A. Animals should enter through the WEST GATE.
B. See 4-H/FFA Animals-General Rules and Animal Health Requirements for health requirements and other rules pertaining to livestock entries.
C. Stall space will be assigned Monday night of Fair clean-up. All 4-H/FFA cattle to be stalled with their respective 4-H Clubs/Chapters.
D. Steers and heifers dropped after January 1st of the previous year and on feed by designated weigh-in date of the current year are eligible to show in this class. If more than 12 calves are shown in any breed divisions, they will be divided into classes, according to finish weight or hip height. Exception is Breeding Heifer Classes August – December 2024.
E. Registered breeding heifers may be shown in the open class show when properly entered with Superintendent in that division.
F. Animals shown in the Open Class Show must be shown in the same class in 4-H/FFA.
G. Exhibits must be owned by the 4-H/FFA member showing. Each 4-H/FFA member must show his exhibit before the judges unless the superintendent approves a substitute showman. An animal can only be shown by one exhibitor. An animal must be exhibited at halter in 4-H/FFA show to be shown in showmanship.
H. Market beef will be classified at the County Fair by finish weight (weight at fair) or shoulder height (method at discretion of 4-H Beef Superintendent). All cattle should be entered by 8 p.m. on July 22. All market beef will be weighed on July 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.
I. ALL cattle must check in at the scale on Wednesday evening. In addition, ALL baby breeding heifers and feeder calves must check in AGAIN Friday morning in the Leland Herman Memorial Arena to check tags/tattoos. Tags/tattoos must match ID sheets. Heifers must be tattooed or tagged with an EID tag to advance to the State Fair.
J. Leaders need to check in club pens with the Superintendent on Wednesday evening.
K. Animals are to be in stalls from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tie outs – Exhibitors have the option to have a tie out pen rather than tying animals to fence if they don’t take up more than their allotted space. All champions and reserve champions will be on display in the beef barn on Friday evening until released by the Beef Superintendent.
L. Grooming – All beef, swine, sheep, and goats (showmanship, market, feeder, and breeding) will be shown Blow & Go. Animals may be clipped, blown, brushed, or combed to enhance their appearance. All animals will be shown free of any adhesive, glue, paint, or powder products.
M. For the safety of other exhibitors, a calf may be dismissed from the show ring at the discretion of the Superintendent if it gets loose from the exhibitor or becomes uncontrollable.
N. Entries must be made to the Nebraska Extension Office-Wayne County prior to the fair. See 4-H/FFA Animals-General rules.
O. Incentives for Showing Home Raised or County Raised 4-H/FFA Beef-Home raised, County raised and/or returning with previous year’s project must be indicated on the ID sheets or premium increase will not be given!
Home Raised Beef: Any Beef shown at County Fair in 2026 will receive a 50% increase in live animal placing premiums if the beef animal was born and raised by the 4-H member or his/her immediate family on their place of residence. In the cow/calf project the cow as well as the calf must be raised by the 4-H member or his/her immediate family. The ID form must be marked HR to receive the increased premium.
County Raised Beef: Any Beef shown at County Fair in 2026 will receive a 25% increased premium in live animal placing premiums if the beef animal was born in Wayne County and purchased from a Wayne County producer. In the cow/calf project the cow as well as the calf must be born and raised in Wayne County. The ID form must be marked CR to receive the increased premium.
Incentives for Returning with Previous Year’s Project: Any Beef shown at the County Fair in 2026 will receive an additional 50% increase in premiums (in addition to home raised beef premiums) if the same beef animal was shown at the 2025 Wayne County Fair. Cows of a cow/calf project are only eligible if they were exhibited as a Breeding Heifer at the 2025 Wayne County Fair. The ID form must be marked RETURN to receive the increased premium.
P. Memorial Awards
- Harold Wittler Memorial Junior Division Beef Award – Established in 2017 by Harold’s Family in honor of his interest in young 4-H members and the beef project. The $50 cash award is based on an accumulative point system of showmanship, market, breeding, cow/calf, and record keeping participation for the junior division beef exhibitors.
