Bucolic Briefs
The Rodeo Legends Tour will host a number of upcoming rodeo, bull riding and bull fighting events in September. Following is a list of events and contact information: Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Iredell County Fairgrounds Arena – Pro bull riding; Sept. 12 & 13 at 8 p.m. at the Chamber Park Arena in Mountain City, Tenn. – Pro rodeo; Sept. 19-21 at 8 p.m. at the All American Sports Arena in Rock Hill, S.C. – Fall Festival and pro rodeo; Sept. 26 & 27 at 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Fairgrounds Arena in Fayetteville – Pro bull riding and freestyle bull fighting; Oct. 3 & 4 at 8 p.m at the Ruritan Park Arena in Efland – Pro rodeo; Oct. 5 & 12 at 7 p.m at the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem – Bulls & Broncs. Call (704) 882-6994 for all events.
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The 8th Annual Justice Community Antique Tractor, Car and Engine Show will be held Sept. 5 & 6 at Duke Memorial Baptist Church in Franklin County. Bluegrass and gospel singing will be featured on Sept. 5 from 5-8 p.m. A tractor drive will be held Sept. 6. For more, contact Donnie Aycock, (919) 853-2925, Paul Kilmer, (919) 496-2522 or Philip Rice, (919) 853-3161.
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The N.C. Simmental Association will hold its Fall Harvest Sale Sept. 6 in Statesville at Stamey Farms. For more, call Jennie Rucker at (336) 468-1679.
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The Person County Saddle Club will host a Draft Horse and Mule Fun Show Sept. 6 in Roxboro. For more, call Rob Hall at (336) 599-4039 or e-mail at pcsc3814@charter.net.
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The Gaston County Saddle Club Inc. will hold an open horse show Sept. 20 at Biggerstaff Park in Dallas. The event starts at 4 p.m. The rain date is Sept. 21. For more, contact Bev Couto at (704) 827-7491 or e-mail at bevcouto@bellsouth.net.
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The N.C. State Fair opens in mid-October, but competition registration deadlines are weeks ahead of the Oct. 16 opening date. The State Fair has made competition registration easier with online entries. Entries for the following categories will be accepted online, through the mail, or in person through Sept. 24 this year: Forage, Flower & Garden, Horticulture, Arts & Photography, Bees & Honey, 4-H, Culinary, Clothing, Home Furnishings and Handicrafts & Hobbies. Poultry and Rabbits entries can be submitted online through Sept. 15. Online registrations upload directly to the State Fair Entry Department and exhibitors can add or delete entries up until Sept. 24 with no additional fees.
Other deadlines are: Sept.12 for the wine competition and Sept. 15 for the livestock competitions.
All Fair competitions are open to the public, and a completed entry form must be submitted to the Entry Department by 5 p.m. on the stated deadline dates. For more, visit www.ncstatefair.org.
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Boothill Farm in Chapel Hill will host Hunter shows the third Saturday in September, October and November beginning at 9 a.m. The rain date for the shows is the third Sunday. Fee is $10 per class. For more information, go to www.boothillfarm.com or call (919) 967-2994.
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The Joyful Noise Open Horse Series will be held at 4-T Stables in Lewisville Sept. 27 and Oct. 25 featuring English, Western and gaming divisions. The events include youth, open and amateur classes. For more, contact Joyful Noise Farm at (336) 786-9130 or (336) 429-6240.
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On Sept. 27 and 28, several farms in North Carolina are participating in National Alpaca Farm Days. To find out more about National Alpaca Farm Day and for a complete list of participating farms and ranches, go to www.NationalAlpacaFarmDays.com.
“The best way to learn about and really understand the beauty of these animals is to see them in person” said Amy McCroskie, president of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association. “I hope people will take this opportunity to visit an alpaca farm.”
There are two types of alpacas in the United States. The Huacaya is the more common of the two and has a fluffy, fine coat. The Suri is the rarer of the two and has fiber that is silky and resembles pencil-locks.
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The 15th annual Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair will be held Oct. 24-26 at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 24 and 25, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26. The event features fiber animals, workshops, demonstrations and vendors. Cost is $3. For more, contact Teri Gabic, (864) 468-4220 or Shirley Thobe, (828) 337-9032.
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The Johnston County Horse Show Series features monthly horse shows starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Johnston County Livestock Arena in Smithfield. A negative Coggins test is required for all horses. Cost is $7.50 per class. Following are upcoming show dates: Oct. 25 and Nov. 22. Rain dates for all shows are the following day. For more, contact Michele McLaughlin, (919) 934-1344 or e-mail sileeno@ipass.net.
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The first Father/Son Registered Angus Bull Sale will be held at noon on Nov. 15 at the Shelby Livestock Yard. The sale will feature more than 20 Angus bulls, mostly yearlings with a few 2-and 3-year olds. All are high quality. A few females will also be sold, including bred commercial hiefers and possibly some three-in-ones. For more, contact Clint Harrill at (828) 429-9273.
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The annual Carolina Green Living Expo will be held Nov. 21-23 in Concord. The free event will cover many aspects of agriculture from biofuels to sustainable farming, and will include a number of educational seminars. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 21 & 22, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 23. Organizers are still seeking vendors. Call (910) 795-0292 or go to www.carolinalivinggreenexpo.com for more.
