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The winners

Six and Younger

First Place: Scott Offenberger

Second Place: Camryn Martindale

Third Place: Troy Martindale

Seven to 12

First Place: Taylor Huffman

Second Place: Jess Isner

Third Place: Caleb McLeish

13 and Older

First Place: Tom Becker

Second Place: Richard Morse

Third Place: Bruce Zimmer

It begins with the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner," but from there the Washington County Fair's version of the Olympics is...well, just a little bit country.

The Hillbilly Olympics, a daily staple at the fair for the third year, is quickly becoming a favorite event for spectators and participants not afraid to admit they may be rednecks.

"I'm proud of it," said Kurt Zimmer, 17, of Woodsfield, competing Sunday for the second year in a row. "This is just a lot of fun."

It's a competition that requires flipping tractor tires, hauling heavy wheelbarrows and tossing hay bales, all in the fastest time possible.

"Grunting helps," fair board member Jamie McAfee told participants as they struggled through the relay Sunday afternoon, with a crowd in the bleachers cheering them on-and laughing just a bit.

"It's cute, it's fun, it's hilarious," said Bonnie Hockenberry, of Reno, who was cheering on neighbor and family friend Daniel Westfall.

"He's a strong young man so he should do well," she said. "He works on Hensler's Farm; he's a farm boy."

Westfall didn't make the top three Sunday but joined dozens of red-faced, grimacing competitors who used all their strength and speed to complete the course as country music blared.

Trophies, handmade by McAfee, were tiny hay bales with wagons on top.

"I make them different every year," she said. "They have to fit the event."

One of the best parts of starting the competition has been seeing the women compete and excel at the heavy lifting, said McAfee.

"We have little girls competing and women competing," she said. "The girls are awesome at it. And you have to flip a big tractor tire and carry heavy buckets...it's not easy."

For the younger competitors, who race in the under six and seven-to-12-year old categories, the Olympics are toned down, with the tires, wheelbarrows and heavy loads shrinking, but there's just as much fun to be had, said Sarah Wagner, 10, of Lowell.

"It's kind of hard but it's a lot of fun to do," she said.

For Wagner's younger brother Ben, 9, Sunday's Hillbilly Olympics was a chance for vindication. In Saturday's competition, he had lost to his sister by six seconds.

"I was mad about it," he said. "I did it last year, too, but I get beat by a girl every time."

Sarah once again defeated her brother Sunday but this time it was only by a second.

There will be a rematch at the last Olympics of this year's fair, today at 2 p.m., Ben Wagner promised.

"I'm going to keep trying," he said, with a grin.

And if he wins, he doesn't mind the title of champion hillbilly at all, said the nine-year-old.

"I think it's sweet to be called a hillbilly," he said. "I live on a farm. It doesn't bother me at all."