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 GREELEY, Colorado USA — If there had been a "best crash" category, Wayne Barlock would have won — hands down.
But, unfortunately, crashing a model rocket is not a good thing on rocket fly day at the Weld County Fair. Wayne, 14, is a member of the Horse Whisperers 4-H Club of Eaton. His nifty design was a rocket called the Outlander that was like a solar landing module. The problem was that the rocket just didn't land — on either of two tries — Wednesday morning. Wayne was one of more than 20 young 4-H members from around the county who participated in the rocketry event. The competition was double the size of last year, said Phil Rouse, superintendent of the event and the county model rocket volunteer leader. "I needed a bigger engine to get it up higher," Wayne said. He made some emergency repairs on the model following the first crash and put a larger engine in for its second flight. Same problem. The rocket got up off the launch pad, but didn't have the power to get high enough so the parachute could deploy and return it safely to earth. It nosed over and bore into the ground for the second time. Wayne has been in the 4-H model rocketry project for three years and said he would try to repair his craft -- again. "But not today. I need a bigger engine, but don't have one with me," he said. He promised, however, to return to next year's fair fly day. Meanwhile, on the other side of Island Grove Regional Park, Bob Moore and several other volunteers and city of Greeley workers were frantically trying to get arenas in shape to resume the 4-H horse show. The show was rained out Tuesday evening about an hour into the English portion. "What's the saying? 'Improvise and adapt?' That's what we're doing this morning," said Moore, the show's superintendent. The main arena was worked into shape by early Wednesday afternoon, while the English show was held at about 10 a.m. in one of the east arenas. Trail and western classes were started in those arenas before the show moved to the main arena in the afternoon. At the rocket competition, Justus Isakson, 8, of Ault, had more success with his launch. He had a bright yellow and red rocket about two feet long that zoomed into the air with the parachute deploying right at the apex of its flight. That was a lot better than a practice flight earlier in the month when the rocket went over a fence and was stolen before it could be recovered. "That wasn't pleasant," said his mom, Patty. She said her son, in his first year of 4-H, built three rockets between Christmas and the fair: One was used for interview judging earlier this week, one was lost over the fence and the third flew flawlessly Wednesday. Even though Wayne's rocket didn't fly quite as well, Rouse still found a blue ribbon for him in honor of the crashes. "Maybe we should add a 'best crash' award next year," Rouse said.
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