Hands-on knowledge

Nuggett Carmalt’s first job at the Northwest Montana Fair wasn’t a glamorous one, but it involved horses, and she loved it.

Carmalt, the longtime office manager at the fairgrounds, was still in high school in 1983 when she was hired as a veterinary assistant for Dr. Gerald Slobojan. Among her duties at the fair was to collect urine samples from the race horses, a task that involved a Mason jar and other paraphernalia and some soft whistling to get each horse to tinkle in the jar.

Thirty years later, Carmalt, 47, is a fixture at the fairgrounds. She has worked under five different fair managers during her long tenure, efficiently tending to all of the details that make the fairgrounds run smoothly, not only during the fair but also during myriad events staged there throughout the year.

With two days to go until the Northwest Montana Fair officially opens, Carmalt is double-checking her list to make sure everything is done. From providing supply boxes for the fair department superintendents to securing portable toilets, she’s on task.

“I joke with her that she must have started working here when she was 12 years old,” Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell said. “She's worked in most of the different fair departments and brings a real hands-on knowledge of these many aspects to her position. She is very dedicated to the fair and works very hard to make it a better place for the community.”

It’s been a learning process through the years, Carmalt said, and she wonders at times how it all manages to get done. Her calm, even keel and matter-of-fact approach are well-suited to what can be an overwhelming job, but there has been an occasional tear shed in private, she confided.

“It gets so hectic,” she said.

And anything can happen during fair week. It snowed during the fair some 20 years ago when she was ponying race horses on the track. The electricity went out throughout the fairgrounds another year during the rodeo.

All the busyness of her job doesn’t overshadow her real love of fair work — coordinating new events.

“I love the things I can bring to the community, with the help of management,” she said.

The popular pig wresting event added in recent years came about when she discovered the unusual and hilarious sport while driving through Wyoming. She pitched the idea to then-Fair Manager Jay Scott, and he said, “Go for it.”

“It’s been a big hit,” she said with a smile.

The mutton bustin’ sheep-riding competition for children, sponsored by Justin Boots, a pie contest and a boat ride for veterans are other events Carmalt has had a hand in bringing to the forefront.

“I envision family events,” she said. “People don’t have to be rich to do these things. I have a love for kids and the community. This is why I’m still here after this long. If they let me run with these events, that’s my true love.”

Horses are another of Carmalt’s true loves. A fourth-generation Montanan who grew up in the West Valley, she began riding horses when she was about 2 years old.

“I begged for a horse and got my first one on my fourth birthday, a Pony of America named Kokomo,” she recalled. “I can’t imagine letting my own kids ride that young.”

Carmalt started showing horses at the fair for 4-H when she was just 8, and continued until she was 15. There were several more horse shows back then, she noted, and she participated in most of them, from eventing at Herron Park to cutting and reining competitions.

She worked for horse trainers and did barrel racing through the years. After graduating from Flathead High School in 1985, she and a friend worked as wranglers for the horse contractor in Glacier National Park. Carmalt reigned as Miss Pro Rodeo Queen in 1986-87.

After taking some college classes at Montana State University and Flathead Valley Community College, Carmalt settled into making a living working with horses.

She has instilled her love of horses in all three of her children. Oldest daughter Talli, 16, “is the real horse one of the bunch.” Carmalt’s son, Trey, 14, also has shown horses at the fair, and her youngest daughter, Alex, 5, will be showing her horse in the open class division this week.

Raising three kids and taking care of the menagerie at home — 16 horses, three dogs and four rabbits — can make for some trying times, especially this time of year. Back-to-school preparation and getting the hay in are tossed on top of her fair load, making it the “Super Bowl of our year,” she said.

“It’s a crazy time of year,” she said. “You just put on your game hat.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.