Sixtieth Annual Livestock Show to kickoff Thursday
This week marks a significant milestone in Stephens County history: it will be the 60th year that the county’s youth have gathered to show off the livestock they’ve raised, competing against each other for the coveted blue ribbon.
The Sixtieth Annual Stephens County Junior Livestock Show and Sale will kick off Thursday evening, Jan. 11, at the Stephens County Ag Barn on U.S. Highway 180, east of Breckenridge. The show is open to open to all active 4-H Club members who are at least 9 years old or were in the third grade on the day of the initial validations, or who are active FFA members in Stephens County and who are full time students in Stephens County but have not graduated from high school.
The show will officially start with the weigh-ins of the goats, sheep, swine, poultry and rabbits from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday and will continue through the sale Saturday afternoon, Jan. 13. Thursday’s events also will include the check-in and judging of the ag mechanics projects and the rabbit judging.
Friday’s schedule includes the judging of the poultry, sheep, goats and swine, as well as the cattle weigh-in and the Pee Wee Show. On Saturday, the SCJLS will continue with the cattle judging, the presentation of the Jacob Jackson Master Showmanship award and the floral design judging. The show will wrap up with the buyers luncheon and the sale, scheduled for 1 p.m.
All of the exhibitors must participate in the cleanup beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.
For the complete list of times and events, see the “Schedule of Events” below.
This year’s General Show Chairman is Breckenridge Mayor Jim McKay, who said participation in the SCJLS provides the students with skills that will stay with them throughout their lives.
“It gives them what I call ‘life skills,’” McKay said. “It teaches them how to maintain and the proper way to raise animals. It’s a responsibility that they take on. Also, financially, they learn that it’s an investment and you have to tend to it, and this is your return.”
McKay said that participating in livestock shows when he was a kid in Midland helped him learn responsibilities. “I had to get my dad to go co-sign for a little ol’ note at the bank to buy my first animal project,” he said. “And, then, every year after that, I just left that in the bank when I sold the animal, and every year I used that to buy the next animal. It was very beneficial for me.”
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday Jan. 11
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Weigh in of Goats
Weigh in of Sheep
Weigh in of Swine
Weigh in of Poultry
Weigh in of Rabbits
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Check in of Ag Mechanics Projects
7 p.m.
Judging of Ag Mechanics Projects
7:30 -7:45 p.m.
Judging of Breeding Rabbits
7:45 – 8:30 p.m.
Judging of Market Rabbits
8:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Judging of County Born and Bred Rabbits
8:45 – 9 p.m.
Judging of Rabbit Showmanship
Friday Jan. 12
9 – 9:30 a.m.
Judging of Poultry
9:30 – 11 a.m.
Judging of Breeding Sheep
Judging of Market Sheep
Judging of County Born and Bred Sheep
Judging of Sheep Showmanship
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Judging of Breeding Goats
Judging of Market Goats
Judging of County Born and Bred Goat
Judging of Goat Showmanship
Noon – 1 p.m.
Weigh in of Cattle
1:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Judging of Market Gilts
Judging of Market Barrows
Judging of County Born and Bred Swine
Judging of Swine Showmanship
Followed by the Pee Wee Show
Saturday Jan. 13
9 a.m.
Judging of Market Steers
Judging of Breeding Cattle
Judging of County Born and Bred Cattle
Judging of Cattle Showmanship
Followed by Jacob Jackson Master Showmanship
10 a.m.
Judging of Floral Design Projects
11a.m.
Floor Buyers Meeting
Noon
Buyers Luncheon
1 p.m.
Sale Begins
Sunday Jan. 14
1 p.m.
Mandatory Clean up
Thursday Jan. 25
Awards Ceremony 6 p.m.
2018 SHOW OFFICIALS
Jim McKay
General Show Chairman
Butch Knight
General Superintendent
Marsee Shortes
General Show Secretary
Zach Shortes
Asst. General Superintendent
Shelley Jackson
Asst. General Show Secretary
Tye Jackson
Ag Mechanics Superintendent
Superintendents:
Rabbit Superintendent: Eric Brennan
Sheep Superintendent: Forrest Fuller
Swine Superintendent: Kenneth Alford
Poultry Superintendent: Becky Mathias
Goat Superintendent: Kyle Fambro
Cattle Superintendent: Roy Russell
Executive Committee:
Kenneth Alford, Tye Jackson, Eric Brennan, Butch Knight, Forrest Fuller, Jim McKay, Sumer Russell, Jessie Shortes, Roy Russell, Marsee Fuller, Stephen Chase, Zach Shortes, Kyle Fambro and Becky Mathias
Showmanship Division:
Co-Chairman: Glenda Knight
Co-Chairman: Sonya Morehart
Loading Committee:
Superintendent: Debbie Hash
Committee Members: Becky Mathias, Eric Brennan, Forrest Fuller, Kenneth Alford, Roy Russell and Kyle Fambro
4-H Adviser: Sumer Russell
FFA Advisers: Stephen Chase and Jessie Shortes
FFA President: Diana Patterson
FFA Sweetheart: Maddie Warren
FFA Beau: Braden Campbell
2018 Sale Committee:
Chairman: Scott Harris
Committee Members: Randy Boaz, James Shelton, Mike Parrack and Kevin Simmons
Sale Secretaries: Glenda Knight, Sonya Morehart, Deedra Boaz and Sharon Rogers
Story by Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown
Cutline, top photo: The rabbit judging kicked off the 2017 Stephens County Junior Livestock Show last January. This year’s stock show is slated for Jan. 11-13, beginning once again with the rabbit judging. (Photo by Calvin Best/BISD)
