discussed getting up early to feed their animals before it gets too hot, since animals tend to eat better when it’s cooler. They also shared how they spend time training their animals to make sure they’re ready for the fair. They work with their animals at different times of the day. One member mentioned that even though it’s hot in the afternoons, it’s still important to work with the animals during that time. After all, you might have to show in the heat of the day, and the animals need to get used to it. A fun secret that was shared was that they sometimes use Skittles as treats to encourage their pigs when working with them. Evidently, they are a favorite!
I enjoyed learning what the members look forward to most at the fair and rodeo. One thing that was highlighted was the snow cones! They also look forward to hanging out with their friends, walking around and seeing all of the animals, showing their own animals, trying to do well at the fair, looking at the record books, because it’s cooler in the exhibit hall, where the record books are displayed and also earning some money at the sale.
Being a part of a 4-H livestock club is more than getting animals ready for the fair. It’s also about doing community service, such as picking-up trash at the fairgrounds and sometimes along the highway, and cleaning-up after banquets in the exhibit hall. Being in 4-H also requires keeping detailed record books, giving demonstrations, and interviews, all which help to develop life skills. In addition, the Washington County Extension office puts on animal science clinics at the exhibit hall during the spring where the participants rotate through a variety of stations to learn from local veterinarians, farmers, ranchers and others who teach skills for taking care of animals.
The Hitt Mountain Livestock 4-H Club is lucky to have six leaders who give their time to help the kids get ready for the fair. The leaders are Katelyn Papineau, Shannon Loveland, Meagan Reynolds, Bonnie Johnson, Bridget Felmley-Hearold, and Lauren Warfield. The leaders experience ranges from two to twelve years, with a couple of leaders gaining experience in other places before coming to Cambridge.
The leaders love seeing the growth of the kids from year to year. They also enjoy seeing how much they learn and what they bring back from the previous year. They love that the community is so involved. They talked about how the community will show up for all different days to watch the kids show their animals and also buy animals at the sale. They said that even people without kids participating in the fair will show up to help with the kids and the animals. We are fortunate to live in such a special place, where people show up for each other and for events like this all year long.
One great way to show support for the 4-H program is by attending the livestock sale. The sale begins Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see the dedication and hard work the kids have put into raising their animals. You can further support the kids through buying an animal and/or doing a monetary Add-on. An Add-on, benefits a child of your choosing. There is a form on the Washington County website, under the fair tab, where you will find more information about Add-ons.
After being at the fair and seeing all the kids with their animals, your child might be thinking about joining 4-H. The Washington County Extension office states, “4-H provides opportunities for all youth ages 5 to 18-years-old to participate in innovative and fun programs that help them develop valuable, lifelong skills and leadership abilities to make a difference in their community.” If you would like to know more about becoming a 4-H member you can call the Washington County Extension office at (208) 414-0415. As a 4-H member, you’ll learn so much and make memories that will last a lifetime!
