Cilya the Donskoy cat, 6-months-old, gets held in place by all-breeds judge Harley DeVilbiss during a preliminary judging round of the TICA World of Cats show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Cat judging clerk, Diane Swabby, looks though paperwork during a preliminary judging round of the TICA World of Cats show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
The Enigma sprays the crowd with shredded apple coming from a chainsaw in the Freak Show tent at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
The Scissor Sweethearts, Serana, right, lights her cigarette from sparks coming off a grinding axe from Siaral, left, in the Freak Show tent at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
All-breeds judge Robert Seliskar handles Snow, an oriental shorthair cat, during a preliminary judging round for the TICA World of Cats cat show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Cilya the Donskoy cat, 6-months-old, gets held in place by all-breeds judge Harley DeVilbiss during a preliminary judging round of the TICA World of Cats show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Harold Koehn from Inland, Kanas, holds Gemma, an 8-month-old Donskoy cat during the TICA World of Cats show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Square dancing at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Logan Becker-Walsh, 7, guides his chicken, Flappy, through an obstacle course during the Chicken Agility contest at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Roller derby skater Mirica Wahab, 9, right, skating for the Unicorns, greets members of the Fairies roller derby team at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Junior division roller derby skaters from team Fairies (black) and the Unicorns (white) skate head-to-head at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
Roller derby skater Mirica Wahab, 9, center, breaks free from the pack at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
The Scissor Sweethearts, Siaral, left, and Serana, right, perform in the Freak Show tent at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
The Scissor Sweethearts, Siaral, left, and Serana, right, perform in the Freak Show tent at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
6-months-old Cilya the Donskoy cat gets held in place by all-breeds judge Harley DeVilbiss during a preliminary judging round of the TICA World of Cats show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)
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Cilya the Donskoy cat, 6-months-old, gets held in place by all-breeds judge Harley DeVilbiss during a preliminary judging round of the TICA World of Cats show at the Denver County Fair on the National Western Stock Show grounds July 14, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
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By Andy Cross | across@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...
While the competitive spirit at this year’s Denver County Fair was as serious as it gets, the subject matter was most certainly not. Hot-dog eating contests? Sure, but why not bugs and watermelon, too? Or Best Beard, Tea Dueling, Stinky Feet, 4-H Cake Decorating, Brain Freeze, Best Tattoos, Pie Eating, Hula-Hooping and more? That was the spirit of the July 13-15 event at the National Western Complex, which mashed traditional summer-fair programming — carnival rides, food and drink, a local market — with upscale and quirky options.
