100 years of cows, community

RICE LAKE, Wis. — The year was 1925. Calvin Coolidge became the first U.S. president to have his inauguration broadcasted on radio. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” was published. Mussolini declared himself dictator of Italy, and Hitler released his “Mein Kampf” manifesto, laying the foundations for what would become World War II.

That same year, a young Roy Riebe, one of the first members of 4-H in Barron County, exhibited dairy cattle from his family’s farm for the first time at the Barron County Fair.

On July 18, his descendants were honored for their continued dedication to the Barron County Fair’s dairy shows, where the fourth generation is continuing the tradition of exhibiting the family’s Jerseys. Recognized were Roy’s son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Darice Riebe, and their children and grandchildren: Mike and Jaime Riebe and daughter, Kaitynn; Mark and Tanya Riebe and children, Tani, Levi and Tori; and Tamala and Jamie Anderson and children, Jordyn, Alleah and Lexi.

The Riebes milk 100 registered Jerseys near Cumberland, where they farm just over 1,000 acres.

“I remember showing my first calf here when I was about 5 years old,” Roger said. “We keep coming back because we enjoy it. We know a lot of people and they’re coming through all the time. You chat and catch up.”

While the numbers continue to dwindle, particularly in the open class show, the Riebes say they will continue to exhibit to keep the tradition alive.

“We bring a couple of cows just for the open show, to keep that going,” Roger said. “You have to support it to keep the show happening in your own county.”

During the time he has been showing at the fair, many memories stand out, Roger said.

“One of the best has to have been the year I met my wife here at the fair,” Roger said. “I saw her lead this Holstein cow in, and she was short of hay, so I gave her a fold of hay. The next day I made sure to give her another one. That was in 1972.”

Over the years, watching their children and grandchildren develop the same passion they share for the Jersey cow has been a gratifying experience for the couple.

“You watch them as they grow up, the things they learn and how they learn to handle responsibilities,” Darice said. “You watch them grow into good people, strong leaders.”

The Riebe family has had its share of trials. They lost their granddaughter, Emma, Tamala and Jamie Anderson’s daughter, five years ago in an accident. Emma shared her grandparents’ enjoyment of exhibiting Jerseys.

The family wears shirts in Emma’s memory on show day, as well as sponsoring showmanship awards in her memory.

As the Riebe family watched the selection of the supreme showman winners — Summer Hammann and their granddaughter, Kaitlynn — they smiled, thinking about Emma and her passion for showing.

Last year, they watched Emma’s sister, Lexi, struggle to show her animals during the fair. In fall 2023, Lexi was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a condition that could only be remedied with a heart transplant.

Of all the memories both Roger and Darice cherish, they agree watching Lexi thrive during this year’s fair is the best.

“Watching Lexi, how well she is doing, that really makes you thank God,” Roger said. “Seeing her now, seeing her healthy — I don’t think any of us realized or let ourselves realize how bad she looked.”

Lexi’s mom, Tamala, agreed.

“I would think to myself she was doing OK, all things considered,” Tamala said. “Then the doctors would say she didn’t look good. I’d tell them I thought she looked OK, but it’s like rose-colored glasses where you can’t let yourself see.”

Darice echoed the same sentiments.

“We couldn’t let ourselves see it,” Darice said. “Now looking at photos, you see how thin, how pale she was.”

Lexi was admitted to the Milwaukee Campus of Children’s Wisconsin Jan. 6, awaiting the transplant that would give her a second chance at life. While her grandparents were visiting, word came that a donor heart had become available and she received that gift Jan. 21.

Six months later, Lexi is back in the show ring and back to playing the sports she loves. She has been nominated for Youth Athlete of the Year, with a chance to be featured in a 3BRAND advertisement printed in Sports Illustrated. People can support Lexi by voting daily through Facebook, searching for Athlete of the Year.

“Lexi is showing down at the Wisconsin State Fair this year,” Roger said. “She told her doctors about it, and they said they would come see her at the fair to see her cows.”

The Riebes said the sense of community they witnessed last year during Lexi’s health crisis will stay with them forever.

“Those kids that donated their sheep in the sale to Lexi and then all the bidders and buyers, those people are special, they are good people,” Roger said. “People like that, things like that, those are the reasons keeping the county fair show strong is important.”