Rules & Regulations

CENTRAL PIEDMONT JUNIOR LIVESTOCK SHOW AND SALE

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Last amended by the Central Piedmont Junior Livestock Show & Sale Committee 11/04/2024

Download a digital copy of the rules & regulations here.

GENERAL

1. In cases where questions arise that are not specifically covered by the following rules, decisions of the Show and Sale Committee will be final.

2. Entries must be approved by the County 4-H Agent, Livestock Agent or High School Agricultural Education Teacher in the participating home county.  Consignments may come from Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Orange, Person, Randolph, Rockingham, and Wake Counties.  Online entry must be submitted no later than March 15th.  No substitution of animals after registration closes will be allowed except in extenuating circumstances and with the approval of the show committee.  

3. Liability – Owners assume all liabilities in case of sickness, death, or injury to their animals.  The exhibitor is responsible until the animal is sold, returned and properly tied in the show barn at which time the buyer assumes the liability.  The management, exhibitors and owners assume no liability for injury from any cause to individuals or property.  (There is no policy for compensation to loss of any animal on the farm.)

4. Eligibility – Youth who are eligible to participate in the show include those who are five years old as of January 1, 2025 and not older than 18 years old as of January 1, 2025 or who are enrolled in a high school agricultural education course.  For showmanship classes, participants will be divided into four categories:  cloverbuds (ages 5-7), juniors (8-10), intermediate (11-13), and seniors (14-18).  In addition, youth may not have completed high school.  Youth showing steers must be nine or older as of January 1, 2025.  Youth younger than nine years old wanting to show heifers or feeder steers must apply to the steering committee for approval.  Youth seven years old and under as of January 1, 2025 will show in special non-competitive cloverbud classes.

5. Dress – All participants must be neatly and appropriately dressed.  To be eligible to participate in the show and sale, 4-H’ers must wear a white shirt or blouse with the 4-H insignia; FFA members must wear appropriate FFA insignia or jackets.  Failure to wear appropriate attire will result in disqualification from the show.  

6. Class make-up – Individual show classes for hogs, lambs, goats, heifers, and steers will be determined the day of the show according to the number of animals and the weights.  

7. Animals – A maximum of five market hogs may be shown by an individual (one pen-of-three and two individuals).  A maximum of two market lambs may be shown by an individual.  A maximum of two breeding ewe lambs may be shown.  A maximum of two heifers may be shown.  A maximum of two steers may be shown.  A maximum of two meat goats and two meat goat does may be shown.  Participants may show two feeder steers.  

8. Record Books – Each competitor (4-H or FFA) MUST present a record book in order to compete in the show. 4-H competitors will submit their record books to the clerk at registration check-in. FFA competitors will submit their record books to their FFA Advisor.   No youth will be permitted to show without turning in a project book. Records will be judged as an animal science record book (heifers, steers, market lambs, breeding ewes, market goats, meat goat breeding does, or market hog projects). Awards will be distributed according to age groups. FFA advisors will review FFA record books and assign awards accordingly.  4-H record book templates and age categories will reflect North Carolina 4-H policy.  All 4-H exhibitors must submit record books using the proper templates provided by NC 4-H for their respective age division.  Youth with multiple animals should only submit one project record book.  Record books must be complete at the time of the entry with story.  Complete all portions with the exception of the sales price and profit.  Participant eligibility will be determined by the Show & Sale Committee.    Awards will be presented prior to the sale.

9. Sale – Participants who show market animals (market lambs, pigs, steers or market goats) have the option of selling their animals or taking them home.  Exhibitors must make clear their intention whether they intend to sell their animal or not during the animal check-in.  Staff will annotate whether or not the animal is being sold on the appropriate paperwork during registration check-in. The committee will make an effort to market all animals that exhibitors desire to sell.  But if the animal is an uncommon market breed, the committee may not be able to find a market for that animal and reserves the right to not sell it.  

10. Animal Care – Humane care and respectful treatment of animals is expected.  Youth or parents seen hitting, kicking or otherwise abusing animals will not be allowed to show.  Each youth must be able to handle his own animal in the show ring.  No adults may lead animals in the ring.  Animals shown in showmanship must be entered in the name of the person on the entry form.  All animals should be properly cleaned and groomed for the show.  Beginning with the 2025 show, all exhibitors ages 8-18 must possess a current certification in either Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA), Pork Quality Assurance (PQA), or Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) in order to participate in the show and sale.  Any exhibitor younger than age 8 (as of January 1, 2025) showing swine must have a parent who is PQA certified or the owner of the swine must be PQA certified if the parent is not the owner.

11. Participants Behavior – Participants are expected to abide by rules and refrain from dangerous or disruptive behavior.

12. Sharing – Two exhibitors may share one animal if they so choose.  When sharing an animal, one exhibitor will be allowed to show the animal in the showmanship class and the remaining exhibitor will be allowed to show the animal in the market class.  Each exhibitor will be required to indicate which class (market breed or showmanship) they will be exhibiting the shared animal in when completing registration. The only exception is when one of the exhibitors sharing the animal is a cloverbud. In that case, the non-competitive cloverbud exhibitor may compete in the showmanship class only and the  competitive exhibitor can compete in both the type and showmanship classes with the same shared animal. 

