Pre Fair Barn Blast 2026

This is how 4-H Extension Staff gets out information to our livestock families during the Scotts Bluff County Fair! Each night a new barn blast will be released for the events the following day. If you have announcements you think we should include, reply to the Band message or contact an Extension Staff member.

Fair Entry is done online through Showorks. Entry is available July 1-July 10.

Online entries:

Go to https://scotts.fairwire.com/ to enter. Check the "I am a new exhibitor or have yet to register this year." Please email any questions you have to abrown132@unl.edu.

Hints for online entries:

• Check the fairbook https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/scottsbluff/scotts-bluff-county-4-h-ffa-fair-book/ to find out what department your projects and exhibits fit into.
• Market animals do not have to be identified by ear tag number until fair weigh-in. With pre-fair entries it is important for you to enter the market class for each animal. Example- if you have three swine, enter the Market Swine class three times.
• Stall fees can be paid through Showorks entry system with credit/debit card or you can pay them at the Extension Office with check or cash. We cannot accept debit or credit cards at the Extension Office.
• Rabbits - it is important that you enter the sex and age of the animal
• Poultry - please enter the sex of the animal and the breed

Fair project entry is very important to help our office organize our large county fair! Fair entry forms MUST be submitted to the Extension Office NO LATER than July 10.

Fashion Show Scripts will be due July 8th. Link to the google form is https://forms.gle/JktwykqxKBy6Navo9

Thank you for respecting the deadlines.

Livestock 4-H members, families, and volunteers are asked to help clean up the fairgrounds on Thursday, July 9th at 5:30pm and Thursday, July 23rd @ 5:00p.m. We will be cleaning the livestock barn, pavilion, and surrounding areas. Bring your gloves, brooms, rakes, etc. The exhibitor meeting will be on Thursday, July 23rd at 6pm in the Livestock Pavilion.

The Small Animal Schoolhouse cleanup is happening on TBA.

Don't forget to bring your Drug Affidavit to the scale with your animal! You will not be allowed to weigh-in without your Drug Affidavit/Waiver. Each 4-H member should fill out a form including all of their market animals. If you have more than one animal, bring the drug affidavit to the first weigh-in and we will have it at weigh-in for other species. Forms can be found below.

Paper copies will be handed out at the Exhibitor Meeting on July 23rd.

**ONE shirt will be provided by Scotts Bluff County Ag Society and youth will be exhibiting in these shirts during shows.**

Who wouldn’t love to have a few extra or maybe mom and dad… Shirt colors are available in light gray and dark gray. We will post the link to the store front once it is open!

DAIRY: You are required to wear a white shirt, white pants, and closed toed boots or shoes.

For questions please call the Fair Office at 623-1823 or the 4-H Extension Office at 632-1480.

• DO NOT tape anything under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES to the stalls. Tape will rip off and remove paint, please use zip ties or cords to attach signs to stalls.
• REMOVE ALL zip ties and/or cords from your stall upon RELEASE on Sunday.

The MINIMUM WEIGHT requirement that MUST BE MET TO show at the Scotts Bluff County Fair is set by average industry market animal standards, NOT Superintendents OR Extension Staff. To be eligible to show in the market divisions, your animal MUST weigh at the specified minimums. Once your animal crosses the official show scale, the weight recorded is final. There are test scales located around the livestock barn so families are STRONGLY encouraged to utilize these scales, BEFORE crossing the official show scale. RE-WEIGHS ARE NOT ALLOWED. The minimum requirements are as follows:

Market Heifers -1,050 lbs

Market Steers -1,150 lbs

Market Lambs -100 lbs

Market Swine - 230 lbs

Market Meat Goats - 50 lbs

Market Dairy Goats - 30 lbs

Underweight animals in showmanship are only allowed if this is your only animal project in that organization (4-H/FFA) and species. These approved animals are only kept on the fairgrounds until immediately after the showmanship class. Example A: A member has a 4-H breeding sheep and a 4-H market sheep that does not make weight and no other animals. Example B: A member has a 4-H breeding sheep and market swine that does not make weight and no other animals. In both examples, the breeding sheep will be the animal they show in showmanship. The underweight animals will not be permitted to remain on the fairgrounds.

Beef – 1500 lbs

Swine – 300 lbs

Goats – 120 lbs

• No animals allowed on the fairgrounds prior to ONE day before weigh-in at the county fair (Saturday)
  
• Advertisements with company name and information will not be allowed on pens or handed out.
  
• The stalls, pens and exhibition places must be cleaned before 9:00 a.m. each day and all refuse matters disposed of as the Superintendent of the division may direct.
  
• If any animal is found to be affected with an infectious, contagious, or otherwise transmittable disease, or is suspected of being so affected, it will be removed immediately to a place of quarantine as ordered by a licensed veterinarian. A veterinarian will be at all livestock weigh-ins.
• Any animal deemed as dangerous to others or the fairgrounds will be REMOVED at the discretion of the superintendents of the division.
  
• All livestock may be tested for illegal residues. The exhibitor will stand the loss if any illegal residue is found in the carcass.
  

