The Missouri State Fair started Thursday, and Callaway County visitors to Sedalia will find plenty of familiar faces in attendance as a number of area youth participate in various 4-H and FFA contests.
Callaway already made a good showing in the State Fair Horse Show with Cassidy Jones and Jayme Fulkerson of Auxvasse and Rylea Troesser of Fulton all placing in their classes. And although official results from Thursday's angus beef show were not posted by press time, Addison and Alexa Jones of Auxvasse said they placed in the bull classes.
Alexa Jones, 13, was named reserve champion in the intermediate bull class and took two first place positions, and Addison Jones, 11, was the champion in intermediate bulls.
The sisters, members of the Hatton 4-H club, agreed the best part of competing in the state fair is, as Alexa said, "meeting other people that like to show cattle."
"There's a lot more people and competition (at the state fair), with people from all over the state and few from other states," Alexa said.
Addison added that "it's a good place to have family bonding."
It was an assessment that was echoed several times by other Callaway youth.
"You get to see a bunch of people that show the same breed of cattle as you. You get to socialize with everybody, and it's fun to be with your family," said Kaitlyn Lee, 21, who is showing cattle for the last time this year.