Seeking a Fair Decision : Livestock: Youngsters whose farm animals died seek approval to enter substitutes in competition.

Twelve-year-old Robert Brown of Simi Valley has persuaded Ventura County Fair officials that Miss Piggy should be allowed to enter next month’s fair in place of Knucklehead.

Now all fair officials have to do is persuade the state.

Robert had been raising Knucklehead, a 3 1/2-month-old lamb, for only two weeks when the animal was attacked by three dogs on June 21 and had to be put to sleep.

A few days later, Robert replaced the animal with Miss Piggy, another young lamb.

But state regulations require youngsters to have owned and cared for animals for at least 60 days before the fair opens, officials said. This year’s fair kicks off on Aug. 14 and runs through Aug. 25.

“The reason for the state rule is to make sure that the animal is indeed under the control of the youngster, and not just an animal they went out and bought before the fair,” said Art Amelio, assistant manager of the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Amelio said a separate county regulation requires that animals entered in the fair have their ears tagged 60 to 120 days before the event to prevent cheating.

But Robert and Nicholas Adams, a 10-year-old boy from Casitas Springs, on Tuesday persuaded the nine-member fair board that they should be exempted from the state rule. Nicholas’ young goat died in late June of food poisoning.

Cheryl Adams, Nicholas’ mother, said he had been raising two goats and now wants to enter the second goat, nicknamed MC, in the fair.

The fair board voted unanimously to ask the state Division of Fairs and Expositions to allow the two youngsters to auction off their substitute animals at the fair.

“We’re real pleased with the decision of the board,” Amelio said. “And we’re confident that the Division of Fairs and Expositions will see it the same.”

Ethan Hirsch, a spokesman with the Division of Fairs, said state officials had not received a formal request for the exemptions and so could not comment on the cases.

But Hirsch said variances occasionally are granted. He said state officials will consider the recommendation of the county fair board in guiding their decision, which will be made within the next few days.

“Their board is more knowledgeable about their community than we are,” he said.

Meanwhile, Robert is keeping his fingers crossed. He said he wants to sell his lamb in auction to pay back his 4-H Club leader, Jim Wilson, who gave him Miss Piggy to raise on the condition that Robert pay him back when he sold the animal. Wilson also had given him Knucklehead.

The youngster said he has enjoyed the program, but he says he’s a little disturbed that the animal will probably be slaughtered for market.

But Robert’s friend, 12-year-old Michael Dantona, who got Robert interested in joining the Tapo 4-H Club, told his buddy not to worry.

“You’ll get over it, as soon as you see the first check,” he said.