• 4-H members are encouraged to wash, groom and fit their project animals by themselves, but other CURRENT Scotts Bluff Co. 4-H members, and leaders are permitted to help when needed along with the exhibitor actively participating.
• The management disapproves of any animal or animals that have been subject to artificial preparation for competition and has the right to take action. An animal(s) that is tampered with by unusual means to change appearance or weight will be declared ineligible for competition by show management (Livestock Committee, FFA Advisors and Extension Staff).
• Tranquilizers can only be used when prescribed by a veterinarian as an extra label drug. The reason for use, date of use, and withdrawal information should appear on exhibitors’ health paper. ANY such animal CANNOT be used in showmanship.
• ANY ANIMAL entered in youth livestock classes at the Scotts Bluff County Fair is subject to urine, blood and/or tissue testing at the discretion of the superintendents, official show veterinarian, or show management (Livestock Committee, FFA Advisors and Extension Staff).
• IF the results of testing indicate the use of compounds or drugs used outside the specified withdrawal requirements of the FDA, or compounds or drugs not approved for use in that species by the FDA, unless prescribed by a licensed veterinarian, these animals will be declared ineligible for competition and awards. Animals and exhibitors in violation will forfeit award and sale premiums.
• Show management reserves the right to suspend violators for five years from the Scotts Bluff County Fair.
  

Animals that have active ringworm, visible warts, or abscesses, will NOT be allowed entry into the Scotts Bluff County Fair, and will NOT be allowed to remain on the premises. The inspecting veterinarian may judge the ringworm to be inactive if the lesion is not encrusted, and hair has begun regrowth in the area, and is so stated on a letter/health certificate from the inspecting veterinarian. Animals with warts that are visible by a hands off inspection will NOT be allowed to exhibit and will NOT be allowed to remain on the premises. Animals that have visible abscesses will NOT be allowed to exhibit and will NOT be allowed to remain on the premises. Animals that have visible signs of open wounds that do not appear to be healing will NOT be allowed to exhibit and will NOT be allowed to remain on the premises. Animals that are injured or lame upon check in/weigh in, will NOT be permitted to exhibit, and will NOT be allowed to remain on the premises. The Superintendents reserve the right to have animal(s) remain on the trailer until a veterinarian arrives to examine said animal(s). The Superintendents reserve the right to have an animal removed from the fairgrounds if said animal is determined to be a safety or health risk to the public, exhibitors, other animals, or itself. If said animal is dismissed because of a health risk, it shall be supported by a veterinarian opinion. Please refer to general health requirements for additional information on dismissal or livestock because of health reasons.

All rules laid down by the 4-H Council and Ag Society must be strictly adhered to. Exception will be made only when respectfully presented to a Protest Committee, made up of the Superintendent(s) of the division involved, and the 4-H Council President. The following outline should be followed when presenting a complaint:

1. Names of persons involved

2. Nature of concerns, exact time and date of occurrence

3. Situation and documentation of concern

4. Recommendation for corrective action or constructive problem resolution

5. Specification, rule, etc... in question

6. Additional persons the committee may contact for further clarification

• The committee will review the written protest. They may discuss the solution with affected persons and show officials to include fair management if appropriate. The recommendations will be followed and communicated both verbally and in writing to the group or individual affected.
• In cases of protest, the exhibitor may be allowed to show, but results of showing will be subject to change based on the outcome of the protest process. This allows for smooth operation of the show and facilitates appropriate processing.
• The management reserves the right to withhold premiums and/or awards. The exhibitor may be excluded from the show if action warrants.
• Protests will NOT be accepted after a 24 hour period from the time of the occurrence. Protests related to judges' integrity, decisions, placings, or other evaluations will NOT be accepted.

Yes, you need to clean your animal's pens and alley ways as they get dirty! We want to make a good impression on the public and it is the best thing for your animal. You will also be responsible for dumping your trash can. All trash sacks go in the orange corral on the west side of the Livestock Barn. NO TRASH IN THE SHAVING DUMPSTER!

No, market livestock MUST stay the entire week of the fair until check-out time on Sunday, August 2nd at 7 am. It is important that we have the animals on display for the public throughout the fair. If an exhibitor takes any market animal home before checkout on Sunday, they will not receive their sale check. Exceptions to this include sick animals excused by superintendents and barn bosses and animals leaving after the sale on official buyback trucks.

You are responsible for providing your own shavings the entire week of fair, no shavings will be provided this year.

During Fair week all of our Extension staff are at the fair! We have an onsite 4-H Office located on the south side of the Livestock Pavilion, look for the 4-H Clover. We are also at all the shows. If you can't find one of us, contact us through the BAND app system https://band.us/n/ada8bbNdA0lfI

• All general livestock rules will be the same as 4-H, unless otherwise stated in the fair book.
• Exhibitors will wear their county fair issued FFA t-shirt.

The Sale Letter for 2026 is not yet available. We will send it out once we have it.

This is a friendly reminder that all Youth, Parents, and Volunteers all signed the 4-H Code of Conduct when they enrolled. Our Expectation is that everyone follows these rules, as they will be enforced in their entirety. Please review these below.

https://forms.gle/tUHE5xdRXia9J2XKA

The Scotts Bluff County Fair is a great experience because we have awesome members, families, and volunteers all working together. Remember, 4-H is about learning and having fun! A huge “Thank You” goes out to our 4-H Livestock Superintendents. These are the folks that have been thinking about fair all year and how to make it better. If you have a question they are a great place to start. These volunteers can be identified with green lanyard name tags.

Lead Livestock Superintendent: Amie Hessler

Assistant Livestock Superintendent: Kaden Hubbard

Sheep: Ty Marker

Meat Goat: Jeana Linton

Swine: Kerry Marker

Beef: Chip Huckfeldt

Dairy Goat: Patty Pittman

Rabbit/Poultry: Becky Ulrich

Head Superintendent: Craig Schadwinkel

Superintendent: Juanita Baker

Static Head: Laurie Zitterkopf

Head: Kate Schmer

4-H Educator: Jana Schwartz

4-H Extension Associate: Audra Brown

Early Childhood Extension Educator: Jackie Guzman

Horticulture, Landscape & Environmental Systems Extension Educator: TBA

Water & Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator: Gary Stone

Administrative Assistant: Stacy Brown

Office Assistant/Receptionist: TBA

Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.

The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.