Billings and Crockett Win Again!

By Martha Slater

Gail Billings of Beanville Road in Randolph, and her ox, Crockett, recently took the top prize for the best single ox on the fairgrounds at the Fryeburg Fair in Fryeburg, Maine for the second year in a row. Crockett, who weighs 2,788 lbs. (up 400 from last year) was silent about his big win, but Billings was understandably quite excited.

The Fryeburg event is the biggest oxen show in the world. Billings’ mentor, 80 year-old Bob Eastman of Northfield, took the top prize for the best pair of oxen on the fairgrounds, "so out of the three top prizes in the ox division, two of them are coming back to Vermont," noted Billings’ good friend, Diane White of Rochester.

Another Vermonter, John Jenkinson of West Berlin, also won several blue ribbons in his division and came in second to Eastman for best pair.

In addition, Billings won a Herdsman Award for having clean stalls, clean animals, good interaction with the public, dealing well with other competitors, decoration of your area, etc.

"They only gave out three from among all 300 competitors at the fair, and we came in second," Billings noted.

Billings also took two of her other oxen, Harley and Davidson, to Fryeburg, where they took fourth place in the best team category, and Crockett competed with his partner, Boone, to win second place for the best team.

"I’m so grateful to all the people from this area who went up there to cheer us on, and also helped decorate the barn and helped get us up there and back," Billings said. "I’m also very appreciative of my co-workers at Central Supplies who worked extra hours so I could go up there to compete."

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