Aksarben & State Fair DNA Nomination

An IMPORTANT CHANGE from past years is that exhibitors will be responsible for submitting their animal information into the AKSARBEN livestock database online themselves prior to the nomination deadline. In the past, families turned in DNA envelopes and breeding nominations cards to the office, staff mailed them to AKSARBEN and the entry process was done manually by staff. This led to mistakes, missing entries, missing payments, etc. The database now has the capacity to accept animal information submitted directly by exhibitors as well as payments for the DNA process. We will provide step by step instructions for doing this once the database is open to accepting entries. We are excited for this process to be in place as it ensures responsibility on exhibitors and families with a number of safeguards in place for you and us to monitor success. Your families will have the ability themselves to edit incorrect information (wrong tag number, wrong birth date, etc.) up to the deadline. The County Extension Office/FFA Advisors will still continue to mail in the DNA collectors to the AKSARBEN office by the respected deadline. You will also have the ability to see what your families have submitted and you will still be validating those nominations throughout the nomination process. Once the information is in the database and has been validated by the County Extension Staff/FFA Advisor, it will then be available for exhibitors to make State Fair entries. Please note, any animal entry not in the database or had not submitted DNA will not be considered nominated and eligible for State Fair.

Family Responsibilities:

1. Exhibitors will be required to enroll in 4-H and the required projects by the county deadline in 4H Online.

2. Exhibitors showing market animals at State Fair or AKSARBEN must have a signed and sealed official DNA collector with hair samples for DNA verification turned into their county office and have completed the online nomination (www.showstockmgr.com) along with submitting payment online by the appropriate deadline listed in the table. Any animal carrying an 840 EID tag will require the exhibitor to obtain a Premises ID. Contact the local Extension Office for details. (It is recommended that you make a copy or a photo image of completed envelope you turn into your county.)

3. Exhibitors showing breeding beef, breeding sheep and breeding does at State Fair or AKSARBEN will need to complete an online nomination (www.showstockmgr.com) by the June 15 deadline.

4. Exhibitors will be required to complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) for the enrolled livestock projects by the county deadline.

5. Exhibitors will notify the County Extension Staff of any retags that may occur up to time of check-in at either the State Fair or AKSARBEN show.

6. Exhibitors will select which animal entries they have chosen to show at State Fair on the State Fair pre-entry website. All nominated and validated animals will be automatically listed as a choice option for pre-entry registration.

7. 4‐H and FFA youth participants will declare which youth organization they will show their animal projects by August 10 in ShoWorks.

a. If an animal is shown in FFA at the State Fair, it is no longer eligible for AKSARBEN. If an animal is entered in FFA, but isn’t exhibited, that animal will still be eligible to be exhibited at AKSARBEN.

8. Exhibitors will be required to bring the breed registration association paperwork to check-in at State Fair for animals wanting to show in a breed class. The exhibitors name should be identified on the registration paper.

Instructions and More Information