Seneca Co. fair adds Moto Cross, rodeo attractions

Liz Calton sets up a booth at the Seneca County Fair for Michael's Amusements. The fair in Tiffin runs through July 31.

TIFFIN - The Seneca County Fair, which has long been big on grandstand entertainment involving horses and motor vehicles, is bringing its first Moto Cross motorcycle stunt show to this year's fair and will have team roping in its rodeos for the first time in years.

With 100 tons of dirt ready for Moto Cross organizers to pack into hills for cyclists to jump, Saturday night's stunt competition should be action-packed, fair board member Dave Hufford said. He predicted it might draw 2,000 spectators, most of them looking for some mangled metal.

"It's like with any motorized sport, they're looking for a wreck," he said. "They don't want to see anyone hurt, but they want to see a wreck."

The same is probably true for the fair's rodeos Thursday and Friday night.

Sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the rodeos include bull riding, saddle bronco riding, bareback bronco riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and calf roping each night. Added to that lineup this year is team roping.

Starting with last night's harness racing before the fair officially opened, Seneca County offers nine nights of entertainment from hooves and wheels.

First are the horse events with harness racing continuing tonight and tomorrow, followed by horse pulls Wednesday and the rodeos Thursday and Friday.

The last three nights' entertainment draws on the roar of motor vehicles: the Moto Cross on Saturday, tractor pull on Sunday, and the demolition derby next Monday.

The fair, which opens today and runs through next Monday, is the fourth county fair of the season in northwest Ohio.

But it's the biggest fair to date, with expectations of 90,000 to 95,000 people over its eight-day run, which would make it two to three times larger than the Putnam County Fair last month, the Paulding County Fair early this month, and the Ottawa County Fair, which ended yesterday.

Seneca County Fair boasts about 55 food stands, at least a dozen mechanical rides including the 100-foot-high Super Shot, and more livestock than many of the fairs held earlier in the season.

Three district livestock shows operated by cattle breed associations are held during the fair. Today is the district Jersey show with fawn-colored dairy animals, which produce a rich milk. Tomorrow is the Angus breeders' show of their black beef cattle. And Saturday is the Holstein show of black and white dairy cows and heifers, the predominant dairy breed.

About 900 members of 4-H and another 95 younger children in Clover Buds are exhibiting their projects at the fair.

Contact Jane Schmucker at: jschmucker@theblade.com or 419-337-7780.