COVID-19 tried its best, but it couldn’t keep Boone County 4-H members from showing their livestock. The twist was that the show was officially an open show at the Clinton County Fairgrounds in Frankfort, Ind., not the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Ind.

According to Kurt Strueh, a veterinarian and 4-H parent in Boone County, it started on Friday, July 17, when the Boone County Commissioners declared a state of emergency, apparently related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This essentially closed the Boone County Fairgrounds — canceling the 4-H fair livestock shows just hours before their official start.

Related: Complete coronavirus coverage

“Children were upset, confused and crying,” Strueh recalls. “Many put in lots of hours preparing their animals, and it appeared there wouldn’t be a live show.”

The Purdue University Extension staff, also caught off-guard, said they would put together a virtual show online. They offered that option later.

“Once word got out, concerned parents and volunteers started making phone calls,” Streuh continues. “Within six hours, the group raised $10,000 and rented the Clinton County Fairgrounds in Frankfort to host an invitation-only open show with only Boone County 4-H livestock exhibitors invited. It was called the County Line Expo, and it was awesome!”

Event details

Thanks to social media, word spread fast. The show was on within 36 hours, with Boone County 4-H members showing beef in Frankfort on Sunday, followed by goats, sheep and hogs. In fact, 130 4H’ers exhibited 64 head of cattle, 62 dairy goats, 42 meat goats, 129 head of sheep, and 227 barrows and gilts over four days.

The group organizing the show worked with the Clinton County Fair Board, Clinton County Commissioners and Clinton County Health Department to develop a COVID-19-approved plan. They were “super-cooperative,” Strueh says. The judges also made the adjustment. They included Ryan Rash, Kane Austin, Jerry Lubbenusen and Jaimie Buckland.

“As parents, it meant a lot to Lynn and me,” Strueh says. “Our kids, Ashley, Zach and Rachel, showed 17 pigs — 16 of which they raised — five head of cattle and 10 sheep.

“Taking care of animals is what they did during the pandemic, and this event let them learn and show what they could do. It was the same for many other kids. Thanks to everyone’s help, we hosted a live show and helped these hardworking kids start the journey to become hardworking citizens.”

The support team raised over $16,000. Each 4H’er who participated will receive a check for $50 from remaining funds after bills were paid.

Strueh and others are grateful to sponsors who stepped forward. Diamond sponsors were Co-Alliance and JLH Wedding Barn.

Gold sponsors included Bane-Welker Equipment, Frankfort Animal Hospital, Reproduction Specialty Group, and Venis Trucking and Jason Brown.

Silver sponsors were All Animals Vet Clinic, CIS-Crop Insurance, Concrete Evolutions-Ron Ummel, Dickerson Brothers Farms Inc., Fedor’s Feed and Grain, Rick Isenhower Farm, Myers Ag Solutions, Timmons Feed, Reynolds Equipment, and Saint Andrian Meats and Sausage.

Bronze donors included Eric Biesecker, Collins Equipment, Cowpokes, Jeff Dale, GCM City Junction, Fleece Performance, Linder Show Feeds, Luse Seed and Insurance, Plunket Ag, Precision Auto Care, Royal Cleaners, Shively Cattle Co., Star Design Embroidery, Stilwell and Co. and Stilwell Show Stock, and Midwest Sullivan Show Supply-Sunglo and Jonathon Witt.

Check out the slideshow to see photos from the event.