Corral ‘em up – cowboys herd cattle down Union Road near Viborg Sand & Gravel on Wednesday, July 21. Also pictured, onlookers take pictures on Union Road last Wednesday of the California Mid-State Fair Cattle Drive. Tommy Harris of Harris Stage lines escorted the Mid-State Fair pageant contestants and royalty during the cattle drive. Chamber of Commerce CEO Mike Gibson is pictured center. Kenny Pulliam brought the family out to watch the recent cattle drive in Paso Robles. It was only a short jaunt to see the action for a Cottages resident. Photos by Josh Petray.

For local residents like Helene and Bob McLaughlin, it's easy sometimes to spend more than two decades in a city like Paso Robles and never see the California Mid-State Fair Cattle Drive.

The pleasant weather and the fact that Bob this year wasn't working and Helene wasn't too late to hear the news on the radio that the elements all came together, so to say, for them to observe a tradition that harkens back to the early days of the fair.

“It looks like it's going to be a beautiful, wonderful day,” said Bob, “It would be nice if the fair had this temperature.”

“He's usually working,” said Helene, “And I'm usually on the radio saying, 'oh shoot, I missed it.'”

Last year, the couple recalled, temperatures were much higher around the start of the Mid-State Fair. They, like an estimated 40-plus observers, gathered near Viborg Sand & Gravel to witness the horsemen and women drive cattle down a steep-sloped section of Union Road and head on to the fairgrounds, signaling the official start of the fair.

For the complete article see the 07-23-2010 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 07-23-2010 paper.

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