I'd never heard of the Rural Olympics, so when the fair manager of
Antelope Valley County Fair asked me if I'd seen it, I was intrigued
and headed to the arena where he was pointing. I wanted to see the
different events they had to offer.
We
sat in the stands and waited with anticipation, and the crowd grew and
we heard the announcer ask us to rise and we had a prayer and the Star
Spangled Banner. It was a tradition that I didn't know even existed, I
felt the love of country and community deeply seeded in each of the
attendees. All hats were off, and the stands were silent in respect. I
felt the tears well up in my eyes. Then the games began... these were a
few of the competitions.
- Antique Car Potato Race
- Mechanical Hay Loading
- Hay stacking
- Hay squeezing
- Truck & Trailer Backing
- Skid Steer Loader Contest
- The Toughest Farmhand/Men
- The Toughest Farmhand/Women
The
Potato Race had me in stitches watching a guy hang out of the car with a
stick, trying to jab the potatoes while the other person drove down the
raceway. Two cars competed, and they raced side by side, the passengers
were the potato jabbers, and the cars going only as fast as they dared.
LOL it was hysterical. Plus they had antique cars and trucks and jeeps,
and all ages of competitors. It was the funniest thing I have ever
seen.
The Hay
Squeezing was the other race I loved, watching a piece of equipment I
have never seen before, stacking the hay, and putting it on the bed of
the truck and then removing it from the truck to the ground for another
contest.
I had no idea how much
work went into farming, and I walked away really impressed with the
farming equipment they have designed, and the way farmers impressively
handled the tight corners and work they have to maintain to keep their
farms active and growing. I had a blast and went out with a new respect
for the farming industry and how hard those awesome folks work.
