Richard Snyder of Effort has entered his wood creations at the West End Fair for at least 20 years.

The many Best of Show ribbons, as well as the many red and blue ribbons Snyder has earned over the years is a credit to his craftsmanship.

This year he won a Best of Show, four blue first-place ribbons and two red second-place ribbons.

When you talk to Snyder about his work, you can hear the passion he has for what he does. If you were at the fair, and asked about any of his pieces, he can tell you exactly what type of wood he used and where the wood was used on the piece.

“I like to mix different kinds of wood in my pieces and I use all good, hard wood,” he said. On one entry, a sleigh pulled by a horse, Snyder combined three different types of wood. One of the woods he used in the piece was a rare wood called blood wood.

When asked if he enters any of his pieces in other shows or fairs, Snyder quickly replied no.

“I don’t have the time, Christmas is coming,” he said.

Although he has never advertised, Snyder is well-known in the area, and has a long list from friends and family requesting Snyder to create a special Christmas gift for their mother, daughter, aunts or someone they care about.