- May 10, 2024
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Madeline Fields of the Lakewood Ranch High School FFA gets ready to show her cow Peso.
Camryn Shear of the Carlos E. Haile Middle School FFA hugs her cow Trooper who took first place in Class 6.
Peyton Pederson of Lakewood Ranch and Cream of the Crop 4H brushes Polo the cow.
Conner Christman of Palmetto shows off the goldfish that he won by tossing ping pong balls into a jar.
Kaylee Hatwig of K&M Equestrian Services (left) was the buyer of Peso. Also pictured are Manatee County Fair Cattlemen's Sweetheart Shelbie Davis and Madeline Fields of the Lakewood Ranch High School FFA.
Kyle King of the R. Dan Nolan Middle School FFA is ready for the show.
Taylor Zwart of the Lakewood Ranch High School FFA coaxes Jack into the cattle show area.
Allison Bizata, Kailee Hooey and Al Barrett, all of Bradenton, show off their giant prizes — including a huge blue stuffed sloth — in the midway.
Isabelle Monroe of the Lakewood Ranch High FFA poses with her cow Hemi.
"Pirate Man Dan"Jolley cruises the midway in his pirate ship.
Carter Keel of the Braden River High School FFA is ready to show Oakley.
Gabriella Wood of the Parrish High FFA gets Blackjack ready for the show.
Hokey Pokey behaves well for Coy Cone of Myakka All Stock.
Austin Gardieff of Ruskin gets close to a goat in the petting zoo.
Raelynn and Lila Grimes of Bradenton feed carrots to Melman the giraffe.
The crowd reacts to seeing pigs jump through hurdles, navigate their way around barriers and jump through hoops at the Hollywood Racing Pigs show.
Miss BBQ jumps a hurdle during the Hollywood Racing Pigs show.
Revelers enjoy a walk through the midway on a picturesque Saturday at the Manatee County Fair.
The Ring of Fire rollercoaster gives riders a thrill by stopping while completely inverted.
Victoria Hubbard and 4 year-old Bryson Hubbard of Bradenton enjoy a ride on the Silver Streak.
Christian Benzon, 3, of Bradenton, steers his semi truck on a ride in the midway.
Riders enjoy a flight on the Yo Yo ride at the Manatee County Fair.
The cattle show and sale at the Manatee County Fair on Jan. 15 was a bittersweet moment for Lakewood Ranch High School FFA member Madeline Fields.
While others were getting ready to sell their cows at the annual event, Fields was slowly walking Peso the cow toward the showing area. Fields is a senior at Lakewood Ranch, meaning that her journey with Peso would mark the end of her showing cattle as she prepares to go to college this fall.
"I'm a little sadder this year because I know it's my last year," Fields said.
Peso also was a favorite of the Lakewood Ranch FFA since he was born.
"He's always was a calm calf and easy to work with," Fields said. "(But) his mom was stubborn, and he's definitely picked up some of that."
Fields said she wants to go to college to be a veterinarian and that the skills she's learned while raising cows with the FFA will help her achieve that goal.
In the midway area outside of the Mosaic Arena, revelers enjoyed an afternoon of games, rides, shows and treats on a picturesque Saturday afternoon. Bradenton's Al Barrett was one of the day's biggest winners. He was walking around the midway with a giant stuffed blue sloth that was so large that he had to enlist the help of Allison Bizata and Kailee Hooey, both of Bradenton, to help him carry it.
"I won this thing by hitting three targets in one shot," Barrett said with a grin.
The Manatee County Fair continues through Jan. 23 in Palmetto.
