MASON COUNTY JUNIOR FAIR DIVISION

Basic Rules for this Division

The Junior Division shall include as exhibits and shall confine its exhibition to those members of 4-H Clubs, FFA Chapters, and other youth organizations in Mason County as are approved by the Board of Directors of the Mason County Fair.

Such club members or students shall exhibit only the bonafide products of their own specific projects or class work as listed in the Fair catalogue.

The Board of Directors of the Mason County Fair shall develop the organization needed for the Junior Division, including the appointment of committees.

Each exhibitor shall be limited to one entry in each class.

The committee on Premiums reserves the right to withhold prizes from any entry not worth, in the opinion of the judges, even though no competitive entry is made.

Premium money shall be forfeited on any exhibits removed as stated in general rules.

The Danish System of judging will be used except where indicated. (Danish system – each exhibit stands on its own merits).

The Board of Directors reserves the right to adjust all premiums, if premiums would exceed the allotted money.

Premium money will not be paid until project books are turned into Division Chairperson and entry fees have been paid.

LIVESTOCK TAGGING

All animals to be shown and sold at the Mason County Fair must be brought to the Mason County Fairgrounds or Hannan High School on the designated dates to be tagged with special Mason County Fair tags and registered with Fair appointed officials. It will be the sole responsibility of the exhibitor to see that the animal is present on the day of tagging. Each animal will be tagged. All numbers and animals will be recorded by Fair officials. All animals will be checked for the proper ear tags and numbers when arriving at the Fair during Fair Week. Animals not possessing the proper Mason County Fair tags and numbers will not be permitted to show or sell in the Mason County Fair Market Classes. If exhibitors are registering more than one animal for the show and sale, the Fair will supply the first set of tags for one animal. Additional sets must be paid for by the exhibitor. The exhibitor shall notify the County Agricultural Extension Agent (675-0888) within three (3) days of an animal losing an ear tag; otherwise, an animal not properly possessing ear tags will not be permitted to show or sell in the market classes. Sale animals dying after they have been tagged or marked cannot be replaced.

JUNIOR DIVISION LIVESTOCK

Exhibitors of Junior Division Beef, Dairy, Goats, Horses, Sheep, and Swine shall pay a separate $2.00 entry fee for each exhibit placed in any class in which premiums are paid.

No uncastrated male animal will be exhibited in the Junior beef, dairy, sheep, goat, swine, or horse divisions.

A junior division beef, dairy, sheep, goat, or swine may be exhibited in one class only. Junior horses may be exhibited in one category only.

If a horse is exhibited in more than one class , a separate entry fee shall be paid for each additional class.

MASON COUNTY BORN AND RAISED

Local businesses are sponsoring a cash award to the exhibitor of the highest placing Mason County born and raised market steer, commercial feeder calf, market lamb, market hog, and market meat goat, provided it places in the top ten in its division at the Mason County Fair and is eligible to show and to sell.

The cash awards are as follows:

Market Steer - $1,000 Special Lambs - $500.00

Commercial Feeder Calf - $500.00 Market Lamb - $500

Market Hog - $500.00 Market Meat Goat - $500

To be eligible for this award, you must adhere to the following criteria:

• The animal must be eligible to show and sell at the Mason County Fair.
• Have been born and raised in Mason County, West Virginia.
• A registration form must have been completed, signed by the designated individuals, and returned to the Mason County Extension Office by the due date.

The “Top 10” shall be established in one of the following methods:

• The judge shall establish the “Top 10” through placing all animals in the show, from Grand Champion through last place.
• In those shows where the judge does not place all animals from Grand Champion through last place, the “Top 10” shall be established through the following procedures:

Grand Champion shall be selected from the first place winners of all classes.

Reserve Champion shall be selected from the remaining class winners and the second place animal in the class from where the Champion was selected.

The third through tenth shall be selected from the remaining animals plus the next highest placing animal in each class where the previously placed animal was selected. If no animal places no higher than tenth in any class this procedure is not necessary.

Each non-sale animal exhibited must be either 1) the property of, 2) Owned in partnership or 3) held on a contractual basis by the exhibitor by May 1, or as stated in specific divisions or its entire life before the Fair and the product of the specific project of the exhibitor.

Each sale animal (market steer, market hog, market lamb, commercial feeder calf or market meat goat), must be owned solely by the youth exhibitor – no partnership, or contracts. Any market sale animal must be raised in Mason County or surrounding county (West Virginia – Jackson, Putnam & Cabell, Ohio – Gallia & Meigs).

Exhibitors can enter only one animal in only one of the shows that sell. Exhibitors can enter only one market steer or one commercial feeder calf or one market hog or one market lamb or one market meat goat. No combination will be allowed. Market animals (baby beef, commercial feeder calf, market hogs, market lambs or market goats) which have been registered, graded, or shown after the May tag in at any other fair or show will be ineligible to show or compete in market classes at the Mason County Fair.

Feeding and care for the show animals shall be the responsibility of the exhibitors. Failure of properly caring for the animals and the exhibit space shall result in forfeiture of premium monies.

Junior exhibitors may enter open livestock show if they so specify at the time of registration. Junior exhibitors may win premium money in either the junior division or the open division, but not both. They must specify in which division they choose to compete for premium money at the time of registration.

They will be awarded ribbons by the Danish system of judging.

A token commission of not more than 2% will be charged for all animals sold at the Fair. The Fair will bear all expenses of conducting the sales.

All exhibitors selling livestock will be required to 1) present a thank you letter to the buyer of his or her livestock to the division chairman, 2) clean his or her stall the last day of the Fair before sale checks will be presented, and 3) turn in project books and/or market livestock project books and/or market livestock project summary sheets to the Extension Office on the Fairgrounds.

Junior livestock showmanship classes will be provided for all Junior exhibitors who desire to participate in the following classes:

• Junior beef (included Market Steer, Commercial Feeder Calf, and Breeding Classes).
• Junior Dairy
• Junior Sheep (Includes Market Lamb and Breeding Classes)
• Junior Goats
• Junior Swine

The animals shown in showmanship classes must have been shown or to be shown in the respective Junior show of this Fair by the same exhibitor. Previous showmanship winners are eligible to participate again.

Any animal that dies before sale will not be sold.

Any sale animal not weighed within 30 minutes of last animal in line shall not be shown or sold.