10-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 7, 2002
B
|Cids
Pet Show At Bedford Fair
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.) It
was a pleasant summer morning
and kids and pets wandered from
all angles of the fairgrounds to
the annual Bedford Fair Pet
Show.
A little girl named Whitley
Furry of New Enterprise was car
rying her pet enclosed in her tiny
hand. It was a hermit crab, not
really cuddly and soft, but on
Whitley, anything would look
cute.
Next to the smallest was a
furry hampster owned by Ben
Hershberger of Everett. Entered
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Correspondent
NEW PARIS (Bedford Co.)
Pam and Harry Jones were living
near Washington D.C. when they
discoveredmiral Bedford County.
It was a perfect spot for their love
of horses.
Pam, an art teacher, also found
it to be ideal for finding subjects
to paint or sketch. She is an art
teacher at St. Patrick’s School.
Upon hearing her students talk
of their equestrian adventures
while delving into their favorite
subject of art, Pam was inspired.
The school was attempting to
raise funds for various projects
that year and Pam offered a long
weekend on the farm with horse
back riding and art lessons. She
sold chances and raised $1,400.
It was a weekend adventure,
which planted a seed for some
thing bigger and better to come.
The Jones’ now offer a two
week experience for young ladies
ages 8 through 14 throughout the
months of June and July. Their
rambling farmhouse is headquar
ters where art classes are held
each morning. While some of the
girls are elbow deep in paints,
others are learning to ride.
Equestrian lessons are taught
by Adrienne and Aaron Coble of
Bedford. This young brother and
sister love to teach and ride. They
bring their own horses to mingle
with those owned by Pam and
Harry.
As the Cobles teach the girls
riding skills, others immerse
themselves painting bags, T
shirts, and pottery. The girls try
their hands at almost every
media including oils, watercolors,
and charcoal sketches.
Subjects are easy to come by in
this picturesque area. They pro
duce pictures of horses, cows,
and make trips to the scenic
countryside to sketch covered
bridges, buffalo, and bubbling
streams. Further art talents were
developed this year painting
Ukrainian eggs.
Through it all, Pam remains
Elana Weyant and her potbellied pig, which did the bestthe steadfast instructor, encour
tricks and was the most unusual. aging and critiquing. A big farm
Amanda Hammond had the best groomed and best
trained pet.
in the “best dressed” portion of
the contest, the hampster was
wearing flannel pajamas.
Elana Weyant of Alum Bank
showed off her pot-bellied pig in
the best trained contest. Willie is
just six months old and between
grunts rolled over for a belly rub.
He competed with a bashful
dog who refused to sing on
mouth organ cue. However, a
fuzzy collie pup barked on key.
Showing off her five-week-old
Jack Russell puppy was easy for
Autumn Stufflet of Saxton. Au
tumn showed off just one of three
puppies being oohed and ahhed
over by spectators.
* Korne rv
It was a fun morning with lots
of neat prizes and handsome
plaques and it left judge, Gail
Stottlemyer in a turmoil as she
tried to react fairly to each of the
categories. “Next year I will ask
for more categories,” she said. “I
think every kid here deserved a
prize.”
There were goats wearing pa
jamas, a poodle in a ballerina
costume, and a wide assortment
of other contests.
Dogs with long tails and short
tails and long ears and short ears.
But, where were the felines? Cats
were totally absent from the
event and probably preferred cat
naps over being paraded around
on a warm summer morning.
Prizes awarded went to Aman
da Hammond, best groomed and
best trained; Autumn Stufflet,
showmanship; Elana Weyant,
best trick; Ben Hershberger, best
dressed; Cory Furry, largest pet
and longest ears; Whitley Furry,
smallest pet; Amanda Horton,
longest tail.
City Folk Find Farm, Share Loves
cat might find a lap for a petting
Amanda Horton’s dog won the prize for the longest tail.
Square dancing with the local 4-H group provides an
evening of fun.
session as the girls take breaks.
Activities are never ending and
food is plentiful. Cook and for
mer caterer Jessica Benton pro
vides the vittles.
“The kids think 1 am a great
cook so I love every one of
them,” Jessica laughs. Her bub
bly personality is a great match
for the energetic girls.
“Pam and I sit down late in
the spring and plan the menus,”
Jessica explains. “Our best buddy
is ‘Sam’s Club.’ Since each camp
session lasts for two weeks
throughout the months of June
and July, we repeat the same
menus every two weeks. Some
groups eat a lot and some not as
much.”
Talents from the community
are also utilized. Vi Laws, a crafts
lady from the Glade Pike, taught
a class on making comhusk dolls.
Ben Buck and Dave Koontz of
fered a fishing demonstration
teaching them how to cast and
catch.
Janet Shaffer shows how to
band birds. The days sometime
end with an old-fashioned hay
ride.
Every two-week session is
treated to a night of square danc
ing with Skimmer and Mary Wil
son’s 4-H Club. Quick learners,
the girls are soon do-si-doing like
old pros.
During the weekends, the girls
enjoy the Alpine slide at Seven
Springs, kayaking on the Juniata
River, dress rehearsals at Old
Bedford Village. This year, one of
the productions was “Man of La-
Mancha” which starred local res
ident Larry Faupal. He spent an
evening teaching the girls ar
chery.
The girls hike Blue Knob and
enjoy a barbeque and games by
the poolside.
“We keep them as busy as pos
sible to avoid homesickness,”
Pam said, and admits she is
ready for a rest when the two
months are over. “But I enjoy
every minute of those girls,” she
adds.