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Mo. State Fair Director responds to rodeo clown incident

Watch the show and join the conversation on the Intersection website.

Started in 1901, the Missouri State Fair has since become an annual tradition, and is a yearly celebration of Missouri’s agriculture, fine art, and food, among other things. This year, however, the festival reached national attention after video surfaced showing a rodeo clown at the fair dressed as President Obama. On the video, an announcer is seen asking the audience if they wanted to see "Obama run down by a bull." The stunt has been heavily criticized, with some calling it racist.

This week on Intersection, broadcast live from the festival, we'll speak to the fair's director about the rodeo incident. We'll also talk about the state fair in general, hear from young farmers, and got an insider’s view of some of the competitions. Throughout the show, we’ll also present some sights and sounds of the festival, which runs through Aug. 18th.

Panelists:

Mark Wolfe, Missouri State Fair Director

David Dick, Livestock Superintendent

Ashley Shane, Superintendent, Fine Arts Department

Miriam Martin, state officer, Missouri FFA

Mitchell Blehm, state officer, Missouri FFA

Leon Busdieker, advisor, Missouri FFA

Special thanks goes to Harum Helmy and Kristofor Husted for editorial assistance, and I-LAND Internet Services for technical assistance.

Rehman Tungekar is a former producer for KBIA, who left at the beginning of 2014.