By MIKE FERGUSON

Of the Baker City Herald

HALFWAY How tough are people in Baker County?

Parade Grand Master Ben Dunleavy arrived in Halfway after a four-day trail ride from Huntington and went on to lead the floats and riders Monday on horseback despite the fact that his wife had suffered a leg injury the day before when a horse fell on her.

As wife Lola rested in a travel trailer Monday two hours before the parade began, the Huntington resident spoke of what an honor it was to lead the parade after five years as president of the Pine Valley Fair Board and 25 years of service on the board.

The parade capped the trail ride that Dunleavy helped lead from Huntington to Halfway that attracted 21 riders.

andquot;This is something I’ve always wanted to do,andquot; he said. andquot;Lola told me, ‘You’re 75 years old. If you don’t do it now, you never will.’

andquot;Besides,andquot; he added, gesturing back with a grin to the trailer where his wife lay recuperating, andquot;she’s one of those kind you just patch up and keep on going.andquot;

Retired veterinarians Drs. Sharon Sharpnack and Susan Conner, two sisters from Sisters, said they relish the opportunity for making long trail rides with people who have similar interests.

andquot;We enjoy driving the team and meeting other people willing to drive long distances to join a wagon train,andquot; Conner said while her sister waited on their covered wagon. andquot;The people you meet are the most precious old cowboys, and they’ve all got stories to tell. And if you break down, somebody’s got a tool you need or a skill to get you going again.

andquot;People don’t realize how much physics and mechanical engineering is involved even to get your team of horses adjusted properly. Each horse has to pull its share, or everything’s cockeyed.andquot;

The parade had a few motorized vehicles, too, none classier than Galen West’s 1914 Model T, which he decorated with his friends Glenna Smith, Helen Gover, Virgene Payton Fugit and Marcella Taylor.

The car andquot;may have had its engine overhauled, but it’s never been restored. It’s an original,andquot; West said, donning a duster and some classic goggles before firing up the engine as the one o’clock parade start approached.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 437 built a float that placed the Scouts in their natural habitat: a campsite, with camp chairs, a canoe, and a blue tarp under which one Scout andquot;swam.andquot; To lend authenticity, his fellow Scouts squirted his face with water.

More than 100 entries paraded through downtown Halfway, andquot;more than we’ve had in many years,andquot; said Fair Manager Nellie Forrester.

Forrester said she was pleased with how the weekend went, despite the down numbers in the Open Class food competition brought on by all the springtime frost that Pine and Eagle valley growers had to endure.

andquot;Practically everybody tells us this is an old-fashioned, fun fair,andquot; she said. andquot;The setting is nice and it’s congenial. There are reunions over the weekend, and there’s lots going on in town. Except for a couple accidents during the rodeo, everything went super.andquot;

Forester said about 2,000 admission buttons were sold. Since the button allows the wearer entry on each of the three days, it’s possible that 6,000 people visited the fair, she said.

Here are the Sweepstakes winners at the Open Class competition at the Baker County Fair at Halfway (all are Halfway residents unless noted):

Overall andamp; Adult Categories: Linda Bird, Halfway, 160 points, 64 items

Senior Category: Arlene Thomas, Halfway, 114 points, 58 items

Teen Category: Joanie Andruss, Halfway, 36 points, 10 items

Junior Category: Darion Greenwood, Baker City, 62 points, 30 items

andquot;Small Fryandquot; Junior Subcategory: Riley Bell, Halfway, 28 points, 10 items

Professional Category: Pepper Nye, Halfway, 16 points, 25 items

(New to professional land products category this year)

Top 20 overall: Linda Bird, Adult; Irene Mead, Adult, Richland; Arlene Thomas, Senior; Deborah Summers, Adult; Glenna Smith, Senior; Grace Gulick, Senior; Cindy Thayer-Omann, Adult; Shawna Denny-Land, Adult, Durkee; Mike Katona, Adult; Jill Riley, Adult; Darion Greenwood, Junior, Baker City; Elise Tergeson, Junior; Betty Lovett, Senior; Dale Denson, Adult; Flo Dixon, Senior; Cora Terjeson, Junor; McKenzie Bell, Junior; Marcella Taylor, Senior; Dixie Taylor, Adult, Oxbow; David Wright, Senior, Baker City.

Floriculture Division: Youth, Elise Terjeson, 24 points; Teen, Joanie Andruss, 12 points; Adult, Linda Bird, 114 points; Senior: Arlene Thomas, 68 points; Overall: Linda Bird.

Judges Choice Floriculture: Junior, Cora Terjeson, Rose; Teen, Joanie Andruss; Senior. Glenna Smith, Gladiolus; Overall, Cheryl Thomas, Arrangement andquot;Fragrant Passionsandquot;

Food Preservation Division: Youth, Alesia Lawrence, 15 points, Richland; Teen, Aspen English, 4 points, Richland; Adult, Irene Mead, 96 points, Richland; Senior, Glenna Smith, 52 points; Overall, Irene Mead

Judges Choice Food Preservation: Junior, Alesia Lawrence, dill pickles; Teen, Aspen English, strawberry jam; Overall, Irene Mead, mixed vegetable pickles.

Fresh Foods Division: Youth, Darion Greenwood, 42 points, Baker City; Teen, Katie Stephens, Baker City, and Karl Young, 4 points each; Adult, Linda Bird, 30 points; Senior, Arlene Thomas, 22 points; Overall, Darion Greenwood

Judges Choice Fresh Foods: Junior, Jessy Lawrence, zucchini bread, Richland, Teen, Karl Young, brownies; Overall, Sarah Young, chocolate zucchini cake.

Bob’s Red Mill Contest

Needlework Division: Youth, McKenzie Bell, 20 points; Teen, none awarded; Adult, Jill Riley, 40 points; Senior: Betty Lovett, 26 points.

Judges Choice Needlework: Junior, McKenzie Bell, dress; Teen, Jonathon Prince, stuffed buffalo, Baker City; Quilts: Carma Anderson, purple quilt.

Land Products Division: Youth, Phoenix Millhouse, 22 points, Richland; Teen, Richard Maynard, 12 points, Baker City; Adult: Dale Denson, 56 points; Senior: David Wright, 40 points; Overall, Dale Denson.

Judges Choice Land Products: Junior and Teen, none awarded; Overall, Dale Denson, green cabbage.

Arts andamp; Crafts Division: Youth, Cora Terjeson, 40 points; Teen, Josie Dennis, 20 points, Baker City; Adult: Jill Riley, 26 points; Senior, Betty Lovett, 10 points; Overall, Jill Riley

Judges Choice Arts andamp; Crafts: Junior, Kristen Gulick, acrylic painting; Teen, Lacy Peer, framed pencil charcoal portrait; Overall, Dorothy Funk, acrylic painting of a child, Richland.

Photography Division: Youth, McKenzie Bell, 12 points; Teen, Joanie Andruss, 24 points; Adult, Mike Katona, 66 points; Senior, Betty Lovett, 24 points.

Judges Choice Photography: Junior, McKenzie Bell, Mr. Godwin’s Campout; Teen, Joanie Andruss, landscape, andquot;Mailboxesandquot;; Adult, Mike Katona, digital photo, andquot;Sentinels.andquot;