“A fair is a lot like little kids in a kindergarten,” LeVan said.
Although his practice is in Marysville, LeVan’s six children attend school at Triad, and he recently purchased a farm just outside Woodstock. His children have shown swine, steers, heifers and other animals at the fair for the past six years.
With hundreds of animals, the work can be taxing. LeVan’s cell phone buzzed frequently throughout the afternoon Tuesday. But this year, he had assistance from Helen Topp, the wife of Herb Topp.
Herb Topp was the previous veterinarian at the fair and had served the fair board for 37 years until he was killed in an auto accident last year. This year, the fair book was dedicated in his memory.
Helen spent most of the afternoon helping LeVan with the paperwork during swine and sheep contests. She said her husband loved 4-H and always felt it was his responsibility to help students who were competing in the fair.
“(Herb’s) motto was he wanted to give back what he took from 4-H,” Helen said.
LeVan said he appreciated the help. The job often means long hours, although LeVan said he enjoys offering his assistance.
“It’s kind of hard to do all of this with just one person,” he said.
Although about 15 people statewide have tested positive for a new strain of the swine flu after being exposed to swine at their county fair, no cases have been seen in Champaign County, LeVan said. The Champaign Health District is also monitoring the situation, and placed hand sanitizer at the entrances to each of the barns. Signs also warn resident who may be succeptible to the virus to avoid the barns.
LeVan said, so far, the number of animals that have needed medical attention for any reason has been fairly typical. Signs of illness include an animal that is lethargic, is coughing, or not eating.
LeVan said he hopes to continue serving as the veterinarian for the fair in the future.
“We have children here and plan on being in this area for quite some time.” he said.
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