Beef | Nebraska Extension in Custer County | Nebraska Extension

DEPARTMENT BEEF

Judge: Melina Lindstrom

Superintendent: Chris Varney

Assistant Superintendent: Wyatt Porter

Advisor: Jess Taylor

Ribbons P. B. R. W.

$6.00 $5.00 $4.00 $3.00

GENERAL BEEF SHOW RULES

A. GENERAL RULES-General Rules in Section I apply to this section.

B. 4-H entries must be made according to the printed 2026 Custer County Fair Premium Book and entered online by 5:00 p.m. on June 26. Instructions for online entries will be emailed to 4-H families on approximately May 15.

C. ARRIVAL TIME-Sunday, July 26, 12:00 noon - 5:30 p.m.

D. BLOCKING CHUTES-One blocking chute will be allowed per club in any barn during the fair.

E. Unruly animals can and/or will be dismissed from the show ring per discretion of the judge and superintendent, and given the last place ribbon. 

F. All Market Beef animals entered in the beef carcass contest and/or considered for beef rate-of-gain, must have been weighed-in at the Custer County weigh-in.

BEEF SHOWMANSHIP

Senior division beef showmanship (breeding heifers and market beef) will start at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 28. Exhibitors must be pre-entered for showmanship classes. 4-H entries must be made according to the printed 2026 Custer County Fair Premium Book and entered online by 5:00 p.m. on June 26. Instructions for online entries will be emailed to 4-H families on approximately May 15. After the last call, the gate will be closed and no late entries will be accepted.

CLASS G110001 Senior Division (14 and over before January 1)

CLASS G110002 Junior Division (11-13 before January 1)

CLASS G110003 Pre-Junior Division (8-10 before January 1)

BEEF CARCASS CONTEST

Superintendent: Abram Babcock

A 4-H member may enter 1 or 2 animals. The project deadline dates for 2026 will be as follows:

February 7 Initial identification, weigh-in, and pictures

June 19 Final slaughter nomination

TBA Slaughter delivery and final weights and live photos

TBA Collection of carcass data and pictures

July 27 Interview judging of poster and participant

July 28 Awards presentation during the lunch break of the 4-H Market Beef Show

Only 4-H market beef animals weighed-in and identified in February will be eligible for the carcass contest, awards, and premium money. A brand release must be available before the calves will be loaded. The brand inspector will check all calves in the usual customary manner at load out time. Lack of a brand release may result in delayed payment.

SHIPPING CARCASS CONTEST CATTLE - Exhibitors with market heifers and steers consigned to the Carcass Contest will be notified with load-out information. It is the responsibility of each exhibitor to have his or her steer or heifer to the loading dock when so instructed.

CLASS G110004 Carcass Contest

MARKET BEEF

MARKET BEEF SHOW RULES

A. All market beef will be weighed in at the Custer County Fairgrounds on Sunday, July 26, 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. 4-H members who are showing horses or have other conflicting shows with market beef weigh-in may weigh-in 2:30-3:00 p.m.

B. Any 4-H Market Beef may be subject to inspection for physical alteration. If any animal or carcass is found to have been altered physically, it will be disqualified and exhibitor forfeits all winnings.

C. Eligibility for Black Angus Breed Money on steers...All steers must have Black Angus characteristics. A steer red in color, or with white skin above the underline, in front of the navel or on a leg or foot, shall not be eligible. No steers with horns, scurs, or scars will be eligible. Scurs are defined as any portion of horny tissue attached to the skin of the hornset of a polled animal.

D. Shorthorn Steers - Steers are eligible for the Shorthorn Market Steer Breed Money if they exhibit shorthorn characteristics. They must be red, white, red & white or red roan.  A steer black in color, or a blue roan will not be eligible.

E. No cattle will be allowed to have horn growth over 2” at the county fair.

F. If an exhibitor has two steers that will show in the same weight group within a market steer class, and one of the steers meets the Bred & Fed class requirements, the superintendents may give the exhibitor the option to move the qualified steer to the Bred & Fed class.

