Animals

RULES

ELIGIBILITY: Youth Division 

  • ALL 4-H DIVISIONS except OPEN YOUTH LIVESTOCK CLASSES and FFA CLASSES. 
  • Must be enrolled in the Sioux County 4-H program 
  • Must be enrolled in the appropriate project. 
  • Non-4-H youth can enter in the Open Class division. 

SIOUX COUNTY 4-H YOUTH HORSE SHOW 

  • Open to 4-H Exhibitors from any county. 
  • Show will adhere to Nebraska 4-H Horse Show Rules 
  • A Belt Buckle All Around award will only be presented to Sioux County members. 

OPEN YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW 

  • Show is open to all youth ages 5-18 by January 1st of the current year. Those youth ages 5-7 will be allowed to participate given that an adult assists them and stays with them in the ring and the animal weighs less than 350 pounds. 
  • Sioux County exhibitors will receive premiums based on their ribbon grouping. 
  • Out-of-county exhibitors will receive premiums based on their placing within a class. Premiums will be paid at the following rates: 
  • Showmanship PeeWee & Junior: First $5.00, Second $3.00, Third $2.00, and Fourth $1.00. Intermediate Showmanship: First $8.00, Second $6.00, Third $3.00, and Fourth $2.00. Senior Showmanship: First $10.00, Second $8.00, Third $5.00 and Fourth $3.00. Other classes: First $10.00, Second $8.00, Third $5.00, and Fourth $3.00.   

FAIR ENTRIES 

LIVESTOCK 

  • All animals must be owned by the youth exhibitor or by the family or in the name of the ranch or farm. 
  • Each exhibitor shall be responsible for herdsmanship of their own exhibits, stall, or pen space and alley space. 
  • No professional groomers are permitted to help exhibitors. 
  • Animals should be shown by the exhibitor when possible. Substitute youth showmen must be approved by the show superintendent. Only animals entered by the exhibitor can be used for showmanship contests. 

  • Dress Code – Exhibitors showing beef, dairy, dairy goat, sheep, and swine are required to wear western clothing and hard sole shoes or boots. Horse exhibitors: See Horse Show Section. 

    GENERAL 

  • Any exhibitor who is found to have tampered with, doctored, or entered an exhibit that is his not his/her work will forfeit any premium, ribbon, and cash prizes and exhibitor will be placed on probation. A second offense will cause disqualification from further competition or participation in the youth division of the Sioux County Fair. 
  • All entries must be entered and in place by the deadlines set by each division. This information is available at the County Extension Office and it will also be publicized BUT it is the exhibitor’s responsibility to obtain information. 
  • The judges will place all creditable exhibits in each class into four ribbon groups according to excellence. These ribbon groupings include: 
    • Purple – Superior 
    • Blue – Excellent 
    • Red – Good 
    • White – Satisfactory 
  • In case of no competition, the judge will decide which ribbon placing the exhibit deserves. Trophy winners and/or exhibits designated for State Fair should be purple ribbon quality. 
  • For livestock shows, 4-H prizes will be awarded to Sioux County 4-H members, where the Sioux County Fair is their only 4-H County Show, at the Annual Fun Feed. The ribbons received will be turned into a point value (Champion 5 points plus points for ribbon color, Reserve 3 points plus points for ribbon color, Purple =5, Blue =3, Red =2, and White=1) then added together for a total and divided by maximum points possible to create a percentage. The Champion and Reserve Champion points will be added if a youth member receives a Champion or Reserve Champion designation for the division. For example: Champion Stocker Feeder, Breeding Heifer, Breeding Bull, Market Beef, Bucket Calf, Breeding Lamb, Market Lamb, Top Bird, etc.). The member with the highest percentage will receive the prize. If there is a tie, the member that placed the best in Showmanship will be the recipient. The superintendent will determine eligibility/ineligibility of an exhibit in their division. All ineligible items will not be judged or displayed. 
  • A member cannot enroll in the same 4-H project area in more than one county or state in the same year. 

NUMBER OF EXHIBITS PER CLASS 

  • Livestock and Horse – No limit on number of entries BUT an exhibitor cannot earn more than two premiums in each class. 

