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Abbey Peters of Cedar Falls and her lab-pit bull mix, Hugo, are judged during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

WATERLOO — There were just three competitors in Thursday’s Black Hawk County 4-H Dog Show on the National Cattle Congress grounds, but it was still a howling success – especially for Hugo.

Abbey Peters of Cedar Falls and her Lab-pit bull mix, Hugo, gait through the judging ring during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

The 3-year-old Labrador retriever-pit bull mix and his handler, 14-year-old Abby Peters of Cedar Falls, won the top dog trophy and ribbon for showmanship in her category.

Hugo gobbled a chicken jerky treat and cried at the news.

“He cries a lot – about everything,” Abby said, grinning. This was the second year in a row that Abby and Hugo took home the showmanship trophy.

Abbey Peters of Cedar Falls and her Lab-pit bull mix, Hugo, left, and Boone Kajewski of Dunkerton and his Welsh Pembroke corgi, Johnny Cash, are judged during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

The dog show was one of numerous activities and competitions at the annual Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair, which ends Saturday. Today’s activities include a STEM Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. and a concert by Throwback Jack from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday’s events include beef and dairy shows, pet show, archery demonstration, pie contest and a family picnic and ice cream sundaes.

Abby and her fellow dog handlers, 10-year-old Boone Kajewski of Dunkerton, who competed with his 1-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi Johnny Cash, and Zoey Raines of Cedar Falls, with her autism service dog, Finley, a 3-year-old yellow Labrador, all took dog obedience training this spring before signing up for the annual dog show.

“Hugo is very loyal and loves to play and jump on people. We’re working on that,” said Abby, who has been active in 4-H for six years. “We’ve been working on recall (calling her dog and expecting Hugo to come), but it’s harder with extra distractions.”

Obedience training has taught Abby how to better handle and control her dog’s behavior. “He likes and trusts me more, I think,” she explained, and the experience has made Abby more confident.

Zoey Raines of Cedar Falls and her autism service dog, Finley, walk in the judging ring during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

Finley was very good at her commands in the show ring. “She likes to sit and stay,” said Zoey, who has created a strong bond of love and trust with her dog.

As an autism service dog, Finley helps with Zoey’s anxiety, reducing her stress level and increasing her interest in activities like 4-H and dog obedience training. Zoey, the sole competitor at the senior level, joined 4-H a year ago.

Finley was all business in her service vest, attentive, gentle and intuitive, responding immediately to Zoey’s commands. Before her time in the ring, Zoey sat on the concrete floor at Estel Hall, scratching Finley’s ears as the dog stretched out across her lap.

Out of her service vest, Zoey said Finley is a typical dog who “loves to play.”

“Finley gets Zoey out of her comfort zone and is helping her build friendships,” said her mom, Courtney Raines. Courtney and dad, Joseph, sat on the bleachers and watched her daughter put Finley through her paces for dog show judge Susan Kauten.

Corgi Johnny Cash was more easily distracted by the noise of kids playing rollicking games on the other end of cavernous Estel Hall, and he couldn’t resist greeting passersby near the show ring. But for his first time – and with just two months of training, Boone kept good control of his pup. Judge Kauten offered instruction to Boone on being in the show ring and how to best display his dog.

“I really like being with Cash. He’s cute and he’s fun and he likes playing,” Boone said, doling out bite-sized chicken jerky treats for his pal, sitting in perfect form at his feet. “He’s worked really hard, and he’s pretty good if there aren’t any distractions. I just love him.”

Victoria Ulrich and her horse, Razzle, trot through the trail horse obstacle course during the performance class horse show at the 2021 Black Hawk County 4H and FFA Fair in Waterloo. Ulrich placed first in the event and was crowned the Fair Queen earlier in the week.

Competitors in the trail horse class wait in the warm up ring during a horse show at the 2021 Black Hawk County 4H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

Sutton Paulsen smiles and she and her horse, Buck The Trend, clear the bridge on the trail horse obstacle course on Friday during performance class horse show at the Black Hawk County 4H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

Ansli Cox of Cedar Falls tries to match live specimens of prairie plants and flowers with names on a chart at the University of Northern Iowa's Tallgrass Prairie Outreach Center exhibit during the STEM Fair at the 2021 Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

Breh Murch, 8, of the Bennington Boosters 4-H Club in Denver smiles as she launches her paper rocket into the air at the 2021 Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

Aubrey Wulf and her pony, Snow Flame, jump over logs in the clover kid in-hand trail obstacle course on Friday during performance class horse show at the Black Hawk County 4H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

Sutton Paulsen's horse, Buck The Trend, in the warm up ring between events on Friday during performance class horse show at the Black Hawk County 4H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

Elsie McIntosh of Dunkerton, 13, wears virtual reality goggles to watch a NASA rocket launch simulation at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach exhibit at the 2021 Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo.

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Abbey Peters of Cedar Falls and her Lab-pit bull mix, Hugo, left, and Boone Kajewski of Dunkerton and his Welsh Pembroke corgi, Johnny Cash, are judged during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

Zoey Raines of Cedar Falls and her autism service dog, Finley, walk in the judging ring during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

Abbey Peters of Cedar Falls and her Lab-pit bull mix, Hugo, gait through the judging ring during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

Abbey Peters of Cedar Falls and her lab-pit bull mix, Hugo, are judged during the dog show at the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair in Waterloo on Thursday.

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