Dewey Miller – Volunteer, Elkhart County 4-H Fair

“The rodeo that we host here at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair isn’t just a little county rodeo for fun,” says Dewey Miller, the volunteer coordinator for the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Rodeo. “Our rodeo at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair is the real deal. It’s a real competition sanctioned by the International Pro Rodeo Association. Winnings count toward the world standings, and the world finals are in January, so this is a serious event. Last year we had over 300 contestants from all over the country, including several riders from Canada.

I’m the Board Treasurer for the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, have been for eight years, but I also volunteer as the rodeo coordinator. An old friend of mine named Jerry Trolez, who is no longer with us, used to say something that has really stuck with me over the years, and still sort of guides me when it comes to service. He used to say, Your volunteer work is the rent that you pay to live on Earth.

That always meant a lot to me, and still does, and I consider myself a very active volunteer.

Coordinating the rodeo is a challenge, a lot goes into it, but from where I sit one of the most important things we do is to make sure that we give the riders the best ground we can. In rodeo, having ‘good ground’ is one of the most important things. We take a lot of pride in preparing the ground to ensure quality and improve safety for our riders and for our livestock owners.

Horses and livestock are expensive. Years ago, a good horse might run up to ten thousand dollars. These days it can be between seventy-five and one hundred and fifty thousand. So there’s a lot of investment into the livestock at these events, and the primary concern is always keeping the riders and the animals safe. Good ground is the key to that. We’re diligent in preparing the ground carefully, and our partners in the groundwork–Quality Excavating out of Goshen and Dana Bontrager Excavating out of Middlebury–do an exceptional job of moving and packing the ground with great care.

I was a farm kid growing up in this area, I grew up in Elkhart County and went to Fairfield High School. I didn’t do 4-H as a kid, but my daughter, Mia, was in 4-H Saddle Club and Swine Club. That’s how this rodeo journey all started, with my daughter in 4-H. She’s come a long way since then. She just graduated in May from Southern Arkansas University, where she was a member of the rodeo team. Mia competes on the rodeo circuit, and so rodeo is a part of our lives–we’ve spent a lot of time traveling to weekend events.

I take a lot of pride in the fact that the rodeo at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair is highly thought of by rodeo professionals. That’s a great feeling; it’s really rewarding to know that professionals appreciate what we do for them here. Overall, my goal every year for our rodeo is to be one of the best rodeo events in the state and region, and to provide the most entertainment for fans.

I’ve been somewhat instrumental in bringing Breakaway to Elkhart County, we were one of the first rodeos in the county to incorporate Breakaway. Breakaway is a women’s rodeo event, and one of my daughter’s specialties, that’s sort of taken the country by storm–it’s now part of professional rodeo and most are including it all over the county.

I’m just so glad to be a part of this rodeo, it was such a great experience to see my daughter ride in this rodeo over the years, too. I’m proud that we do it very well, and at the end of the day it’s just such a good feeling to see all the kids and folks and fans in the stands having a grand time watching the rodeo at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair.”