By Mary Standard,Special to the Sun Journal

OXFORD – For the young and old, from the first day to the last, this year’s Oxford County Fair offered something for everyone.

Perhaps the biggest draw to the 2005 fair was the Great Frontier Bull Riding Company from Maynard, Minn.

Stands filled around the rodeo arena long before nightly bull riding performances by the professional bull riders.

The “Wanna Be A Cowboy” sessions each day were popular as well.

In those, the cowboys talked about the particulars of bull riding for groups of interested youngsters and adults.

There were stage shows drawing large audiences, such as Maine humorist Tim Samples, Motor Booty, the Bel Airs and Melissa Lynn. Pari-mutuel racing was held every day at the racetrack.

And the horse pulls seem to draw a large and loyal group.

The fair’s Education Day saw schoolchildren filling the fairgrounds to see the many demonstrations, such as those on pulleys, bee raising, needlework, environmental issues and farm activities.

There were contests issuing ribbons for a variety of activities such as cooking, truck and horse pulls, woodsmen skills, moose calling, show animals, crafts of all kinds and a baby show where Olivia Morel was selected as the 2005 Oxford County Fair baby.

Seniors had a day to shine in contests, showing animals and doing such things as a frying pan throw.

Youths in 4-H clubs had an opportunity to show off their best animals and their skills.

4-H clubs start with crafts for 5-year-olds, animal husbandry for age 7 and older, and travel clubs for older kids where families exchange kids for a week.

Seth Bell from Waterford had the best show steers; Gemma Young from South Paris had the champion beef steer that weighed 1,199 pounds and sold for $3 a pound to Grover Gun Drilling.

Ryan Brown from Hebron had the best market lamb weighing 140 pounds, which sold for $2.75 per pound to Hannaford of Oxford.

Kayliegh Knox of South Paris had the champion market hog weighing 250 pounds, selling for $1.75 per pound to Winward Farms.

Suzanne Grover, the fair’s president, praised all of her fair workers for a job well done. She said the weather as a factor in the attendance, as well as the many offerings.

Ann Bellwood of the fair staff said this year’s attendance and gate receipts were well up over last year.

She said the cowboys were one of the reasons for a large attendance, noting that on Saturday night the stands were full two hours before the show began.

Final numbers on attendance were not immediately available.