Box Butte County Fair Rules & Policies

  • Only those 4-H members enrolled in Box Butte County by the annual deadline of JUNE 15th  are eligible to exhibit at the County Fair and receive premiums, ribbons or awards or participate in any 4-H related fair sales. Creating exhibits for the County Fair is not the purpose of 4-H projects. The purpose of 4-H is to give youth opportunities to acquire knowledge, develop life skills, and strengthen values that enable them to become increasingly self-directing, productive, and contributing citizens. 4-H projects, fair exhibits and fair participation are simply tools that contribute to the 4-H mission.
  • In the event a policy is not covered in the county fair book, general rules, small animal, or large animal handbooks, the question shall defer to the State Fair Rules.

  • 4-H & FFA members must have been enrolled in 4-Honline or be a current FFA member within their school in the County to be eligible to exhibit at county fair. Youth are not required to select a project when they enroll online, with the exemption of Horse & Shooting sports due to waivers that must be signed with enrolling for the project. 

     

  • Where classes are divided into three age divisions (Junior, Intermediate and Senior), the age breakdown is as follows: Junior 8-10, Intermediate 11-13, and Senior 14-18.  All ages will be determined as of January 1 of the current year.  Where classes are divided into two age divisions, (Junior and Senior) the breakdown is: Junior 8-11, Senior 12 - 18

     

  • Exhibitors who will participate in State Fair are responsible for checking out the State Fair Book to determine their eligibility.  Exhibitors whose presence is required for exhibiting at State Fair (livestock contests, fashion shows, etc.) must be 8 to 18 as of January 1 of the current year.
  • For 4-H, an asterisk (*) denotes exhibits eligible for the State Fair. All exhibitors whose items are selected for State Fair are responsible to meet the State Fair regulations and requirements for that item.  See State Fair Book at https://4h.unl.edu/fairbook

  • New Deadline Rule: The state has a deadline rule of June 15th. If a 4-H member misses this date, they will be unable to participate in the Box Butte County Fair or State Fair for the current year. 

     

  • Exhibiting in both 4-H & FFA: Exhibitors can participate in both 4-H and FFA. An animal (beef, sheep, swine, market goat, dairy, or dairy goat) may be identified in 4-H, in only one county. The same animal cannot be identified in FFA in another county.
  • Youth cannot show in 4-H in the same project area in more than one county, and animals are only allowed to be exhibited in one county fair regardless of 4-H or FFA. 
  • Youth may exhibit in one project area in FFA in the county school associated with their chapter and then in another project area in 4-H in another county but must show different identified animal(s) that are not in the same project area.
  • Youth may exhibit an animal 4-H at the county fair and then exhibit as FFA at the Nebraska State Fair. 
  • Example: An exhibitor cannot show 4-H meat goats in both Box Butte County and Sheridan County, even if it is a separate animal. An exhibitor could show FFA in Box Butte County and 4-H in Sheridan County in the same project area with different animals. They can show 4-H meat goats in Box Butte County in FFA and then show breeding goats in Sheridan County 4-H, as long as they are different animals.

  • All exhibitors in beef (market/carcass, breeding, stocker feeders & bucket calves), dairy cattle, dairy goats, meat goats (breeding & market), sheep (breeding & market), swine, poultry and rabbits must have received YQCA training through the national organization, “Youth for the Quality Care of Animals by June 15 of each year. Completion of training will be certified by the YQCA organization yqcaprogram.org. The deadline to complete YQCA training is June 15 of each year. Any exhibitor who DOES NOT complete the YQCA requirement on or before June 15 is INELIGIBLE to show or sell livestock at the Box Butte County Fair and Nebraska State Fair. 

     

  • Superintendents will have rule books and will answer questions associated with projects. Superintendents of each animal division are responsible for the Showmanship Contests related to that division.

     

  • Livestock and Small Animal Handbook Agreement: ALL exhibitors and one parent must review, sign and return, to the Extension Office, the Large Animal Handbook Agreement and/or the Small Animal Handbook Agreement, to be eligible to show and sell animals at the Box Butte County Fair. This must be completed by July 1 of the current year. A mandatory meeting may occur if the rules are not followed. New families are always welcome to contact the Extension Office or their superintendent if questions arise.

     

  • ALL DECISIONS BY THE JUDGE(S) WILL BE FINAL! If there are discrepancies, the issue must be brought to the attention of the Superintendents, 4-H and Extension Assistants/Educators, & staff in writing. If problems can’t be resolved between the 4-H Staff member, Extension Educators, staff, superintendents & FFA Advisors, the issue will be taken to the 4-H Council. 

     

  • Any specific problems or complaints should be directed to the 4-H Staff member, Extension Educators & staff in writing so an inspection can be made at the fairgrounds. If problems/complaints can’t be resolved with 4-H Staff members, Extension Educators & staff, FFA Advisors and superintendents, a special meeting will be called by the Box Butte County 4-H Council. The Box Butte County 4-H Council will serve as the fair 4-H rules committee. Any suggestions for improvement, complaints, or protests must be signed and submitted in writing on the “Care to Share” form prior to the August 4-H Council immediately following the county fair to be considered. Those who submitted forms will be called into the meeting on an individual basis to have a chance to explain the reasoning for their form. Care to Share: forms can be picked up in the 4-H office at the fairgrounds during fair week. The 4-H Council Open Meeting following fair will be in September.

