One of the most peculiar stories to come out of the Illinois State Fair concerned an animal-doping controversy. The story was actually about a costly mistake by the parents of a 4-H Club member, but it quickly turned into some bad publicity for Rod Blagojevich. Representative Shane Cultra (R-Onarga) even demanded an apology from the governor.
As you undoubtedly heard, Mongo, a prized steer owned by Whitney Gray, a 14-year-old girl from downstate Gilman, was given a mild pain-killer and swelling reducer because it had a sore back leg. A limping steer would have a distinct disadvantage in the highly competitive contests.
Whitney’s mom had asked the advice of a high-level fair official before Mongo was given the medicine, but she neglected to follow all the rules and didn’t contact the fair’s chief veterinarian.
So when it won the junior grand championship, Mongo was automatically drug-tested and then disqualified. When reporters asked Governor Blagojevich about the controversy, he responded, half-jokingly, ”If we discover that someone is cheating, whether they be human beings or cows, they’re going to pay a price.”
The statement–like all of Blagojevich’s attacks on everyone else in Illinois politics–received wide play, including mentions in several national news outlets.
But Representative Cultra believed the governor went too far by attacking a 14-year-old as if she were just another corrupt politician. “Your remarks were unfair and an undeserved insult to Whitney Gray and her parents,” Cultra wrote in a letter to Blagojevich.
A spokesman said the governor did not intend to call Ms. Gray or her parents “cheaters.” The governor doesn’t make the state fair’s rules, the spokesman said, and it was unfortunate that Gray’s steer was disqualified.
I was once the victim of a bit of 4-H cheating, so I have some experience on this topic. As it so happens, the cheating took place in Iroquois County, where Mongo is from. Without going too far into the technicalities, I was cheated out of a champion ribbon at the Iroquois County Fair by what we believed was an illegal steer. We contended that the animal was a disallowed breed, but fair officials ruled against our appeal.
Back then, lots of people cheated, including one of my best friends, who sneaked a crossbred steer into a purebred show (giving himself an advantage). In those days, the use of steroids to enhance an animal’s muscle structure was also widespread and even tacitly encouraged. Steroids are now banned. Families paid “groomers” hefty fees to give their animals a leg up on the competition.
The stakes were high. Champion steers brought big bucks at auction, and could be taken to other fairs, where they could earn more money from prizes. The ultimate contest was the Illinois State Fair, and only the most successful steers stood a chance at that show. Auction proceeds from a state grand champion steer can go a long way toward paying for college. It’s a very intense little subculture.
Later, after I left 4-H, a scandal broke when it was discovered that parents were purchasing cattle that had won championships in other states and using altered ownership papers to enter them in state fairs as homegrown animals.
So it comes as no shock that supposedly salt-of-the-earth farmers would bend the rules for their kids. But in this case it’s a bit of a stretch. If Mongo’s owners were cheaters, they wouldn’t have informed that state fair official about their intent to use a painkiller. Cheaters don’t usually tell the authorities when they’re about to cheat. The Grays simply didn’t fully understand the rules. They obviously knew a grand champion would be drug-tested.
So did the governor tee-off on a 14-year-old girl? Did he use her unfortunate mistake to once again brazenly promote his often-stated commitment to ethics in government?
Well, yeah. But I think the governor probably talked before engaging his brain.
As he often does, the governor went for the quick laugh and the easy press pop.
He’s a naturally combative guy. He should work on toning it down a bit.
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2003.
