The show ring has brightened up with bling. You know what I mean: the bedazzled show harnesses, the wide belts with huge diamond-looking squares, shimmering and shining all under a heavy dousing of critter glitter.

Standing ringside, you can hear the comments not only from young girls who want some for themselves, trying to figure out how they can spin this new show ring fashion fad into a positive necessity, but from parents who think it’s the definition of excess.
Is there too much sparkle on the showman these days? (Wait – I should say showperson, if I want to be politically correct.) Are glittery show harnesses and glitzy belts too much for the show ring, where the focus is supposed to be on the livestock and not the accessories?

In California, all 4-H showmen wear the same thing no matter what species they show: black pants, white shirts and a black tie. But here in the Midwest each exhibitor wears what’s appropriate for their animal. This leaves the door wide open for loud, colorful shirts, 24-carat belts and hair adornments galore.

Your side of the debate may depend on the age of your children. If your oldest is 11 and you’re just beginning your second go-round of 4-H, you may have a tendency to be horrified by what the kids are wearing these days. After all, when you were in 4-H you didn’t wear your jeans that tight or that low, and there was no way your mom would allow you to wear a gem-studded belt.

I can hear you saying, “My daughter will never wear anything like that. This is about the animal, not the girl on the end of the halter, for heaven’s sake!” But if your youngest is 11 and you’re counting the days when you won’t have to buy any more feeder pigs, order any more meat chickens or try to keep any more rabbits alive during the sweltering summer, then you’re probably giddy when your child puts on a clean shirt and combs his hair.
You can be heard saying: “Did Sally make in the ring on time? I don’t see her in there.”

“Hey, who is that cute girl with the cool belt? I want one of those!”

“What day is it?”

“Did I turn the Crock Pot down to low or is it still on high?”

“I think it’s time for a nap.”

“When will this fair be over?”

At the heart of the concern is the focus. If it’s supposed to be on the animal, then the showman should be secondary, not the sparkly standout. If it’s a showmanship class, then there is merit to a nice, clean look even if it’s trimmed with a spark here or there.

I’ve been on both ends of this scenario and am finally seasoned enough to know when to keep my mouth shut … sometimes. As I said to one disgusted mother as we stood ringside and she started sputtering about a “blingified” girl – it’s just a phase.
In 20 years when they look back at pictures of themselves, they will be horrified at what they wore, just like we are when we look back at pictures of us in our waist-high jeans that were too short for our cowboy boots. And we thought we were cool.

 The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.