Times Observer photo by Heather Cathcart-Norris Harper Gates with her pig, Butterscotch, as she prepares for a busy week ahead.

Day one of the Warren County Fair on Monday was busy for the youth participating in showing their animals over the next several days.

Harper Gates, an Eisenhower Middle High School student and 4-H participant at the fair, was preparing to exhibit and auction her pig and preparing to compete for the title of Junior Miss at the pageant Monday evening.

Gates is a 13-year-old Warren County resident in her sixth year showing and auctioning her animals at the fair.

While she shows cows and pigs, she can only participate with her pig this year due to a broken arm.

While smaller than cattle, pigs are not exactly lightweight animals. They must weigh between 230 and 300 pounds to qualify for exhibit and auction at the fair.

“It is a lot of work. I got two pigs in January to raise and prepare for this year’s fair,” she said. She explained they have their primary animal and a backup, and she was happy that her primary pig, Butterscotch, weighed in at 230 pounds.

Gates’ younger sister, Tristen, was also preparing with a pig and cow for the animal exhibitions during the week and was in the middle of getting her hair done for the evening pageant.

Tristen Gates will compete in the new Princess portion of the pageant, where a girl aged 9-11 will be crowned.

The culmination of the sisters’ efforts and hard work over the past year will create memories that last a lifetime.