13. Medical Forms – Current medical forms must be on file for each exhibitor in case of accident. Participants must submit their medical forms to the county 4-H agent or FFA Advisor prior to the Show and Sale.  

14. Disease Precautions – 1) Participants who have been out of the country within the preceding two weeks will not be allowed to show because of possible disease transmission.  Visitors who have been out of the country within the preceding two weeks are asked not to attend the event.  2) Participants will be asked to sign a form at the show indicating that they have used health products according to label, observed withholding times correctly, and used quality assurance management in administering vaccines and antibiotics.  The form will also indicate compliance with current Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prevention feeding regulations as well as verify that no tranquilizers or off label medications have been used.  3) All sheep and goats must be ear tagged with United States Department of Agriculture Scrapie eradication ear tags.

15. Thank You Notes – All exhibitors are required to write thank you notes to sponsors to thank them for their support. A list of sponsors will be made available to counties in a timely manner.  

BEEF

1. Market Steers and Feeder Steers of beef breeds may be shown.  Market Steers must be owned and on the farm by November 1, 2024.   Steers must be calved April 2023 or after and market steers must grade select to be shown.  Feeder Steers must be owned and on the farm by March 1st.  Teeth can be checked by the Livestock Extension Agents and the committee has the right to reject steers that are too old.

2. Steers 1000 pounds and over can only be shown in the market steer class.  Dual entries will not be accepted.

3. No wild steers or heifers should be brought to the show.  Steers or heifers becoming wild after being entered must be removed by the owner and cannot participate further in the events.  The show committee has the final decision on the eligibility of any animal in order to protect the safety of other exhibitors.

4. Participants who show market steers have an option to sell their animals at auction or take them home.  Participants who choose not to sell their steers at auction will forfeit packer price.  Sale of heifers and/or feeder steers is optional.

5. Beef heifers must be born on or after January 1, 2023.  Heifers must be cared for and trained by participants from March 1st of the current show year until the time of the show.

6. Only youth aged nine years old or older (as of January 1, 2025) may show heifers & feeder steers unless special permission has been requested of the Livestock Show Committee.

7. Participants may show two feeder steers.  

8. Showmanship classes for beef animals will be determined by the show committee based upon number of animals registered.  Showmanship for feeder steers may be held with heifer showmanship class.

LAMBS

1. Participants may show a maximum of two market lambs and two breeding ewes.

2. Market Lambs must be owned and on the farm by March 1, 2025.  Market Lambs may be either ewe lambs or castrated males less than one year old with baby teeth intact.  Breeding ewe lambs must be cared for and trained by participants from March 1st until the time of the show.

3. Breeding ewes must be born after April 9, 2023 in order to be eligible to show.  The sale of breeding ewes is optional. Halters for lambs are optional.

4. Each Lamb can only be shown as a Breeding Ewe or as a Market Lamb. Dual entries will not be accepted.

      Ewes may be shown in either the market class or the breeding class but not both.

5. A maximum of two sheep per exhibitor may be sold through the ring.

6. Beginning with the 2023 show, Hair Sheep Influence Market Lamb and Breeding Ewe type classes will be included in the lamb show.

SWINE

1. Individuals may sell two market hogs at auction; other market hogs that are not class winners will be sold for packer price.  (If an exhibitor has a reserve or grand champion pen-of-three, the pen-of-three may be sold at auction plus one individual market hog.)

2. Market hogs should ideally weigh between 240 and 260 lbs.  Market hogs must be tagged* on the farm by February 1, 2025 and a maximum of six market hogs per exhibitor may be tagged but a maximum of five may be shown.  Market hogs must be no older than 9 months of age at the time of the show.  Exhibitors will be required to state the animal’s date of birth on the show registration form.  *You must obtain a show tag for identification purposes prior to transporting your market hog to the show.  Contact your county Livestock or 4-H Extension Agent or FFA Advisor to pick-up your show tag.  

3. Barrows and gilts of any breed may be shown.

4. No oil or powder may be used on market hogs.

5. Market hogs clipped with less than one-half inch of hair will not be eligible for show.

6. Hogs that are a part of a pen-of-three may not be shown as individual market hogs in the market hog show.  The only exception to this rule is for an individual who can be allowed to show one hog of the pen-of-three in the showmanship class only.

GOATS

1. Participants may show a maximum of two meat type goats and two meat goat breeding does.

2. Market meat goats may be does or castrated males born January 1, 2024 or later.  Meat goat breeding does must be born April 9, 2023 or later. 

3. Goats must be cared for and trained by participants from March 1, 2025 until the time of the show.

4. Market goats may be sold at the sale if desired.

5. Each goat can only be shown as a Market Goat or as a Meat Goat Breeding Doe.  Meat Goat Breeding Does may be shown in either the market class or the breeding class but not both.

6. A maximum of two goats per exhibitor may be sold through the ring.