Moffat County Fair Awards Crown Winners in Horse Show and Crafts

Steamboat Springs —The air inside the Moffat County Extension building still held the faint, sweet scent of sawdust and dried hay, a lingering perfume from the week’s events that clung to the wool of your sweater and the soles of your boots. It was a smell that didn’t just announce the fair; it defined it, grounding the excitement in something tangible, something rooted in the dirt and discipline of the Western Slope. If you walked through those doors on Exhibit Day, you weren’t just seeing ribbons and trophies; you were witnessing the culmination of months of early mornings, calloused hands, and quiet dedication, all distilled into a single afternoon of judgment and celebration.

The results, posted with the kind of crisp finality that only official scoresheets can provide, told the story of who had mastered their craft. In the Horse Show, the competition was fierce, particularly in the English and Western divisions where skill was measured in inches and seconds. Irene Peck took the High Point English Intermediate title, her name etched into the record alongside Ashlyn Skufca, who claimed both High Point Senior English and Senior Western honors. It’s a double victory that speaks to versatility, to an athlete who can shift gears from the collected trot of English riding to the working cow sense of Western performance without missing a beat. Ashlyn also dominated the Gymkhana circuit, taking the Senior title there as well, while Mia Myers and Macie Pearcey shared the Junior and Intermediate Gymkhana glory, proving that the next generation of riders is already making their mark.

But the fair is more than just the thunder of hooves on the dirt track. It’s in the quiet corners of the exhibit halls, where the focus shifts from motion to stillness, from muscle to mind. The Photography Unit saw Lucie Osborne named Senior Class Champion, her lens capturing the essence of the county in ways that resonated with the judges. Alexis Musgrave took the Intermediate Photography title, while Amelia Reed secured the reserve spot, a reflection of the sharp eye and patience required to turn light into image.

In Leathercraft, the work was tactile, the results visible in the grain and the stitch. Stirling Anderson emerged as the Junior Class Champion, a victory that was mirrored in the Communication Arts & Leisure Sciences division, where Stirling also claimed the Grand Junior title. Graysen Hagen took Reserve Junior in Leathercraft and Reserve Junior overall, a pairing that suggests a shared intensity, a mutual respect for the craft that fuels both. Harlee DeWall rounded out the Leathercraft honors with a Reserve Champion Senior title, her work holding its own against the younger competitors.

The Vet Science Unit added another layer of scientific rigor to the fair’s offerings. Adilyn Shemak was named Junior Class Champion and Overall Division Champion in Animal Science, a significant achievement that highlights the depth of knowledge these young people bring to the table. Georgia Hendricks took the Intermediate Animal Science Champion title in Unit 3, her work earning the reserve spot in the overall division. These aren’t just abstract awards; they are indicators of a community that values not just the raising of animals, but the understanding of them, the care, and the science behind the health and growth of the livestock that form the backbone of the local economy.

The fairground lights dimmed, the crowds thinned, and the trailers were packed away, but the impact of those results remains. It’s in the pride of the families who drove in from the outlying ranches, in the quiet satisfaction of the exhibitors who knew their work had been seen and valued. It’s in the way the community gathers, not just to compete, but to witness the continuity of tradition, the passing of skills from one generation to the next, all under the vast, open sky of Moffat County.