MONROE - Frances Rufi loves the Green County Fair.
For 70 years she's shown cows at the fair, won ribbons and proved that age doesn't matter when you're doing something you love.
"Showing animals has always been my favorite part of the fair," she said.
Rufi, 81, smiled as she thumbed through the old newspaper clippings. Some of them are yellowed with age and some of the photos are slightly faded, but they are a reminder of what she's accomplished over the years.
Each clipping shows the diminutive woman with a broad, friendly smile holding the bridle of an animal much larger than her.
Rufi's experiences at the fair began when she was a 9-year-old 4-H club member. It only made sense for a girl raised on a farm in Green County to join 4-H and she couldn't wait for her first fair.
For her initial entry she took some poultry from her parents' farm.
It was in her second year at the fair that Rufi took along a cow as well as poultry.
She won a ribbon that year and laughed when asked if she was addicted to winning. She's won so many ribbons she can't even begin to guess at how many she has.
"Oh, gosh, I have no idea," she said. "I've got two shoe boxes full."
When she was younger she would be at the fair early in the morning to milk the cows she had brought and to get them ready for judging.
"We washed all of them by hand," she said, "and we had to milk them twice a day."
Showing cows at the fair requires skill to handle them and let the judges see what makes that cow special from all the others.
It was always fun to meet other country kids at the fair, she said.
It's still a treat to meet new people. She still likes to visit with former competitors and old friends.
People who attend the fair recognize her and stop and say "hello."
In 2004, she received a plaque and flowers from the Green County Holstein Breeders for her 65 years of showing at the fair.
She's proud of the plaque.
"It was really nice of them," she said.
She'll be there this year, showing cows from the Randy Wyss farm in the open class showing contest. She hopes to take home another ribbon but if she doesn't, she'll take it in stride.
"If you don't win, you just say 'I did my best,'" she said.
For 70 years she's shown cows at the fair, won ribbons and proved that age doesn't matter when you're doing something you love.
"Showing animals has always been my favorite part of the fair," she said.
Rufi, 81, smiled as she thumbed through the old newspaper clippings. Some of them are yellowed with age and some of the photos are slightly faded, but they are a reminder of what she's accomplished over the years.
Each clipping shows the diminutive woman with a broad, friendly smile holding the bridle of an animal much larger than her.
Rufi's experiences at the fair began when she was a 9-year-old 4-H club member. It only made sense for a girl raised on a farm in Green County to join 4-H and she couldn't wait for her first fair.
For her initial entry she took some poultry from her parents' farm.
It was in her second year at the fair that Rufi took along a cow as well as poultry.
She won a ribbon that year and laughed when asked if she was addicted to winning. She's won so many ribbons she can't even begin to guess at how many she has.
"Oh, gosh, I have no idea," she said. "I've got two shoe boxes full."
When she was younger she would be at the fair early in the morning to milk the cows she had brought and to get them ready for judging.
"We washed all of them by hand," she said, "and we had to milk them twice a day."
Showing cows at the fair requires skill to handle them and let the judges see what makes that cow special from all the others.
It was always fun to meet other country kids at the fair, she said.
It's still a treat to meet new people. She still likes to visit with former competitors and old friends.
People who attend the fair recognize her and stop and say "hello."
In 2004, she received a plaque and flowers from the Green County Holstein Breeders for her 65 years of showing at the fair.
She's proud of the plaque.
"It was really nice of them," she said.
She'll be there this year, showing cows from the Randy Wyss farm in the open class showing contest. She hopes to take home another ribbon but if she doesn't, she'll take it in stride.
"If you don't win, you just say 'I did my best,'" she said.