- Teresa Statler Memorial Intermediate Division Beef Award – Established in 2018 – The award is based on an accumulative point system of showmanship, market, breeding, cow/calf, and record keeping participation (4-H Career Portfolio/Achievement Application) for the intermediate division (4-H ages 11, 12, & 13) beef exhibitors.
- Darwin Statler Memorial Senior Division Beef Award – Established in 2018 – The award is based on an accumulative point system of showmanship, market, breeding, cow/calf, and record keeping participation (4-H Career Portfolio/Achievement Application) for the senior division (4-H ages 14 and older) beef exhibitors.
Points for the memorial awards are awarded as follows:
Purple - 4 points
Blue - 3 points
Red - 2 points
White - 1 point
Class Champion - 2 points
Class Res. Champion - 1 point
Example: Each animal earns points based on the ribbon earned in each class. Class Champion (1st in class) and awarded a purple ribbon will earn 6 points. If a blue ribbon is the highest in the class, then 5 points are awarded (3 points for the blue ribbon + 2 points for first in class).
Animal must receive a purple or blue ribbon to earn class champion points.
Q. Registration papers are required on all registered yearlings; calves can be pending. To be eligible to show in a registered class, the animal must be owned by the exhibitor, have an official breed registration, and be identified with a legible ear tattoo or identification type that is accepted by the association and corresponds with the registration papers. State Fair animals must also have a completed online nomination with payment through the official online database and have the DNA collector envelope with hair samples submitted to their County Extension Office by June 15. Breeding heifers must be recognized as registered and eligible to show by their respective state breed association to show in the registered classes. Original registration certificates for all breeds must be presented at check in. The registration paper must show the exhibitor's name or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor's family. State Fair animals must be listed with the online nomination in the official online database. Family farm or ranch names will not be accepted for State Fair and County Fair.
R. Tattoos will be checked on all breed cattle (both steers and heifers). A fresh or recent tattoo is one that shows physical evidence of needle penetration of the skin that has not had time to properly heal (i.e., significant redness, scabbing, or bleeding). A fresh or recent tattoo may also be indicated by presence of ink within the ear that wipes onto a clean cloth upon tattoo inspection. Steers must have a corresponding tattoo and registration papers by June 15. If steers need to be re-tattooed after June 15, contact your County Extension Office for specific instructions.
BEEF SHOWMANSHIP
Awards:
Nichols Feedlot (Scott and Krista Nichols, Wayne) - Champion Senior Beef Showman
Jon and Peg Behmer Family - Champion Intermediate Beef Showman
Farm Credit Services of America - Champion Junior Beef Showman
Dennis and Lois Bowers, Winside - Reserve Champion Senior, Intermediate and Junior Showman (Cash Award)
Premiums: Purple $4.50, Blue $4.00, Red $3.50, White $3.00
General Information:
A. Exhibitors of feeder calves, market beef, and breeding heifers are eligible.
B. Exhibitors must show his or her own animals in showmanship and must show within designated age classes. Age divisions are as of December 31, of the previous year. An animal must be exhibited at halter in 4-H/FFA show to be shown in Showmanship. Cows are not eligible for this class.
C. Dress Code: See 4-H Animals-General Rules. Boots or hard-soled shoes required (NO TENNIS SHOES).
D. Grooming – All beef, swine, sheep, and goats (showmanship, market, feeder, and breeding) will be shown Blow & Go. Animals may be clipped, blown, brushed, or combed to enhance their appearance. All animals will be shown free of any adhesive, glue, paint, or powder products.
Beef Showmanship classes:
G-010-009 Junior Showmanship (ages 8, 9 & 10 yrs.)
G-010-010 Intermediate Showmanship (ages 11, 12, & 13 yrs.)
G-010-011 Senior Showmanship (ages 14 yrs. & older)
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