PLEASE REFER TO GENERAL LIVESTOCK RULES
BEEF
No animal can be entered in both breeding and market classes. All exhibitors of beef cattle, except bucket calves are eligible to enter the showmanship contest and must use their own animal. An animal may not be used by more than one person in all showmanship classes. Can be shown with cable or leather halter. Rope halter can be used but not preferred.
Any beef animal to be shown in a breed class must have an official copy of breed papers attached to the required I.D. sheets by 8:00 a.m. on the Thursday of fair. All registered animals will be shown in their breed class, no minimum number needed.
MARKET STEERS AND HEIFERS may have the two center temporary incisor teeth replaced by permanent incisors. The remaining six temporary incisors must be in place and there may be no evidence of eruption of any permanent incisors other than the centers. Each beef animal may be shown in only one class.
BUCKET CALF
Premiums: $7.00, $5.00, $4.00, $3.00
A bucket calf is defined as an orphan or newborn calf; male or female; dairy, beef or cross, fed on a bucket or bottle. Each exhibitor is limited to one bucket calf entry. All calves must be halter broke and stall tied. Bucket Calves must be born from January 1 to June 1 of the current year.
Calves to be exhibited in this class must be identified and ear-tagged with official Nebraska 4-H feed calf ID forms and tags and be on file at the Extension Office by June 15,
4-Hers must exhibit their calves in the show arena. Judging will consist of interviews conducted at this time. Scoring will be based on condition of animal, evidence of training, 4-H’ers knowledge of animal (i.e. feeding, age, breed, training, etc.), and their record book. Scoring will NOT be based on the quality or fitting of the animal. Because showmanship is a part of the bucket calf show, no bucket calves may be shown in the regular showmanship competition.
This class is limited to youth ages 13 and under with the stipulations below in Intermediate Bucket Calf class. All bucket calf participants must fill out a one-page record sheet on the care of your animal and bring this to show the judge the day of the show. This sheet can be picked up in the Extension Office or found on our web site at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/polk/animal-projects-information/.
G110901 Jr. Bucket Calf (4-Her’s 10 and under 4-H age)
G110902 Int. Bucket Calf (4-Her’s 11-13 4-H age and first two years of showing beef project)
SHOWMANSHIP
Premiums: $4.00, $3.75, $3.50, $3.25
G111901 Senior Showmanship (14 and up as of Jan 1)
G111902 Intermediate Showmanship (11-13 as of Jan. 1)
G111903 Junior Showmanship (8-10 as of Jan 1)
FEEDER CALVES
Premiums: $7.00, $5.00, $4.00, $3.00
Each exhibitor will be limited to two entries. Entries may be calves, born between January 1 and June 1 of the current year and have a known certified birth date.
Calves to be exhibited in this class must be identified and ear-tagged with official Nebraska 4-H feed calf ID forms and tags and be on file at the Extension Office by June 15.
All breeds will show in one class. If a class is too large it will be divided at the discretion of the Beef Superintendent. Feeder calves are dismissed after the show. They may be stalled in the beef bard (if there is room) for the duration of the fair but cannot return once they are removed. Calves to be shown in Cow/Calf Pair class are not eligible to be shown in the Feeder Calf Class. No Bulls may be shown.
G112901 Male Feeder Calves
G112902 Female Feeder Calves
COW/CALF
Premiums: $10.00, $8.00, $6.00, $4.00
The class shall consist of the cow and her most recent calf. The cow can be shown up to the age of three or on their second calf. Each exhibitor may show one cow/calf pair. The calf may not be shown in any other class.
All cow/calf pair will show together unless sufficient numbers of any breed (at least three pairs).
G113901 Cow/Calf
BREEDING BEEF HEIFERS
Premiums: $10.00, $8.00, $6.00, $4.00
Each exhibitor may show two breeding animals. A grand and reserve champion will be selected from the commercial, bred & fed and registered classes and then an overall breeding beef will be selected from those winners.
Registered heifers MUST have legible tattoo matching registration. Commercial heifers may have a legible tattoo OR an EID tag matching the online nomination. Any registered heifer not having a legible tattoo or that shows evidence of a fresh or recent tattoo, will be disqualified from the show. A calf-hood vaccination tattoo is not considered an official identification tattoo. All heifers will be checked for tattoos.
Any beef animal to be shown in a breed class must have an official copy of breed papers attached to the pre-registration form when turned in to the Extension Office by 8:00 on the Thursday of fair.
BORN ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025
G114901 Registered
G114902 Commercial
G114903 Bred & Fed
CALVED JULY THROUGH DECEMBER 2024
G114904 Registered
G114905 Commercial
G114906 Bred & Fed
CALVED JANUARY THROUGH JUNE 2024
G114907 Registered
G114908 Commercial
G114909 Bred & Fed
MARKET BEEF
Premiums: $10.00, $8.00, $6.00, $4.00
Each exhibitor may show three market animals with no more than two steers or heifers in the total. A Grand and Reserve Champion will be selected from the market beef show. These champions will be selected from the top two winners of each class in the market beef show. Home Raised animals must be born and raised in the possession of the 4-Her’s and their family.
All market beef will be weighed upon entering. Steers must weigh at least 1000 pounds and heifers 900 pounds. Some classes may have to be divided into heavy and lightweight classes if entries are large. Home raised calves must be bred, born and raised by the exhibitor.
Market steers weighing less than 1000 pounds and market heifers weighing less than 900 pounds will be shown in the pre-market class. Winners in the pre-market classes will not be eligible to compete with the winners from the market classes for breed champions or grand champion. All pre-market steers will be shown together, and all pre-market heifers will be shown together, unless in the case of a large number of entries the classes will be subdivided.
G115901 Premarket Heifers (weighing less than 900 lbs)
G115902 Returning Bucket Calf Market Heifers (from 2024)
G115903 Bred and Fed Market Heifers
G115904 Commercial Market Heifers
G115905 Premarket Steer (weighing less than 1000 lbs)
G115906 Returning Bucket Calf Market Steer (from 2024)
G115907 Bred and Fed Market Steer
G115908 Commercial Market Steer
RATE OF GAIN
All animals weighed and identified at the Osceola Veterinary Clinic at the official Polk County Weigh Day to be eligible for this contest. Market beef animals shown at County Fair will automatically be entered in the rate of gain contest. The animals with the highest average daily gain will be the winner. Grand and Reserve trophies will be awarded to the top two heifers and steers. No premiums.