The first animal Barb Koester can remember showing at the McLeod County Fair was a little gray pony named Chessy with a bob tail. Her biggest year included 23 head of horses — and a lot of manure to clean up. Going into her 60th year showing horses at the county fair this week, she will show six.
"Every horse has their own personality," she said. "Some are a little high-strung. Some aren't. Some are laid back. ... Some you get along with, some you don't."
Koester, a Stewart resident, grew up in Hutchinson and graduated from high school in Glencoe. She was four years old the first time she showed at the McLeod County Fair and remembers her grandfather's horses on the north side of Hutchinson, near the old sales barn.
"It was a family thing. My grandpa (Telecky) had horses," she said. "My mom and dad had horses. We grew up on them. ... I was always out at grandpa's farm. My dad had horses out there. They had named one of our half Arabians after me — her name was Sante Fe Barbs."
Over the years at the McLeod County Fairgrounds, Koester has made many memories. When a tornado touched down in 1983 at the former fairgrounds site near where 3M is today, she was sleeping there in a horse trailer.
"We didn't know if we would wake up at the same spot," she said. "The horse barn was knee deep in water."
It wasn't the last time she would see high waters at the fair. After a sheep barn at the old site was hauled to the south side of Hutchinson on July 21, 1993, the fair had a new home. In the early years there, Koester recalls it raining so hard sod floated down the black top.
A typical fair week for Koester calls for plenty of preparation.
"They (the horses) have to be watered, fed. We clean stalls every day. We're always cleaning stalls because I was brought up that they are my pride and joy," she said. "People do not walk through the barns to see dirty stalls."
Sometimes she helps with the draft horse show by running the gate, and she has ridden as well. Over the past few years she has shown miniatures, a miniature donkey, a mule and ponies. But this year it's just the six horses. She stays involved with horses and horse events beyond the annual fair, such as with the Little Crow Riders. She joins the saddle club in putting on horse shows.
"We put on two horse shows a year," Koester said. "We invite anybody — if you're a horse enthusiast — to join. We have meetings at the fairgrounds in Hutch. We have the arena we can use Thursday nights through the summer."
Over the years, Koester's passion has added numerous plaques and trophies to her walls, shelves and counters.
"My big class is egg and spoon," she said. "We carry an egg on a teaspoon and ride horse."
Koester and her horse Colorized, an Appaloosa, won more than 600 trophies.
"We were pretty unbeatable," she said. "He was 20 years out of my 60 years at the McLeod County Fair."
After he died more than a decade ago, a paint quarter horse, Mark Me Wild, began winning trophies. He'll be at the fair this year with Koester, who fairgoers may spot in the horse barn, or at the halter classes Friday night. She won't be alone — the family's love of horses was passed on to her four children.
"They have all been riding horse before they could walk," Koester said. "My youngest daughter (Emily) is about the only one who shows with me now. She has been doing this for 25 years with me."
At the McLeod County Fair, Emily will show Deedee Impulse, a quarter horse that just turned 21 years old.
She hopes some of her grandchildren will take an interest as well. But, for now, Emily was with Koester this Friday helping her wash and clip. They were also together to show in Scott County, Waconia, Watertown, and more in about a 60-mile radius.
"We go to the shows and we've had a fantastic year this year," Koester said. "It's just the love of horses. What else would we do?"
But it all doesn't happen without support. Koester thanked her husband, Russ, and sons Aaron and Erich. She credited the connections with others outside family playing a large role as well.
"I have met a lot of super nice people in the horse industry," Koester said. "We have gone to the Iowa Quarter Horse Breeders Show. We have been out to the Black Hills Stock Show. I have met a lot of fantastic people through Lori Korson (of Brownton). And I have to thank her for introducing me to some great horses."
One of the six horses Koester is showing this year at the McLeod County Fair was lent by Korson.
If Koester has it her way, this annual fair won't be her last — not even close. So long as she can walk and ride, she plans to keep showing and would like to return another 10 years if she can. Her love of horses is as strong as it always has been.
"Horses are a free-spirited animal," she said. "You can go out there, if you have problems you can talk to them. They can't answer you back, but they're always there for you. ... They can tell when I'm sad. They can tell when I'm angry or in a hurry. They can all tell."
