By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Brandon Twp.-Calley Coburn is working on her backyard menagerie.

On Tuesday the 2016 Brandon High School graduate runs alongside her black standard poodle, Hope, coaching the dog to jump hurdles. Next, she turns to her apricot-colored poodle, Aspen, and tries to coax her to run through an agility tunnel.

Moments later, Coburn is busy wrangling her two ducks, Fig and Cotton, as they attempt to escape being picked up.

Her most cooperative animals appear to be two Dutch rabbits, Pip and Piper. She pulls one from the hutch where they live and cuddles it close.

“We are a zoo, but people like coming over here,” said Coburn. “It’s a zoo, but worth the work…The most intensive are the dogs. There is a lot of grooming, and a lot to how they behave and are trained.”

In just a few days, Coburn will show all these animals, as well as several still exhibits including photography, jewelry, and baked goods, at the Oakland County Fair, which runs from July 8-17, at Springfield Oaks County Park,12451 Andersonville Road, Davisburg.

She will participate in several classes with Hope and Aspen, including agility, obedience, showmanship, and costumes— in which Coburn will dress as the Cat in the Hat, and the dogs will be Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Seuss’ famed book.

Coburn has attended the fair and entered exhibits for judging since 2011. Hope, a 5-year-old service dog, has been to fair before, but this is Aspen’s first year and it is also the first time she will bring ducks and rabbits.

“I make a lot of friends at fair and I like the atmosphere and love the fair food,” said Coburn. “I expect the dogs to do better than last year, but I want to have fun doing it. I am competitive to a certain extent… I’ve learned to be a good sport and I learn from mistakes my dog might have done or I have. I’ve come out of my shell a lot.”

New to the fair this year are some dogs that won’t receive any ribbons, but are there to entertain as “Marvelous Mutts,” rescue dogs that do various tricks including pool diving and Frisbee chasing.

The fair and The River Church will also sponsor Jep Robertson, a star of the show “Duck Dynasty,” at 7 p.m., July 11, as a grandstand event, although unlike other grandstand events including monster trucks and rodeo, there is no admission charge.

General admission to the fair is $10 per car, $5 per motorcycle, or $5 walk-in, and includes all the fair favorites, including a lumberjack show, racing pigs and the Miracle of Birth barn, at which kids can learn to milk cows this year, as well as all the judged exhibits, including chickens, which return this year after an absence last year due to poultry illness.

Armbands for the carnival rides are varying prices depending on the day. There will be two or three new rides on the midway.

Oakland County Fair General Manager LC Scramlin said there are about 600 kids who will participate with 4,500 exhibits and 100 adults bringing about 500 exhibits for judging. He hopes to keep fair attendance over 100,000 for the event. Last year, more than 122,000 people visited the fair.

“The fair is good family fun and we like supporting kids in showcasing their projects,” said Oakland County Fair General Manager LC Scramlin, who “Come and enjoy a great family experience.”

For more information and a full schedule of each day’s events, visit oakfair.org.