Demo derby, mud bog, horse show events and more returning to the fair

Many of your favorite Whitley County Fair events, such as the demolition derby, horse show, mule pull and mud bog, are back again for this year’s fair, which will take place July 17-20 at the Whitley County Fairgrounds in Savoy.

Demolition Derby

The Whitley County Fair Demolition Derby will take place on Thursday, July 18, at 7 p.m. For those that don’t know, a demolition derby is where drivers face off in a pit ramming one another’s junked vehicles until only one vehicle can move.

Driver’s will typically try to ram the other vehicles with the rear of their own vehicle in order to protect the engine. Each contestant must make a legal hit at least once a minute. No sandbagging allowed.

Hitting the driver’s side door is grounds for disqualification. If the hood comes open, then the vehicle is automatically disqualified.

This year’s demolition derby will feature three categories: front wheel drive class, big car class, and minivan/SUV class.

The vehicles in the front wheel drive class must be a front-wheel drive car, which is either a four or six-cylinder. No eight-cylinder vehicles are allowed in this class.

The vehicles in the big car class are a rear-wheel drive, full-size car.

The vehicle in the minivan/SUV class is a front-wheel drive van or front-wheel drive SUV. No rear-wheel or all-wheel drives will be accepted in this class.

Sorry teenage drivers, but each driver must be at least 21 years of age, fill out an entry form and sign a waiver.

Horse Show

The Whitley County Fair Horse Show will take place Friday, July 19, starting at 6 p.m. This year’s show will feature 24 classes, including best in show.

Classes vary greatly with some designed for fun while others are designed for more serious riders.

The show will start with the lead line class, which is open to all riders ages 12 and under. Youngsters will enter the ring riding their horse or pony with an adult usually leading the animal.

The egg and spoon class involves riders holding an egg with a spoon while they ride. The last rider with their egg still on the spoon wins. The costume class is open to all ages 12 and under, and is judged on showmanship and costume appearance.

The farm hitch, i.e. wagon class, involves teams of horses that will be judged on the animals conformation and ability to work as a team.

The show will feature several other classes targeted mainly for adults, such as various pleasure classes, speed pacing, speed racking, championship racking and championship walking.

Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the main tent across the from the arena. All classes a participant wishes to enter must be selected and paid for by no later than 6:30 p.m. on the date of the show.

An up-to-date negative coggins test will be required to enter the fairgrounds with any equine.

Mule Pull

The Whitley County Fair Mule and Horse Pull will take place on Saturday, July 20, starting at 10 a.m. Gates will open that morning at 8 a.m.

A mule pull involves pairs of either mules or horses pulling a sled loaded with concrete blocks to see which team can pull the biggest load the furthest.

The classes are typically broken down by the combined size of the teams, which is determined by total weight. Bigger animals normally can pull heavier loads.

A team of draft horses can sometimes pull 10,000 pounds or more.

For more information, call the Whitley County Judge-Executive’s Office at (606) 549-6000.

Mud Bog

The 2024 Whitley County Fair Mud Bog will take place on Saturday, July 20, starting at 4 p.m.

A mud bog is a timed race with vehicles racing through a mud-filled pit. In the event that no vehicles make it all the way through the mud-filled pit, then the person, whose vehicle travels the furthest in the pit wins.

Vehicles have 60 seconds to make it through the pit, and if they haven’t made through during that time span, then they will be stopped and their distance will be marked from the tip of their front bumper.

Vehicles will have two runs with the average of the two runs determining the final time.

This year’s event will have four classes, including the new street class category.

The street class category is for vehicles that are legal to drive on the streets, and have Department of Transportation regulated tires, up to date tags and insurance.

There is also a category for vehicles with Department of Transportation regulated tires that are not over 33 inches in diameter. Vehicles that don’t qualify for the street class will more than likely be put into this class.

The third category is for vehicles with tires that are 34-38 inches in diameter.

The final category is the outlaw class.

As the rules state, “1. Run what you brung. 2. Hope the crazy was enough.”

For complete rules in all these contests, see the Whitley County Fair’s Facebook page.

This year’s fair won’t include four-wheelers or side-by-sides because of insurance reasons.

Farm and Home Exhibits

Think that you have the best looking biscuits, chocolate fudge, jar of strawberry jelly or jar of corn in Whitley County? How about the best looking crocheted craft item, decorative pillow, handmade jewelry, painting, weaving, photography or vegetables to name but a few categories?

If so, and you want to try and prove that yours is the best, then you may want to enter the Whitley County Fair Farm and Home Exhibits Contest, which will be taking place as part of the county fair July 17-19.

Registration for the farm and home exhibits will take place from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office in Goldbug on Wednesday, July 17.

Exhibits will be open for free viewing from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19, at the extension office in Goldbug.

Exhibits can be picked up from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday, July 22, at the Whitley County Extension Office in Goldbug.

This contest includes everything from canned goods to crops, crafts and artwork.

For more information about the farm and home exhibits, contact the cooperative extension office at (606) 549-1430.

For a complete list of categories and rules for the Whitley County Fair Farm and Home Exhibits contest, see the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office Facebook page.

(Editor’s Note: The farm and home exhibits are the only event, which won’t be taking place at the Whitley County Fairgrounds, which are located in Savoy.)