Annual agricultural event opens for its 73rd year
The 73rd annual North Dakota Winter Show is under way here. The seven-day event offers residents of the region a break from winter weather while promoting all things agricultural in North Dakota.By: Keith Norman, The Jamestown Sun
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VALLEY CITY, N.D. — The 73rd annual North Dakota Winter Show is under way here. The seven-day event offers residents of the region a break from winter weather while promoting all things agricultural in North Dakota.
“We do malts and milk at our booth,” said Terry Entzminger, a dairy farmer near Jamestown, as he staffed the dairy industry booth at the show. “We do just a few events each year and the Winter Show has grown to be our biggest. Who’d think we’d sell more ice cream indoors in the winter than outdoors at county fairs during the summer.”
The dairy industry was part of the new food court concept the Winter Show has used for the past few years. A dozen or so food vendors are situated around an area south of the main arena. The food choices are reminiscent of a county fair midway with footlongs, polish sausage and buffalo burgers topping the menu.
But the Winter Show still concentrates on agriculture.
“We’ll have quite a few ag seminars,” said Nancy Allen, manager of the event. “And there is still a concentration on the FFA and 4-H kids.”
Wednesday morning’s featured event was the Classic Steer Show.
“The Classic Steer Show combines confirmation and performance judging of steers that were originally weighed back in November,” said Gerry Gerntholz, a member of the Winter Show Board. “The animals will be harvested on Thursday and the carcasses judged on the rail on Sunday.”
Confirmation judging is done based on the body type and build of the animal. The performance factor calculates the weight the animal has gained since its trip to the scale in November. Judging on the rail is based on the marbling of the meat and the percentage of waste when the animal is dressed. These three factors determine the Classic Steer Show champion.
“It lets the folks see how good their feeding and breeding programs are,” Gerntholz said.
The event is open to all ages and there are many youth involved.
“We’ve been doing this for five years,” said Todd Anderson of Milnor, as his 5-year-old son, Drew, led his 1,170-pound steer across the scale. “It’s a tradition in the family. The kids show the steers in 4-H shows through the summer and then in the Classic Steer show at the Winter Show.”
Other events at the Winter Show include the draft horse hitch classes and pull on Thursday, hippology, a test of a horseman’s knowledge, on Friday, 4-H and FFA livestock judging on Saturday and a PRCA rodeo Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We add a few new things in with the standard events each year,” Allen said. “This year on Thursday evening we have the Cowgirl Chicks. They’ve ridden for cancer all over the United States but they’ve never been this far North.”
The Cowgirl Chicks trick riding specialty act will perform during the rodeos all through the weekend.
The Winter Show schedule of events also includes a Musical Concert by Emerson Drive, antique shows, helicopter rides and a cowboy church service at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is free to the North Dakota Winter Show. Charges do apply for events such as the concerts, rodeo or helicopter rides. The event closes at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at (701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at knorman@jamestownsun.com
Tags: local news, winter show, valley city, news
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