New Hampshire State Fair

The State Fair happened over Labor Day week-end not far from Manchester. It was small but, at least to me, it was quite interesting. Larry might tell you otherwise if you ask him. ;-) There was a sheep dog demo which I found far more interesting than a competition because the handler explained the commands and showed what the dogs could do, using mulitple dogs at once. Here, two dogs move two goats (who have never been worked before) through a chute. Here, the Billy is defending the Nanny.


Then, there was a competition that I did enjoy - this one of draft horses pulling increasingly heavier loads. The 11 teams started out pulling 1300 pounds and the winning team pulled something like 3500 pounds. The photo didn't turn out well but maybe it'll give you an idea of the effort and strength the two horses put into their task. They would pull with such enthusiasm that their front feet would come completely off the ground as they threw themselves into their harnesses. You can kind see it in the light colored horse if you use your imagination.