By Angie Sullivan
Perfect weather, record breaking crowds, and screams of joy set the stage for running of the 168th The Sutton Fair & Horse Show this past weekend.
Though every day is kids’ day at the fair, Friday is especially geared for the young ones. In fact, 62 children ranging in age from newborn to 18 months took part in the annual Baby Show.
“It was an amazing event. Everyone was super happy, even the babies,” said Ricci-Lynn McDermott, chair of the show. It was her first year running the event. “Thank you to all the parents and guardians who brought your babies in today to be a part of such a special day! I can’t wait till next year.”
The annual Frog Jumping Contest kicked off at noon and had every seat in the arena filled–at least until some renegade frogs hopped off the stage and people scrambled out of their seats to help catch them. Competitors ranging in age from two-year-old Sophia (her frog jumped first) to those 10 and over eagerly lined up to see how far their amphibians could leap.
Tiffany Goddard from Keswick and her three sons, Landon (4), Coen (7), and Jacob (9) came prepared with mason jars and their game faces. “We are lucky we have a pond in our backyard where we can catch our frogs,” she said.
The rules of the competition are simple and have stayed the same since the inaugural event was introduced in the ‘80s. One by one, the competitors bring their frogs (and there may have been a toad or two) to the stage, where they are placed under a plastic bucket. When the bucket is lifted, the distance of the first hop is measured with a tape.
Rachel Page from Keswick and Jennifer Perry from Sutton ran the competition, kept track of the leaderboard, and did a good job measuring how far each frog jumped when released from their buckets.
Perry pulled on a pair of orange gloves when it was go-time. “I’m terrified of frogs, but I do this for the kids. I wear the gloves in case I have to touch or catch one.”
The Sutton Fair Ambassadors, all crowned the day before, were also ringside and enjoying the competition. The Ambassador Program helps develop young leaders from our community, giving them an opportunity to strengthen public speaking skills, attend local events and network.
Ashley, 13, from Sutton, is a junior ambassador and said, “The frog jumping is so fun.”
Abby, 12, also from Sutton, and a junior ambassador and said, “At first I thought we were going to be watching kids pretending to be frogs and jumping! It’s hectic and great to watch.”
Sylvia, 18, from Cannington, is one of this year’s senior ambassadors and said, “Complete chaos happening here, but it’s a whole lot of fun.”
Frog jumping can be hot business, so it’s great to have the Kids’ Foam Party sudsing up fair goers three times a day. Lynsey Kerr and Mitch Barron from Sutton brought their five-year-old son David over to join in the dance party.
Mitch Barron said, “We can see the fairgrounds from our backyard so we sprint over when we see the foam party! We love it.”
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