PREMIUMS 

  • Premiums will be paid at the following rates to county youth.   
  • Beef: Purple - $15.00, Blue - $12.00, Red - $7.00, White - $3.00
  • Horse: Purple - $5.00, Blue - $3.00, Red - $2.00, White - $1.00
  • Dairy Cattle: Purple - $15.00, Blue - $12.00, Red - $7.00, White - $3.00
  • Sheep/Goats: Purple - $5.00, Blue - $3.00, Red - $2.00, White - $1.00
  • Swine: Purple - $8.50, Blue - $6.50, Red - $3.50, White - $2.00
  • Small Animals: Purple - $5.00, Blue - $4.00, Red - $3.00, White - $2.00
  • Clover Kid exhibits will each receive a $1.00 premium. 

PROTEST COMMITEE 

  • For all shows except the Livestock Show, the respective division committee has the authority to make appropriate decisions based on the Sioux County Fair book, and these will be adhered to by all. 
  • A committee shall be appointed to serve as a grievance committee. They will meet when needed, to act upon concerns. All protests must be submitted in writing and signed. 
  • Written protests must be submitted to the county fair division committees. 
  • The written protest must include: 
    • Names of persons involved 
    • Nature of concerns 
    • Situation and documentation 
    • Recommendations for correction
    • Specific action, rule, etc. in question 
    • Additional person committee may contact for further clarification 
    • Procedures and/or steps carried out by person involved prior to submission to the fair superintendent 
  • The committee will review the written protest. They may discuss the situation with affected persons and show officials to include County Fair management, if appropriate, prior to making a final decision. The committee will recommend appropriate action to management in writing. The recommendations will be followed and communicated both verbally and in writing to the group or individual affected. 
  • In cases of protest, the exhibitor may be allowed to show, but results of showing will be subject to change based on the outcome of the protest process. This allows for smooth operation of the show and facilitates appropriate processing. 
  • The management reserves the right to withhold premiums and/or awards. The exhibitor may also be excluded from the show if action warrants. 

  • Protests will not be accepted after the exhibit is released from the Sioux County Fair. 

    Disclaimer of Responsibility for Exhibits at the Sioux County Fair 

  • Exhibits at the Sioux County Fair are entered and displayed at the risk of the exhibitor. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Sioux County, in association with the Sioux County Agricultural Society, accepts exhibits and will exercise due care to protect them. However, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension or the Sioux County Agricultural Society or the Sioux County 4-H Council cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage due to the conditions imposed by crowds, the arrangement of the buildings in which displays are housed and the number of exhibits. People who have exhibits of great sentimental and/or monetary value should carefully consider whether such exhibits should be exposed to the hazards of fair. 

  • While the greatest possible care will be exercised by the management to protect patrons of the county fair, each individual will be held personally responsible for any injury. 

    Drugs and Alcohol Policy 

  • Use or possession of alcoholic beverages or drugs (except for medical purposes) by any exhibitor who is participating in the youth section of the Sioux County Fair will result in immediate disqualification of that exhibitor’s entry. 

    SIOUX COUNTY OPEN YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW 

    GENERAL RULES AND GUIDELINES OPEN YOUTH LIVESTOCK SHOW 

  • Show is open to all youth ages 5-18 by January 1st of the current year. Those youth ages 5-7 will be allowed to participate. Adult shall assist them and stay with them in the ring. Their animal must weigh under 350 pounds 
  •  All animals must be owned by the youth exhibitor or by the family or in the name of the ranch or farm unless approved by show superintendent. 
  • Each exhibitor shall be responsible for herdsmanship of their own exhibits, stall, or pen space and alley space. 
  • No professional groomers are permitted to help exhibitors. 
  • Animals should be shown by the exhibitor when possible. Substitute youth showmen must be approved by the show superintendent. Only animals entered by the exhibitor can be used for showmanship contests. 
  • Dress Code – Exhibitors showing beef, dairy, dairy goat, sheep, and swine are required to wear western clothing and hard sole shoes or boots. 

GENERAL  

  • Any exhibitor who is found to have tampered with, doctored, or entered an exhibit that is his not his/her work will forfeit any premium, ribbon, and cash prizes and exhibitor will be placed on probation. A second offense will cause disqualification from further competition or participation in the youth division of the Sioux County Fair. 
  • Lack of sportsmanship or inappropriate behavior exhibited by either the showman or their family members may result in disqualification 
  • Indications of animal abuse will result in disqualifications and the authorities will be contacted. 
  • Animals showing signs of sickness, lameness, or open wounds may NOT be shown. 
  • The show order will be Showmanship, Bucket Calves, Breeding Heifers, Breeding Bulls, Cow/Calf Pairs, Junior Beef Herd, Stocker Feeders, then Market Beef. 

Sioux County Fairbook