G. SHOW SCHEDULE - The 4-H Market Beef Show will take place on Tuesday, July 28. The show will start promptly at 8:00 a.m. beginning with showmanship, followed by the market classes in this order: Market Heifers, Simmental Steers, Charolais Steers, Crossbred Steers, Black Angus Steers, Bred & Fed Steers, Shorthorn Steers, Hereford Steers, Red Angus Steers, Other Steers.

CLASS G111050 Market Heifers

CLASS G111010 Crossbred Steers

CLASS G111020 Black Angus Steers

CLASS G111030 Shorthorn Steers

CLASS G111040 Hereford Steers

CLASS G111041 Simmental Steers

CLASS G111042 Charolais Steers - Steers are eligible for the Charolais Market Steer class if they are at least 50% Charolais and show definite characteristics of the Charolais breed.

CLASS G111043 Red Angus Steers

CLASS G111044 Market Steers - Any Other Breed - 4 or more in class

CLASS G111045 Bred & Fed Steers - To be eligible for the Market Beef Bred and Fed class, the exhibitor or exhibitor’s immediate family (including grandpa/grandma) owned the female, which is the mother of the market animal project, at the time of conception, and that it was born and fed on the exhibitor’s farm/place of 4-H project care. The steer must carry the personal brand of the 4-H member or the brand of their parent or legal guardian OR be registered in the 4-H’ers name with registration being completed and available at Fair weigh-in on Sunday. Bred & Fed animals must have a healed brand at the discretion of the beef superintendents on weigh-in day on Sunday. When weighing in, let Superintendents know that the steer is entered in the Bred & Fed Class so they can check requirements.

BEEF BREEDING HEIFERS

A. CHECK IDENTIFICATION-All commercial and registered heifers will be checked Sunday, July 26, 5:00-6:00 p.m. A calf vaccination tattoo is not considered an official identification tattoo.

B. SHOW SCHEDULE-4-H breeding heifers will be shown on Wednesday, July 29 at 9:00 a.m.

C. Classes with less than 4 entries may be combined into groups of at least 4 head at the discretion of the superintendent.

D. Exhibitor must include birth date of breeding heifer on the county fair online entry!

E. Eligibility for Black Angus Breed money on breeding heifers...all heifers must be registered in the American Angus Association Herd Book and carry a legible tattoo or identification type that is accepted by the breed association

F. Eligibility for Hereford Breed Money on breeding heifers...all heifers must be registered by the American Hereford Association.

G. Eligibility for Simmental Breed Money on breeding heifers...All Simmental breeding heifers must be registered with the American Simmental Association. Heifers may be ½, ¾, PB, or FB.

H. Eligibility for Shorthorn Breed Money on breeding heifers: All shorthorn heifers eligible for breed money must be purebred short horns and registered with the American Shorthorn Association.

I. OF LIVESTOCK - A breeding animal to be eligible for show in a registered (purebred) class must have a tattoo or identification type that is accepted by the breed association and be owned by the exhibitor by June 15 of the current year and be registered by the official breed association.The registration certificate must indicate one of the following

(1) the name of the exhibitor

(2) the name of the exhibitor and/or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor's family or

(3) the family or ranch name or parent's name. (REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY CHECK-IN ON SUNDAY.) Immediate family is defined as members of a household, including parents, brothers and sisters, and youth in care of the head of the household.Applications for registration will not be accepted.Original registration papers or certificates must be presented at check-in.

J. Any breed with less than five (5) entries may be transferred to crossbred or other classes, except registered breeding heifers.

K. No cattle will be allowed to have horn growth over 2” at the county fair.

BLACK ANGUS HEIFERS

CLASS G112001 Black Angus Yearling Heifers-Calved Aug. 1 - Dec. 31, 2024