Krista Corner Havre Daily News kcorner@havredailynews.com
Hi-Liners made one last trip down the midway Sunday before the Great Northern Fair came to a close around 11 p. m., saying farewell until next year. Hopes were high that this year's fair would fare well, and fair manager Tim Solomon said Monday the numbers were up across the board. "It went excellent," he said. "Our numbers are looking fantastic it was a record-setting year. All the numbers are up in all the different areas: carnival, food booths, 4-H was up, the night shows we're thinking it's the weather, getting ahead of harvest and with gas prices everyone is spending their money at home." Havre Jaycees president Tera Verplogen said Monday the Havre Jaycees Demolition Derby did well this year as well. "We had a very nice crowd and we did make a profit for sure," she said. "It seemed to have a better turnout this year there were more cars than last year, so it was a better derby." Several new additions and changes were made to the fair this year. In one change, the rodeo was changed to a Pro Rodeo Circuit Association rodeo, which the fair board contracted out to Mark "Sparky" Dreesdan, a rodeo stock contractor. Cowboys and cowgirls from around the state, nation and Canada converged on the Hill County fairgrounds in anticipation of added purse money. Several of the rodeo participants had previously competed in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Another highlight of this year's rodeo was the addition of National Finals Rodeo stock, including ornery horses from the eliminator pen a herd of the toughest, roughest rodeo stock known to rodeo's finest athletes. New this year was the addition of the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line's Kids' Cafe booth, which was donated to them by the Soroptimists of Havre, who vacated the booth last year. The West Texas Rattlesnake Show was a highlight as free stage entertainment. New Yorker Dave Richardson and his band of West Texas rattlers snaked, rattled and struck their way through the half-hour shows as Richardson seemed to put himself in constant danger with his snakes letting them crawl on the floor while he walked around performing in a glass cage, putting his head directly into a burlap bucket of snakes and bopping one or two gently on the head to get them to strike a balloon for the crowd. With the county's quest for fair food, midway thrills and wild shows fulfilled, the excitement of the fair is gone for now, but the numerous memories made should hold Hi-Liners over until next year.
