The Florida State Fair (Part II): Animals and Agriculture

At the root of a state fair are animals...people tell me that these fairs were originally designed to facilitate the sale and distribution of animals and food produce. According to its website, this particular fair had a meager start, and grew into what it is today.

The horses I saw were amazing, but this is coming from someone who doesn't know a thing about them. I think I rode one when I was 12 once.

There were a number of horse competitions. People won, people lost, yada yada yada.

But what seemed very odd was that there was a horse judging contest. High school kids from all over Florida competed in the art of being a judge of equestrian competitions.

It was an exciting affair. See one kid stand while staring at a horse.

See other kids sitting while staring at horses.

Football has nothing to worry about when it comes to being America's #1 sport.

If you don't like horses, you can always buy a tractor.

Horses were not the only kind of animals being judged.

There were rows and rows of chickens. This sort of looks like our Guantanamo Bay prison, but it's not. That's poultry in there.

Here's a pig living up to its lazy stereotype.

You can even milk a cow. I didn't dare. It was bad enough I now have a mental image of a seven year old boy doing it. Ahhhhhh...

Playing with spiders is so much more fun.

One of the coolest thing there was the fair's bee exhibit. The gentlemen on the right was very knowledgeable about bees, and very enthusiastic about the subject.

If you look carefully at the white spot in the center...that's the Queen bee. The guy-to-girl ratio in that hive reminds me of most New York City bars.

The fair is still fun. There really is a lot to do...but I draw the line on milking cows.