By Susan Hayhurst

Looking for a Halloween costume idea for your child and their favorite sheep, goat or cow? Look no further than your county fair.

I had the privilege of judging Vigo County’s 4-H sheep costume contest in July. What an entertaining event! There were three classes: junior, intermediate and senior. The youth paraded into the show ring as creatively dressed as their sheep.

The junior class included a pretty pink fairy princess leading her “ewe”nicorn complete with a silver horn on its head. Another youth must love unique hairdos, because she and her sheep were dressed as trolls. A baseball lover decked out himself and his sheep with his favorite team’s outfit.

The intermediate class participants varied in their originality. One girl used the “Star Wars” theme with a decorated white mesh collapsible hamper hanging from her shoulders representing R2D2. A boy donned a caped outfit and round-rimmed glasses to portray Harry Potter. His sheep was not excited about wearing its own cape. Oreo cookie lovers got a great chuckle when another youth entered the ring wearing an Oreo costume and his sheep was the glass of milk.

One big plunge!
The intermediate class winner epitomized this year’s 4-H fair theme of “Take the Plunge.” The young man sported a T-shirt announcing he was a plumber and carried a plunger. His sheep sported a white cardboard cutout of a toilet seat affixed around its middle.

The senior class single entry was a brave young woman wearing a massive inflatable, and very hot, dinosaur costume. The sheep sported bone-looking adornments.

Being a strong advocate for 4-H, I couldn’t help but take the plunge and give the champion ribbon and plaque to the plumber and his commode-enhanced sheep. Perhaps the plumber’s neighbors will drop a roll of toilet paper in his Halloween goodie bag.

Hayhurst writes from Terre Haute, Ind.