She's the Waukesha County Fair's "Horse Ambassador," so why is her horse NOT at the fair?

WAUKESHA COUNTY (WITI) -- The Waukesha County Fair is kicking off with controversy. The fair's reigning "Horse Ambassador" is not allowed to compete in the ring.

The 17-year-old girl and her mother are so involved in 4H, they walked new members through an online entry system to compete at the fair. When it came to signing up themselves, some bad luck and a strict rule are keeping them out of the fair.

Amanda Metternich is so passionate about her hobby, she's the Waukesha County Fair's Horse Ambassador.

"We get to show to the public the time and effort we put into our horses," Metternich said.

This year is Metternich's final chance to compete as a member of 4H.

There's just one problem -- and it's obvious, looking at Metternich's empty stall at the fair.

"It will be difficult not having a horse here," Metternich said.

Metternich's mom, Cary says her daughter's online application was denied after a snafu with their computer.

"We started doing our entry back in the middle of May. We started logging in and we were having problems.  When we logged on to the site, it logged me off of the site.  It would kick me off of the site and I tried it multiple times," Cary Metternich said.

Cary and her daughter admit they had waited until the deadline.

"We took in in to Office Max, and we found out at that point in time it was the hard drive on our computer," Cary Metternich said.

It was too late. The deadline had passed.

The family was confident they'd find a sympathetic ear among fair organizers, but instead, organizers say while heartbreaking, they have to be fair.

"Everyone was aware of our deadline,  and it`s a hard deadline. Rules are rules, and the other kids got their entries in on time," a fair official said.

Amanda Metternich says she thinks it's a harsh rule -- keeping her out of the competition, but she's not letting it keep her from the fair.

"I am more than willing to help out with the other kids out with their projects.  It will still be fun," Amanda Metternich said.

Amanda and Cary Metternich say they're hoping fair officials will discuss their hard deadline before next year -- saying they're not the only ones who missed the deadline. They say they'd like to see something like a fine for late entries.

Fair officials say the fair is run by volunteers, and hard deadlines ensure a successful event.

Both groups admit it's a lesson for all about waiting until the last minute.