This morning, business people and civic leaders will bid and spend thousands of dollars on the livestock raised by youth and shown at the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo this week.

The steers of Brittany and Steven Clemetson are not among them.

They're still trying to understand why, as is their veterinarian Dr. Donald Cobb of Casper.

At 11 a.m. Friday, July 3, Cobb had given their steers clean bills of health - on documents formally known as a Certificates of Veterinary Inspection - after the animals had recovered from a brief bout of the ringworm fungus.

Less than 72 hours later, Brittany and Steven stood in line with their animals at the check-in at the Fairgrounds, and presented their certificates from Cobb to another veterinarian, Dr. Kenzie Mares of Douglas.

Mares disqualified the animals for entrance to the show, to the shock and dismay of the brother and sister who each spent more than $2,000 to feed, clean, vaccinate, and train for showing the steers, they said.

The steers were quarantined in a separate building, and suffered stress that led to weight loss, Brittany said. The disqualification also meant the steers' measurements of weight, hip height, and fat content weren't taken, further putting out of reach the possibility of appearing at today's sale.

Friday evening, the animals were taken to Burch Farms where Brittany and Steven boarded them.

The two wondered what to do next, Brittany said. "We attempted appeals."

Brock Burch, agriculture teacher at Natrona County High School and FFA adviser, appealed Mares' decision to Colleen Campbell who is on the staff of the University of Wyoming's Agricultural Extension Office and a 4-H advisor.

Campbell rejected his appeal, so Brittany and Steven filed a formal protest with the Fair and Rodeo's board of directors, who were scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Some of Brittany's and Steven's relatives and friends attended the board meeting.

All were dismayed at the outcome.

"It was over and done in three minutes," said friend Deedra Hauf.

Burch declined to comment about the meeting with the Fair board.

Meanwhile, Brittany's and Steven's friends in the FFA were shocked at the ruling and were gathered in a trailer at the Fairgrounds on Tuesday evening crying with each other, Hauf said.

Even though FFA and 4-H members compete, they regard each other as being on the same team year-round, Steven said. "We see each other almost on a daily basis."

The investments of money and time teach the skills and discipline for those interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, he said. "We learn how to manage ourselves, and not depend on others."

Fair and fair

The youth conduct their competition and camaraderie amid the sawdust on the floor and the sweat of months of preparation for the show and today's sale.

But the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo happens as a big adult enterprise.

Natrona County owns the 105-acre Fairgrounds with millions of dollars of improvements. Besides the annual fair and rodeo, the buildings, barns, Arena, and other amenities are rented and used throughout the year. The fair and The Natrona County commissioners appoint the members of the fair's board of directors.

Board chairman Greg Pope could not be reached for comment.

Those who run the fair including the livestock shows shoulder a lot of responsibility to not jeopardize people or animals by allowing unhealthy animals on the fairgrounds, Campbell said.

The 4-H organization, operated through UW's Agriculture Extension Office, hires veterinarians to check for symptoms of infectious or contagious diseases, Campbell said.

The committees overseeing the market livestock competitions for cattle, swine, sheep and goats decided the best veterinary clinic to check animals entering the fairgrounds was the Smylie Animal Clinic in Douglas, she said.

"We have a number of veterinarians in town," Campbell said. "It is difficult to find veterinarians (in Natrona County) with expertise in large animals."

The veterinarians at the fair sometimes must make difficult decisions, she said.

Even though Cobb's CVI for the Clemetsons' animals stated there was no evidence of ringworm, Mares' inspection persuaded her to not sign the release to allow the steers on the fairgrounds, Campbell said.

Mares did not return a call seeking comment.

Brittany and Steven weren't alone in their disappointment.

Veterinarians would not allow some sheep and a pig to enter the fairgrounds, Campbell said.

Those animals were raised by 4-H youth, who weren't happy with the disqualifications, she said. "There is no pattern of discrimination."

This explanation did not sit well with Cobb, who offers his veterinary services free to FFA and 4-H youth, he said.

The steers were healing, and he noted that on his certificates carried by Brittany and Steven.

But Mares violated a code among veterinarians when she overrode his certificates, Cobb said. "Dr. Mares didn't have the authority to do that."

He cited an e-mail about this situation he received from Wyoming State Assistant Veterinarian Dr. Walter Cook, who wrote, "Generally speaking, a practicing veterinarian can not over-ride or invalidate another practicing veterinarian's CVI."

A state or federal veterinarian has the authority to override a CVI, according to Cook's e-mail.

Veterinarians may have different comfort levels in issuing CVI, especially with ringworm, he wrote.

"In the present case, I have not seen the lesions so I can not comment on the appropriateness of issuing a CVI. I will note that no allegations about improper issuance have been made. Thus at this time, I would consider the CVI to be valid."

A county or state fair may make its own guidelines, and has the right to have its own veterinarian examine animals, Cook wrote. "If the fair veterinarian does not allow the animals to enter, it does not mean the CVI is invalid."

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at tom.morton@trib.com. Read his blog at tribtown.trib.com/TomMorton/blog.