RONAN — White top, black pants and hard-soled shoes. The dress code for 4-H participants at the Lake County Fair is pretty simple. Yet, when you sit back and watch students running around the fairgrounds during fair week, you quickly come to discover that the life of a 4-Her is anything but.

There’s prepping the stall, cleaning it daily; then prepping the animal (washing, shaving, brushing) and dressing in the proper showmanship attire. But all that is nothing new. A fair participant spends months taking care of his animal, and in turn, learns responsibility for himself.

“It was a lot of work,” Polson graduated senior and veteran poultry showman Rebecca Lake said of her first experience raising a market steer. “We got up in the morning, worked with them and then had to work with them at night too.”

All that hard work paid off for Lake who earned a fourth place finish in the market judging competition.

“It’s really nerve-wracking because my steer this year drug me everywhere, so I thought he would drag me around the ring, but once he settled into the environment of the fair he did well.”

Showing your animal means knowing your animal inside and out. Knowing their colors, parts, eating habits and the required care it needs to be healthy — earning a purple ribbon in showmanship is no small accomplishment.

“I’ve shown poultry for six years now, so I feel pretty confident and know most of the questions the judges are going to ask me,” Lake said. “4-H has been a big part of my life for the past six years. It’s really taught me responsibility.”

When fair days roll around, the positive energy at the fairgrounds is contagious. There is a sense of community that can only come from a deep understanding between students who have each been tasked with raising a healthy and cooperative animal. If someone needs a hand with a chore, two are usually offered.

“The kids here develop relationships and camaraderie that many people never had as a kid,” Jack Stivers, Montana State University extension agent and a leader in all things Lake County 4-H, said.

“These kids are friends with other fair participants from all over the county. They compete at the fair, but they help each other too. They learn that contribution and volunteer work can get you somewhere in life.”