State Fair fun begins

WEST ALLIS - Thursday marked day one of the Wisconsin State Fair. The 10-day event is full of fair favorites: food, music and of course animals.

The Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis is what Becky Leiterman has been waiting for all year.

“Some people find sports as their favorite thing, I find that the showing animals as my favorite,” said Leiterman.

 Showing her dairy cows is something she's done before. But she still finds each new year, each competition nerve-wracking, yet exciting.

“It's the worlds largest junior dairy show right here so you know you have the best of the best,” said Leiterman.

A view shared by many of these competitors.

“It's rewarding 'cause you work so hard for it,” said Heidi Sabel.

Sabel's a long way from her hometown of Chilton, where she's used to much smaller, county shows. And the state fair can be overwhelming.

Sabel says to win a ribbon, a good dairy cow has to have a certain build, and a certain look. All summer long the competitors make sure their cow looks just right. But some say the real challenge comes when entering the ring.

“Making sure they walk normal, walk slowly in the show ring,” said Blake Klessig from Brillion.

They try to impress the judges. To some it may look easy, but to Sabel's cousin Toni Hade, she knows what an exhausting hobby it is.

“They train like all year round for this and they take care of them, they have to wake up at like four in the morning, I'm really proud of them,” said Hade from Milwaukee.

There's one main goal each of these competitors have.

“I'm hoping tomorrow to do pretty good, I feel some blue ribbons,” said Leiterman.

Bringing home a state fair championship is a definite cause for bragging rights, but competitors say an award would mean nothing if they didn't have a good time in the process.