Story: A final fair-well - Jessi Dodge Photography

A final fairwell

For this year's high school seniors, COVID-19 meant losing a number of lasts: no last day, no last music concert, no last sporting event. But Buffalo's Elsa Freise was able to keep one last: her last county fair. After competing in the county fair as a 4-H and FFA member for nearly a decade, it was the county fair that marked the staple end to every summer in Elsa's childhood. Before she headed off to college, it was the county fair that served as her final goodbye.

The visual and word story were published online through the Buffalo Bulletin. The online photo story received first place for Best Online Photo Gallery in the 2020 National Newspaper Association contest.

Elsa waited to be one of the last showmen into the ring for FFA showmanship - which she won - on July 26, the first day of horse showing. Elsa started with the horse project her first year in 4-H. Since then she has worked with a different horses.

After finishing FFA showmanship and darting to the trailer and back to change clothes and horses, Elsa laid rocks out on the ground so she could draw her 4-H pattern in the dirt. Both FFA and 4-H showmanship used different patterns for the competition.

Elsa Freise spent the month of July not only enjoying time with her family but also putting together the final preparations for her 10th and final county fair as a competitor. Beginning when she was 8, Elsa has spent the last decade in both 4-H and FFA.

Elsa’s mom Michelle Freise checks the position of Elsa’s competitor number after pinning it onto her FFA jacket before pig showmanship on July 29, 2020. Freise showed one pig in both 4-H and FFA showmanship and again in the afternoon for market classes.

Trying to remove the honey from the frame, Elsa shows her brother Zack an easier way to use the uncapping fork to remove the honey. “We started because of COVID actually,” Elsa said, explaining the addition of the beekeeping project to her work this year.

Elsa clicks and waves her arms to help Grady Alger bring his horse up to a jog during his practice showmanship pattern on July 6, 2020. Elsa taught the showmanship section of the Monday night horse classes this year, teaching kids proper techniques.

Just as horses are washed and have their hair trimmed, show hogs need to be clean and clipped as well. Using clippers with a few different guard lengths, Elsa spent a few hours on Tuesday afternoon of fair week getting her and her brother’s pigs trimmed.

After winning the FFA horse showmanship earlier in the week, Elsa qualified to compete in the round robin competition on July 31, 2020. During round robin, competitors show first the animal they won showmanship with, and then show every other species.

Showmanship and halter classes are largely focused on appearance, leading Elsa to spend the morning before the the two shows washing her two horses. Because white is especially difficult to get clean, she applied multiple coats of shampoo in a rinse.

Friday’s round robin competition marked the final competition for Elsa. After the show, the livestock awards and after taking care of her horses for the evening, Elsa left her stuff and the pig’s dinner in the truck to get herself some dinner.

Elsa laughs and Elizabeth Farris laugh with the new Buffalo High School FFA advisor Taylor Rieniets, not pictured, during the beef show on July 30. The homemade lemonade stand is run by Buffalo’s FFA members and was open throughout the week.

Relaxing on one of the sheep stalls, Elsa talks with friend Olivia Wasinger at the end of the day on Friday, July 31. Beginning in the pig barn, the pair walked through the goat and sheep barns before returning to the pig barn to feed the pigs dinner.

After enjoying a final county fair, Elsa is excited for the next stage in her life. She says that 4-H will always be a part of her, but she is ready to explore new things.

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