craigdailypress.com

When Danna Camblin was a youth growing up in Maybell, she showed steers at the Moffat County Fair each summer.

But the way steers are prepared for the fair is much different now, she said.

"It's changed a lot," Camblin said. "We didn't grow hair and wash them and have them under fans."

Her three children now raise steers for the fair, except now they trim, comb and primp the black steers they plan to show at the 2006 Moffat County Fair, which began Friday and continues through Aug. 12.

Since November, the youngest, 9-year-old Mackenzie, has risen with the sun to tend to Herbie, her second steer to be raised for the fair.

Last year, she placed ninth in showmanship. She is looking to move up this year by impressing the judges.

"They look for muscles, structure and the width of their legs," Mackenzie said. "Herbie doesn't really have that much muscle, but I think he'll do OK."

Mackenzie is learning the tricks of raising a market steer for the county fair from her more experienced brother and sister.

"They teach me how to brush their hair. We do that every day," she said. "They taught me how to fluff up their legs."

The hardest part of raising a steer is getting up early, Mackenzie said. But when the judging begins in the arena, the work pays off.

"It seems like you're on a big stage. You lead him around and stop side by side with the other steers, and set him up square," Mackenzie said. "The judge goes around and tells the audience about the steers. Then they start picking steers."

Call Camblin is 11 years old, but he's already a four-year veteran at steer breeding and showing.

Last year, his steer Little Cigar took reserve in the market class and helped him earn a fourth place in showmanship.

He hopes this year's steer, Omally the Alley Cat, will show even better.

"I raised him myself," Call said. "I took him to the fair last year."

Call is familiar with the routine of preparing a steer for showing.

"You get up at 6:30 or 7 to wash the steers and grain them," Call said, moving a blower over the steer. "Then we do this twice a day. Blow the dirt off and rinse them. Comb them, getting all the hair the right way. Blow the water out of them, put on clean sheen, and blow that out. Then they stand until noon."

After lunch, the steers are turned loose until 6:30 p.m. At that time they are fed, and the process starts all over again.

Call sprays sticky stuff on the steers legs and said it's called "legging them up." It's not a trick that he won't talk about with other competitors.

"We don't keep secrets," Call said. "Everybody does the same thing."

Chelsee, at 13 years old, is the most experienced of the young Camblins when it comes to showing steers. She's been at it for five years but has been entering fair competitions in other events for seven.

She got her steer Ace in November when he only came up to her shoulders. Now, he's a handful.

"He's one of the troublemakers. He'll get out of the pen," Chelsee said. "But after the trouble, he makes it up somehow. He comes up and licks you."

Chelsee enjoys raising steers. She likes to feed them and said it's a lot of fun just getting to hang out with them.

All of the steers have different personalities, Chelsee said, and spending so much time with them you get to know them pretty well. She said that the heifers have a "fiery" personality.

Last year, she had a grand champion steer, and he was the first one to sell in the livestock auction.

Chelsee also went to the state competition last year and took a first place in market heifers. She also won the junior showmanship competition.

"I think that Ace will do well at the fair, placing in the top three of his class, and I'll make it to the championship round," she said.

The sale is the toughest part of raising steers, Chelsee said, because it's hard to say goodbye. Her father, Mike, agrees.

"They spend a lot of time with them," Mike said. "Just messing with them and petting them. The sale was hard on the whole family last year."

Mike and Danna Camblin like what their children are learning from the steer-raising experience.

"It's not just working the animals," Danna said. "It's financial responsibility. We helped the first year with supplies. After that, they had to buy their own grain."

"The animals come first," Mike said. "Before they eat breakfast, they care for the steers. They don't complain."

Some lessons are harder than others. Last year, they lost a steer, and that was difficult for the children.

"They have to learn about death," Danna said. "When they lose them, it's tough."

Mike said that the sportsmanship the children learn is as important as the other responsibilities, especially the sportsmanship among brothers and sisters.

The family will be spending a lot of time at the fairgrounds during the fair.

On the first day, they bring in the animals and get them settled.

On the second day, they show the steers, and the final preparations keep them all busy.

The breeding competition consumes the third day at the fair.

On Aug. 12, the Camblin children will sell their steers. They admit it's hard to say goodbye to animals they've raised, but are happy for the money they've earned.

All that money goes back into next year's animals.

Plus, they' happy they get a short break from the rigorous routine of raising livestock.

In November, they will begin the process all over again, purchasing steers that they hope will do well at the 2007 Moffat County Fair and maybe even at state.