     

  • During the static interview process, only the exhibitor will be allowed to communicate with the judge. The parents will not be allowed to be involved during the interview process.

     

  • All animal exhibit areas are expected to be kept clean and neat throughout the fair by the          4-H members; a fine may be assessed if animal areas are not kept clean.

     

  • The modified Danish system of judging will be used throughout the Fair with award designation being Purple, Blue, Red, and White. Champions will be selected at the discretion of the Judge. Across ALL project areas, only purple ribbons will be considered for Champion and Reserve Champion Ribbons, Awards and Prizes. 

     

  • Maximum money will be determined for each division by the 4-H Council and directors of the Fair Board. If the exhibits exceed the allotted amount, or if money is not available, the premiums will be prorated. Expected 4-H premium allotment will be: Purple $3.00, Blue $2.00, Red $1.00, White $.50. 

     

  • Dress Code. To exhibit at the Box Butte County Fair for 4-H members in beef, sheep, market goat, swine (includes market and breeding classes), poultry, rabbits, cats, and dog will be required to wear:
  1. Blue Jeans
  2. Official 4-H t-shirt as approved by the 4-H Council. No sleeveless shirts will be allowed. No shirts that expose the midriff, navel, or undergarments will be allowed. 

  3. Appropriate shoes (No open-toed shoes will be allowed).

     

  • 4-H members in Dairy and Dairy Goat will be required to wear: 
  1. White pants. 
  2. Official 4-H t-shirt as approved by the 4-H Council. No sleeveless shirts. No shirts that expose the midriff, navel, or undergarments will be allowed. 
  3. Appropriate shoes. No open-toed shoes. 

 

  • Horse exhibitors must wear:
  1. Blue Jeans
  2. Long-sleeved white shirt with collar. No shirts that expose the midriff, navel, or undergarments will be allowed.
  3. 4-H armband
  4. Appropriate boots
  5. Western hat

  6. (See publication Nebraska 4-H Horse Show & Judging Guide, for more detailed information on dress code.

     

  • Large Animal Round Robin: The Overall Champion Showman and Reserve Overall Champion Showman of each species (Horse, Beef, Dairy Cattle, Meat Goat, Dairy Goat, Sheep, and Swine) will represent that species in the Round Robin Showmanship contest, unless that person has won the Round Robin in the past. In that event, the Champion or Reserve Champion Overall Showman of that species is unable to exhibit (due to representing another species or has won in the past) the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th place youth will be the representative in the Round Robin contest. The judge will place our Overall Showmanship class 1st – 6th. There will never be an area that is represented by the species only. Dress Code: Round Robin Showmen will be expected to comply with the most restrictive of the dress codes listed under dress code requirements for the animal they are initially representing. In the event of a tie, the new tiebreaker will be the exhibitor’s cumulative score on poise and coolness throughout all 7 rounds. In the event of a second tie, the second tie breaker will be the exhibitor’s original species’ total score.  

     

  • Small Animal Round Robin:  The Overall Champion Showman of each species (cat, dog, poultry, and rabbit) will represent the species in the Round Robin Showmanship, unless that person has won the Round Robin Trophy in the past. In that event, the Reserve Overall Champion Showman of that species will be the representative in Round Robin unless that person has won the Round Robin trophy in the past. If the Reserve Champion cannot be present or is ineligible for Round Robin, the next highest point purple ribbon showman will represent the species in Round Robin. If the next highest point purple ribbon showman cannot be present that species will be represented by the animal only. If the same exhibitor is Overall Champion of two species, he or she will choose which animal to show. The Reserve Champion or the next purple of the other species will be the representative in the Round Robin. Showmen will be allowed five (5) minutes at each species before proceeding to the next station. Scoring for each species will be done on a score sheet specific for each species. The score sheets are then collected and totaled by a tabulator. Accumulative total points will be used to determine the Round Robin Champion. In case of a tie, the participant with the highest score with the species they are representing will win. In the event this does not break the tie, the participants will answer the same question at each station until the tie is broken. Round Robin Showmen will be expected to comply with the most restrictive of the dress codes listed under each species.

     

  • SMOKING/ALCOHOL ABUSE: To safeguard exhibitors and livestock, smoking is prohibited in all barns and alcohol use is prohibited in all barns and campgrounds. Please refer to the 4-H Code of Conduct that was signed when youth enrolled in 4-H for specific rules. In addition to the 4-H Code of Conduct rules, the offender(s), whether it be the youth in possession of alcohol, a family member or a guest of the family; there will be an emergency meeting called by the 4-H Council where the parents, guardians, and/or youth will explain the actions if alcohol or drugs were in use at a 4-H sanctioned event and consequences will be determined, up to the family could be dismissed for the day of the fair. 

Box Butte County Fair Book