Sheep, goats and 4-H kick off opening day of Deschutes County Fair

Published 12:42 pm Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Hundreds of children and their family members got up with the sun to kick off the first day of the Deschutes County Fair.

The youth were members of 4-H and Future Farmers of America clubs from throughout Deschutes County. In their arms and their trailers they brought sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and more.

Kids in 4-H clubs in Deschutes County learn agriculture and animal science through their many months raising livestock to show and sell at the county fair. All week, competitors bring their small or big animals to the fairgrounds in the hope of taking home a blue ribbon and selling their animal on Saturday’s auction day.

To earn a blue ribbon in a competition, each contestant is judged on their knowledge of the animal, the quality of their care and what they learned in raising it. Each competitor must make sure their animal is washed, groomed and trained.

The Cloverdale 4-H Livestock Club has 56 members and has been competing at the Deschutes County Fair for 77 years. Clover Keyes, 16, has been a part of 4-H since she was 10 and has always raised sheep. Keyes said the key is to get the animal to trust you.

“I think this has taught me a lot of responsibility and commitment and dedication in getting up, you’re doing the early morning, you’re putting in the late nights, but you get to see the work pay off,” Keyes said.

It did for Keyes on Wednesday, when she won a blue ribbon for her 144-pound sheep.

Josie Prisbrey, also a member of Cloverdale, has been part of 4-H for three years. The 12-year-old has raised sheep the last two years after starting with rabbits. Her mom, Kayla, was also a 4-H member, raising pigs and horses.

Kayla now enjoys watching the show ring from the crowd and watching her daughter learn to care for an animal.

“It’s been fun to teach her time management and what needs to be done in time,” Kayla said. “She works really hard. I tell her not a lot of 12-year-olds have that much motivation and drive.”

Connor Voelzew, 13, of Sunriver, holds his goat Daisy Duck after he received a blue ribbon in the dairy production junior class, in the 4-H Competition at the Deschutes County Fair in Redmond Wednesday morning. 7-30-25 Andy b Tullis/The Bulletin

Over at the goat barn, 13-year-old Connor Voelzew prepared for his competition as a member of Kidz N Kidz, which specializes in goats. This is Voelzew’s fourth year doing bringing a goat to the fair, including three this year: Daisy Duck, Kiara and Scarlet Rose.

Voelzew has been competing in 4-H for seven years, and his family owns 15 goats. He cares for them year round, including giving vaccines and drawing blood. As the president and a member of the club, Voelzew and the rest of the group have to prepare their goats for competition and make sure the barn is clean at all times.

“You have to sweep all that little stuff,” Voelzew said. “Make sure (the goats) didn’t poop in their water, that they have water and that they have food, and that their fence is clean. For all the stuff, not just mine.”

Voelzew won a blue ribbon in both an open competition and in dairy production junior class from the first day of the fair with his goats Scarlet Rose and Daisy Duck.

Another barn at the fairgrounds is home to rabbits, chickens, turkeys and guinea pigs.

Grace and Meri Rustland, Ella Adams and Dominic Mayllerd, members of Bend and Redmond’s Barn Yard Bridge, are competing with their animals. Although they are smaller, the risk of diseases is something sisters Grace and Meri Rustland are aware of.

“It’s really important to know about the diseases,” Grace said. “So if your rabbit gets a disease, you know how to treat it.”

The Deschutes Fair will continue through Sunday.

Josie Prisbrey, 12 of Cloverdale, #497 in center, has her sheep looked over by one of the judges, while participating in the 4-H Competition at the Deschutes County Fair in Redmond Wednesday morning. 7-30-25 Andy b Tullis/The Bulletin