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Published on: 4/5/2008
Last Visited: 4/5/2008
For David Moorman, the Walker County Fair and Rodeo is more than just an event that happens once a year, it is a way of life.
After his family moved to Huntsville in the early 70s, Moorman, at age five, began learning how to lead a successful life in more ways than one.
"We moved to Huntsville from Lubbock," Moorman said.
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Beginning with a piece of property out off Highway 75, Moorman said he remembers the early days at the fair as a child.
"My parents introduced me to the fair," Moorman said.
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Even at such a young age, Moorman said he understood the duty that comes along with raising an animal.
"I think it's a very good thing for children," he said.
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"I learned that rabbits are a little different," Moorman said.
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Moorman said the support from family and friends helps children through any situation.
"I don't think any child goes through it alone," he said."There's a lot of family support and guidance from parents.We really got into it and went to a lot of livestock shows all over the state."
Moorman left Huntsville after high school to attend Texas A&M University.
"I graduated with an agriculture economics degree," he said.
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The fair and life is also, Moorman said, a constant learning process.
"Obviously, if you don't care about something, you're not going to do well," he said.
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After working as a briefing attorney and practicing law for several years after graduating from Baylor University, Moorman returned to Huntsville and got associated with fair again.
"When I graduated high school, I went to college, got involved and stayed busy with that and only had time to come back and visit," he said."In 1998, I came back to Huntsville because my parents are still here and I enjoy it.
"I got involved with the (Walker County Fair Association), serving as the signs director.I moved up and became an officer and then served as president for two years in 2003-04."
As an adult, Moorman said he got to see the fair from a different perspective.
"You get a bigger picture about what all goes into making the fair happen," he said."I have a great appreciation for the folks that do the behind-the-scenes work - taking tickets, maintenance, running all the shows - and there's a ton of volunteers.
"It's a family event and the kids are helping, too.The red tables you see in the main building (at the Walker County Fairgrounds off Highway 30), those were built by volunteers 20 years ago, and they're still being used today."
Moorman said he is amazed at how much the event has prospered through the years.
"Walker County has grown and so has the fair," he said.
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The history of the fair, Moorman said, is something that will continue on forever.
"The fair is a neat piece of history," he said."There are display cases filled with catalogues from each year listing officers, committee chairs, children who showed and placed and who bought animals.
"There's a lot of history and you can go back and look at pictures when you were nine or 10 years old.It really is a family of the volunteers who keep this moving."
Moorman currently serves on the WCFA board and the Long Range Planning and Site Planning Committee.
"Our committee is responsible for capital improvements for the fair," he said."We look at the fairgrounds and make plans for the future, making sure it meets the needs of the fair and the community.
"We seem to make improvements little by little - a sidewalk here, an expansion there - and those folks who were there from the beginning could tell you a lot has gone on through the years."
Moorman now has his own family to share the future of the fair with.
"I've been involved and I will continue to be involved," he said.
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Moorman said his wife, Christie, has also been involved with the fair, serving as past chair of the Academic Rodeo.
As the 2008 Walker County Fair continues into its ninth day of the fair, you can be sure you will see Moorman and his family there along with the hundreds of other volunteers and fairgoers.
"It gets to be a busy time," he said.
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