Broncs, blood, steers and mud

NORWALK — The weather finally seemed to cooperate Thursday at the Huron County Fairgrounds, with the mercury dropping a bit and the humidity staying at bay, making Senior Day the mildest yet. Wednesday night saw some great action in the grandstand area with A-Bar Rodeo Productions putting on a show that included bull riding and barrel racing. Only one cowboy was able to hang on and get an "eight-second ride." According to the rules of bull riding, a competitor must remain on the bull for a minimum of eight seconds to be eligible to receive a score from the judges. The judges then give both the cowboy and bull a score that judges both performances. Dillon Whitesel was the only rider to stay on long enough to receive a score from the judges, a "64." He earned just over $2,000 in prize money. In addition to Whitesel, Norwalk's own Derrick Wilson tried his luck, but drew a beast of a bull and wasn't able to stay on long enough to get a score. According to Derrick, he will "be back" and keep "riding." Following the bull riding, the barrel races began. In barrel racing, competitors attempt to maneuver their quarter horses between a series of barrels, with the fastest time taking home the prize. Kayla Johnson, a Risingsun native, took first place with a time of 12.38 seconds. Thursday was designated as Senior Citizens Day and sponsored by Mercy Health. The first 400 senior citizens were treated to a free donut by Lerch's Donuts, a fair vendor. A lot of activity was noted in the Heritage Area, with volunteers cooking a "heritage stew" in front of the little red schoolhouse. Jr. Fair events included: the sheep show, goat show, llama and alpaca show and the meat goat show. Motocross racing was hosted in the grandstand area. Details and results will be reported in a later story.