By Gary Darling

When it’s summer in Nodaway County there are several things we can count on. Warm, humid weather, it's being either too wet or too dry, the county fair and, for the past 71 years, the horse show and draft horse pull in Pickering. Robert Jobst is a member of the Pickering Lions Club — the sponsoring organization for the annual event. Jobst said the horse show in Pickering had been going for several years, but they dropped it for a time when many of the young men went to fight in World War II. On hand for the event this past weekend was Ora Smith, a 94-year old who was around when the whole thing started. Smith couldn't be contacted Friday to discuss past years. He had to go to the bank, get change for the money box, organize the last details and be at the arena in plenty of time to be ready for the opening ceremonies. Pictured is Cody Gray with horses Delmar and Roy, Villisca, Iowa.