Sage Harapat sits in the passenger seat of her mom’s car as they bounce down Jewel Basin Road to visit the neighbor, a duck swaddled in her lap.  

The neighbor in question is Linda Stewart, who has been the organization leader for Swan River Buttons and Bows 4-H Club for the past 40 years. Bigfork High School freshman Harapat, alongside 16 other club members between the ages of 9 and 18, are preparing for the upcoming Northwest Montana Fair in Kalispell Aug. 13-16. They will have entries in mini horse, market hog, poultry, rabbits, leatherwork, foods, photography, embroidery, knitting, crocheting and more.  

Jenna Pliley, Stewart’s granddaughter, comes to Stewart’s house from Kalispell to practice with the family’s mini horses; Shorty, Deeks and Sugar. She brushes them out, trots them in patterns and practices obstacles and jumps with Stewart as the judge.  

“I’ve been doing as much as I can with [Shorty] in Liberty, which is where you do stuff with no ropes as you work with them and then they can kind of have more of a choice to work with you,” Pliley said. Deeks is a little too stout for jumps, while Shorty gets confused in obstacles. Pliley works with them to determine what they will be the best in and practices “speaking horse.” 

Last year, she was named Grand Champion Showman working with her 4-H leader’s horse.  

“I really want to get Grand Champion with [Shorty] since I trained her myself,” Pliley said.  

Harapat is in the same boat with her duck Goosebumps, a Muscovy. Goosebumps has blue eyes, and as she grows, will develop fleshy bumps around her beak. A sort of duck-goose hybrid, Harapat is excited to think Goosebumps might be the only one of her breed in the show.  

“For me right now, it’s more about buckles since I got one last year. I got it for my Serama chicken,” Harapat said, buckle proudly displayed on her belt.  

Prize money won in 4-H can help supplement the kids’ college funds. It also helps them find their passions and grow their skills through projects.  

“In the club they learn to get up and speak in front of people, they learn to make posters, they learn the responsibility of taking care of animals,” Stewart said. They also practice keeping records.  

Harapat has competed in sewing, baking and cake decorating. She has made eggshell earrings and decorated eggshells from her poultry projects. Before Pliley showed mini horses, she did arts, crafts and sewing.  

Stewart said that despite the decline in Bigfork’s farming community over the years, 4-H has been able to keep up their numbers with a variety of activities for club members to compete in and learn more about.  

“It got started years ago as more of an agricultural type thing, but now it’s more anything you’re interested in,” Stewart said. “They have robotics and all kinds of stuff; it includes all kids and all projects.” 

Buttons and Bows will appear in the Northwest Montana Fair August 13-16, with the fairbook available online at nwmtfair.com/fairbook-2024/. Kids interested in joining 4-H this fall should reach out to the MSU extension office at (406) 758-5553 or Stewart directly at 406-837-5091.  

    Sage Harapat spreads her duck's wings as she would in a show at 4-H organization leader Linda Stewart's house Wednesday, July 24. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)
  

    Jenna Pliley practices jumping with her mini horse Shorty Wednesday, July 24. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)
  

    Sage Harapat shows off her chicken earrings. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)