Some fairs are better than others - some judges are better than others - but the person that rained on your parade was a (won't insult the female canines here) party pooper.
A 'local' fair may have a so-so judge - or the person may be very good at the job - even if she was a farmer's wife. Probably one way to tell about the judging is to rate how the ribbons were awarded. Most of the 'farmers' wives' that I grew up around were extraordinarily accomplished people.