GOUVERNEUR — She'd fallen off her horse before, but 15-year-old Ashley M. Thayer of Brasher Falls had obviously heeded the old adage and gotten back on.

Ashley, daughter of Randy G. and Colleen A. Thayer, was one of 10 4-H members competing in the gymkhana horseback riding events Tuesday morning at the 157th Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fair. Ashley has been competing in horse shows at the fair for the past two or three years; however, she previously took a hiatus from riding after a fall shook her resolve.

"It took me a couple years to ride by myself again," she said.

Ashley showed no fear Tuesday as she beat Rochelle Whitton in the senior cloverleaf barrel competition by a mere .01 second. Time is the sole basis for scoring in gymkhana events, which include pole bending, barrel racing and keyhole, or turning a horse inside a rope circle; Western and English shows, on the other hand, have judges who award points for proficiency in obstacle courses and jumping, respectively.

Mary Beth Green, the 4-H Extension educator for St. Lawrence County, said that although "everybody gets ribbons," the seven events Tuesday had a competitive aspect, too.

"It is for competition a little bit," she said. "It teaches you where you need to improve." Clinics and lessons through area trainers and coaches provide additional opportunities for the 4-H riders to learn.

Mrs. Green, who has been involved with the 4-H club for 25 years, also sees 4-H as a steppingstone for future involvement in horse shows. She has seen members go on to become veterinarians and horse trainers, including those who take advantage of nearby SUNY Canton's veterinary science technology program.

"It's kind of like a breeding ground for bigger things if they have that drive," she said. "This is where it starts."

Mrs. Green also acknowledged that success in horse shows cannot be achieved by the club members alone: "You have to have a grandparent, a parent or a coach to help you. It's hard to do it yourself."

Nine-year-old Greta C. Joos's helper is her grandmother Judy G. Boyer, of Lisbon's Raindrop Hill Farm. Greta, who visits her grandmother from Monkton, Vt., each summer and is a first-time participant in gymkhana events, is far less experienced than Mrs. Boyer, a 4-H club leader for almost 30 years. Greta also is less experienced than the horse she rides: Clyde, a 28-year-old standardbred that worked for the Amish after retiring from a racing career, only to be rejected for being somehow too slow.

Nevertheless, Greta won the overall walk-trot category Tuesday. She said she hopes to continue improving her technique with practice.

"I probably want to get cantering more comfortably," she said.

Greta, who already has accumulated several falls throughout her young riding career, might be able to attribute her new high-point gymkhana trophy to the fact that she just keeps getting back on to ride more. She will compete in the 4-H Western and English horse at 9 a.m. today and Thursday, respectively.

Today, the fair will feature 4-H livestock shows, a flower show, a high school band parade and a firefighters' parade. The Dreamland Amusements midway, which opened at 5 p.m. Tuesday, will be operating again from 1 p.m. to closing today through Sunday.

For a full schedule of events, call the fair office at 287-3010, visit www.gouverneurfair.com or stop by the fairgrounds behind Gouverneur High School at 84 E. Barney St.