Boone County Fair 2009

Amber Walker and her brother David Walker, both of Belvidere, stand near Amber's 1995 Chevrolet Corsica that was used in the demolition derby at the Boone County Fair on Sunday, August 16, 2009. Amber won fourth place in the mini-car competition later that day.

Joshua Ortiz, 3, of Rockford watches the Next Level Professional Bullriding event at the Boone County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, August 11.

A cowboy parades the U.S. flag around the arena before the Next Level Professional Bullriding event at the Boone County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, August 11.

Sean Moran of Caledonia dances and claps to the music of the Harmonicats at the Boone County Fair on Wednesday, August 12.

A horse owner prepares his horse for judging in the draft horse barn at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Belvidere, Ill. on Friday, August 14, 2009.

There were nine harness races at the grandstand on Wednesday, August 12.

Lumberjack Corey Christians competes in a lumberjack competition as part of the Scheer's Lumberjack Show during the Boone County Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

Noel, a 7-year-old Bengal tiger, waits for her chance to perform with the Big Cat Encounter show at the Boone County Fair on Tuesday, August 11.

Lumberjack Casey Scheer of Hayward, Wis. makes the final cut in a log to win the springboard chop competion during the Timberworks Lumberjack Show at the Boone County Fair on Friday, August 14, 2009.

Country music artist Phil Vassar puts on a show for the crowd in the grandstand during his headliner show at the Boone County Fair on Friday, August 14, 2009.

Photographer Michael Huff, owner of Memories by Michael, is silhouetted against the bright stage lights during the Miss Boone County Fair 2009 competition on Tuesday, August 11, 2009.

Brande Kueltz of Janesville, Wis. exits the pony arena with Dottie, her Shetland pony, after winning a blue ribbon at the Boone County Fair on Friday, August 14, 2009.

Country music artist Phil Vassar plays his distinctive zebra-stripe piano during the headliner show at the Boone County Fair on Friday, August 14, 2009.

A pair of cowboys wait for the Big Hat Rodeo to begin on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

Boone County Fair president Al Henninger at the Big Hat Rodeo on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

A rabbit owned by Jeffrey Lewis sits in its pen in the rabbit barn at the Boone County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, August 12.

Landon Welte, 3, of Moron, Ill. enjoys a pony ride at the Boone County Fair on Friday, August 14, 2009.

A cowboy rides a bucking bronco during the Big Hat Rodeo during the Boone County Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

A cowboy parades the United States flag around the arena prior to the start of the Big Hat Rodeo at the Boone County Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

George Burkhart of Steward (left) and Ken Burch of Lindenwood ride Burkhart's 1950 Minneapolis-Moline "U" tractor to get weighed prior to the tractor pulls at the Boone County Fairgrounds on the morning of Thursday, August 13.

Bryan Vandiver of Stillman Valley enjoys an ear of roasted sweet corn from the Cosmopolitan Club's booth at the Boone County Fair on Wednesday, August 12. Terry Shook of the Cosmopolitan Club says "we expect to set an all-time record this year" in regards to the number of ears of corn sold. He predicts that the club will sell 25,000 ears of corn at the fair this year. The club uses proceeds from the corn sale to benefit diabetes research, Belvidere Youth Baseball, RAMP, the YMCA, and the Keen Age Center.

A cowboy ropes and ties a calf during the Big Hat Rodeo at the Boone County Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

A pair of rodeo hands keep a bucking bronco's gate secure during the Big Hat Rodeo at the Boone County Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

Airel Fees, 11, of Union tries some mid-air acrobatics on the Quad Power Jump at the Boone County Fair on Wednesday, August 12.

Keston Watson, 2, of Marengo checks out the controls of a 1951 Farmall.

Noel, a 7-year-old Bengal tiger, eyes the crowd during the Big Cat Encounter show at the Boone County Fair on Friday, August 14, 2009.

A young cowboy watches the Next Level Professional Bullriding event at the Boone County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, August 11.