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It's a horse, of course By Joe Wolf of the Mail Tribune Jul 12, 2019 11:51 AM A A Along the horse stalls at the Jackson County Fair, it’s easy to tell who is a competitor and who is simply a guest. Those with experience around horses move deliberately but not cautiously, their steady strides signaling purpose and belonging. For those who may have never seen a horse in person before, the primary gait is fits and starts, like a nervous colt in the arena for the first time. While signs clearly mark some of the dozens of horses lining the long walkway as biters, some guests — including adults — ignore the conspicuous warnings and must be politely reprimanded by competitive riders as young as 10, like Rylie. Rylie is one of several girls in the Sunfire Riders group within Jackson County 4-H, unmistakble in their bright blue team shirts. She knows every trait and habit of her 20-year-old horse Remmy, part appaloosa and part thoroughbred, and doesn’t mind letting fairgoers pet her pride and joy, as long as they ask her first. Moving effortlessly around the stall and going in and out of a gate almost as tall as she is, eyes lighting up as she describes every detail, Rylie is at ease around an animal many times her size. “I love her,” she said, throwing her arms around the neck of her horse and kissing its nose. This is Rylie’s first year in 4-H and her first time competing at the fair, but the way she tells the story, she’s been riding since she was in diapers. “Not quite in diapers,” her grandfather Dan Cake corrected, but probably since she was 3 or 4. Remmy was Cake’s horse before he let Rylie ride her on his property near Table Rock, and the two became close. He was the one who suggested Rylie join 4-H as a way to deepen her understanding of the horse and strengthen her riding ability. In just a short time in the club, Rylie has not only improved her horsemanship, but learned serious responsibility first-hand, Cake says with pride. Rylie spends hours with her horse most days, and on fair days she and the other members of the team are never far away from the stalls. The girls do not compete as a team in these events. Points are awarded in competition based on an individual horse and rider’s performance on a given day, which can vary widely. On Thursday afternoon, Remmy did not want to go over the logs, a common obstacle, which cost her points. However, with competitive events every day of the fair, there’s a palpable hope for tomorrow. “You’re mainly competing against yourself,” Cake explained. Perhaps this mentality helps ease the mood between riders. Rather then tension or hostility, the team members laugh and joke with one another constantly as they busy themselves by refilling water buckets or delivering hay, an easygoing camaraderie built from their unmistakable passion and love for the sport. While the fair is going on, it is up to the riders alone to help each other clean stalls and saddle their horses, Cake says. Parents and other family members are not supposed to step in to help take care of the animals unless there is an emergency. “All in all, this is their show,” Cake said. Contact Mail Tribune reporting intern Joe Wolf at [email protected] or 541-776-4368. Follow him on Twitter @JoeCharlesWolf. JCfair13.JPG Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneLillie Reneau (12) of Phoenix cools off her horse Stella at the Jackson County Fair in Central Point Thursday.