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Thursday, September 22, 2011 – Daily News 1B 2011 Tehama District Fair The Daily News' daily guide to the best of Tehama County on display Local fair? Local fare By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer The Tehama Trails Cattleman's legacy lives on through class for area youth By JULIE ZEEB DN Staff Writer A former Tehama County resident is being honored by his family members, who are carrying on his passion for the industry and passing it on to future generations through a new class at the Tehama District Fair. While Ernie Groscup died March 29, his daughter Tiffany is work- ing to see that the knowledge he passed on to her will live on. "Our family has been very deeply involved in the livestock industry , " Tiffany Groscup said. "This gives my dad a chance to edu- cate kids even though he's not still here. My dad was a 4-H leader and he believed that if you don't pass on the knowledge you have to a younger kid you might as well not learn it." Now 26, Groscup has been showing animals since 'My dad always believed in helping kids. One year he bought a girl her calf. He believed that what you learn from your project can benefit you down the road' — Tiffany Groscup she was six and involved with livestock a lot longer than that. Her mom, Patti Cowper Groscup, originally from Los Molinos, had sheep and Tiffany's grandfather was involved in the Junior Livestock Auction and raised Angus cattle. Later on, her parents inherited her grandfather's cat- tle and when she was 2 or 3 the family started raising Limousin cattle, Groscup said. The family moved to Oklahoma from Los Molinos in 2004 where they remained active in the livestock industry. "My dad always believed in helping kids," Groscup said. "One year he bought a girl her calf. He believed that what you learn from your project can benefit you down the road." Having a project at the fair teaches communication skills and promotes the livestock, beef and agricultural industry as a whole, she said. In July, Groscup started a similar class at the Craig County Fair in Oklahoma in honor of her father and it went well. "We've had a lot of support from the community and even out of state people," Groscup said. Split into the junior division for ages 5-13 and senior for ages 14-19, everyone gets something from the com- petition, she said. The overall champion will get a pair of clippers, amongst other prizes, and $50 in cash. The senior champion and junior champion will get $60 each and prizes, while the reserve champions from See CLASS, page 2B Auto Recycling Inc. 10 ACRES OF INVENTORY All Star *WILL PAY CASH FOR JUNK CARS* Used Parts for Less Quality Domestic • Foreign • Pick-ups 530 824-2880 Highway 99W & Capay Road (Halfway between Corning & Orland) 22521 Capay Road, Corning CA. 96021 Mon-Fri 8am-5pm • Sat. 9am-2pm Junk Cars & Truck Removal Welcome to the Fair TEHAMA ESTATES PROVIDES: ◆ Independent Living ◆ Private Apartments ◆ Three Nutritious Meals Daily ◆ 24 Hour Secure Environment ◆ House Keeping Services ◆ Warm & Friendly Staff ◆ Recreational Programs ◆ Private & Formal Dining Rooms ◆ Scheduled Transportation EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY A Retirement Community for the Active Senior Citizens 750 David Avenue, Red Bluff • 527-9193 Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-5pm Sat. 7:30am-12pm Marketplace, which made its debut at the 2010 Tehama District Fair, is back and has expanded. "We have a celebration of locally produced foods and this year we've added awards to the concession- aires for everything from corn dogs to tri-tip," said Marketplace Events Coor- dinator Mary Jayne Eid- man. The three awards will be best use of this year's commodity, which is wal- nuts, best use of locally produced foods and best product made from scratch. "Winners will have a huge banner placed out- side their booth so that fairgoers know who the recipients are," Eidman said. "They also get a sticker that says they're Daily News photo by Julie Zeeb Tehama Trails Marketplace Manager Debbie Sundalious and Mary Jayne Eidman invite the public to come learn about walnuts at the Tehama Trails Marketplace, which opens at 4 p.m. today. A slow foods dinner for $20 will be available at 6:30 p.m. the 2011 winner." Awards will be handed out at 5 p.m. today, she said. The marketplace opens at 4 p.m. today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday with See FARE, page 2B Cattle fitters are bovinely inspired SACRAMENTO (MCT) — Standing inside the livestock pavilion at the Califor- nia State Fair, where cattle lowed and city folks stared, James Vietheer held his breath as he spritzed rose- scented oil onto his prize Black Angus bull. Chumlee, a show ring prima donna who tips the scales at a buff 2,400 pounds, needed to be pretty for the live- stock show judges. The animal's hooves had been polished to a shine, but his hairy ankles looked kind of fat. Vietheer reached for a comb and plugged in a commercial hair dryer to restyle the hair to make the ankles look slimmer. Darrell Hansen, Vietheer's best friend, ran a pair of electric clippers over the hair on the animal's thick neck. The bull's muscles sharpened into view. In the competitive arena of state and coun- ty fair livestock con- tests, Hansen and Vietheer are a valuable breed. They are cattle fitters, or "show jocks" in circuit slang, beauti- cians to the bovine set. Show champion ani- Lic#381307 MCT photo Darrell Hansen grooms one of his animals for show at the California State Fair on July 19. Hansen and business partner James Viepheer, far left, tend to their own animals and hire out their grooming services because show winners can fetch auction prices twice what non-winners earn. mals can fetch auction prices that are double those that fall short of the winner's circle. That's where show jocks come in, gussying up their charges to their championship best. There are scores of them on the circuit. Some are college stu- dents, eager to put their years in 4-H to use. Oth- ers are ranchers such as Vietheer and Hansen, Since 1948 ALSCO, INC. IRRIGATION RENTALS INC. Ariculture Lawn & Garden Come on in & check out our new & expanded irrigation department. 535 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff (530) 527-4001 1971 Anniversary 40th 13540 Trinity Ave, Red Bluff www.garysautobodyandtowing.com (530) 527-8262 • (530) 528-8261 IF NO ANSWER CALL 529-7400 2011 GARY'S AUTO BODY & 24 HOUR TOWING, INC. who primp their own cattle, and occasionally handle other people's animals for $100 a day and all the fair food they can stomach. "Need the Pink Oil?" Vietheer, 58, hollered at Hansen as he held up a can of hair conditioning oil. Hansen, 37, straining to hear over the grum- bling bull and the hum of the clippers, nodded. It's not just cattle that get such fairground makeovers. There are people who prettify hogs, pamper llamas and groom goats. But show jocks like Vietheer and Hansen are particu- larly prized because in the world of livestock economics, cattle are king: A winning steer, sold for breeding, can easily command six fig- See CATTLE, page 2B