June 12-14 - 4-H Horse Camp at Ft Robinson State Park at Crawford. More information later!
June 17-18 - PASE event held at UNL on East Campus. More details at https://4h.unl.edu/pase
June 19 & 20 - Premier Communication Contest, UNL East Campus. More details below!

June 21-22 - Adams County Progress Show, Hastings. Info at https://adams.unl.edu

June 23 - Heavy Equipment Career Exploration at Hastings CCC. For more information and to register at go.unl.edu/heavyequipment

July 12-16, 2025 - Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo, Grand Island. 4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/horse-program/horse-expo
July 12-16 - Boone County Fair
July 25-27 - Nance County Fair

August 22-Sept 1 - Nebraska State Fair

Sept 25-28 - Aksarben Stock Show, https://aksarbenstockshow.com

Event Flyers

CALENDAR

Click on image to enroll in 4-H.

FAIRBOOKS ARE HERE!

Pick one up at the Extension Office, or click the picture to see the online version.

Cassidy Maricle is the summer intern at Boone County

Hello! My name is Cassidy Maricle. I am the Boone County Summer Extension Intern. I just finished my first year at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. I am double majoring in Grassland Systems and Animal Science. I grew up on a diversified farm outside of Albion, NE. I have been involved in 4-H for my entire life and have completed a wide variety of projects. I am excited to get to be a part of this awesome organization this summer!

Fair Schedule

MONDAY, JUNE 16

4:30 pm - ENTRY FORMS FOR FAIR EXHIBITS DUE IN THE EXTENSION OFFICE FOR STATIC, HORSE EVENTS, CAT, DOG, & SMALL ANIMAL
TUESDAY, JULY 1

4:30 pm - LIVESTOCK ENTRIES DUE IN THE EXTENSION OFFICE (BEEF, SHEEP, SWINE, DAIRY, GOAT, POULTRY & RABBIT)
TUESDAY, JULY 1

4:30 pm - Fashion Show Narrations Due
MONDAY, JULY 7

5:00 pm - Fairgrounds Clean Up & Set Up
TUESDAY, JULY 8

9:30 am - Fashion Show Judging
10:00 am - Boone Horticulture Judging Contest
11:00 am (approximately) - In Person Clothing Construction Interviews
2:00 pm - Favorite Foods Revue - Boone County Event Center
6:00 pm - Music Contest - Zion Lutheran Church, Albion
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9 - 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Check in ALL Exhibits except Foods, Photography, Floriculture & Horticulture
Booths Completed
Bucket Calf Record Books Due
THURSDAY, JULY 10 - 10:00 am

Judging of ALL Exhibits except Foods, Photography, Floriculture, & Horticulture - Event Center
FRIDAY, JULY 11 - 9:00 am

Foods, Photography, Floriculture & Horticulture In Person Interview Judging begins (Entry based on interview schedule) - Event Center
SATURDAY, JULY 12

7:30 am - Horse Check-In - Indoor Arena
8:00 am - Horse Judging Contest
Following the Judging Contest - Horse Show
SUNDAY, JULY 13 - After the Church Service - 4-H Ambassador Introductions
3:00 pm - Livestock May Arrive
7:30 pm - Fashion Show - Casey’s Community Building
MONDAY, JULY 14

7:30 am - ALL Market Swine & Breeding Swine in Pens
7:30-9:00 am - ALL Swine Weighed & Processed
8:00-8:30 am - Poultry Checked in & caged
9:00 am - Poultry Show
Show Order: Poultry Showmanship, Clover Kid Poultry, Market Broilers, All Other Poultry – (Old Arena)
9:00-9:30 am - Market Lamb/Market Goat Weigh In
9:30-10:00 am - Market Beef Weigh In
10:00 am - All Livestock Stalled
12:00-1:00 pm - Rabbit, Cat, Small Animal Check-in

1:00 pm - Small Animal Show
Show Order: Cats, Clover Kids, Rabbits, Miscellaneous Pets – (Old Arena)
3:00 pm - Dog Show - Niewohner Arena
TUESDAY, JULY 15

7:30 am - Feeder Calves & Cow/Calf Pairs Stalled

9:00 am - Goat Show
Following the Goat Show - Sheep Show
1:00 pm - Beef Show

Show Order: Showmanship, Bucket Calf, Feeder Calf, Breeding Beef, & Market Beef Shows
6:00 pm - Working Ranch Horse
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16

9:00 am - Swine Show
1:00 pm - Round Robin Showmanship in conjunction with the Livestock Judging Contest
3:00 pm - Release of Animals
* * Animals removed before the 3:00 pm release time will be subject to forfeited premiums * *
THURSDAY, JULY 17

8:30 am - 4-H Photo Shoot - All 4-H members Invited - Niewohner Arena
9:00 - 11:00 am - Release of Static Exhibits
(PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME)

* * Static Exhibits removed before the release time will be subject to forfeited premiums * *

9:00 am - Livestock Sale
10:00 am - 4-H Exhibit Building Clean Up
11:00 am - Meal - all 4-H families are welcome! - Niewohner Arena
Immediately following the Livestock Sale - Post Fair Clean Up

Register now for in-person YQCA training!

Click the logo to go to website.

All livestock exhibitors aged 8 to 18 before January 1 are required to complete the Youth For the Quality Care of Animals training (YQCA) prior to exhibiting the animals. YQCA in-person training will be held in Antelope County on June 11 at 10:00 am. Please register and complete the pretest prior to class.

Training can also be completed online. You will take the pre-test, take the course, then do the post-test. Print out your certificate and submit a copy to the Extension Office when completed. Call the Extension Office for a coupon code for $3 off the registration fee for the in-person training or the online training.

Summer Workshops for Clover Kids and 4-H Youth. Call the Extension Office to register!

COUNTY FAIR DEADLINES

MONDAY, JUNE 16 - ENTRY FORMS FOR FAIR EXHIBITS DUE IN THE EXTENSION OFFICE. For static exhibits, horse, cat, dog and small animal entries.

TUESDAY, JULY 1 - LIVESTOCK ENTRIES DUE IN THE EXTENSION OFFICE INCLUDING STALLS NEEDED.

Fillable entry forms available at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/boone-nance/boonenance-county-fairs/boone-county-fair-information/

STATE FAIR LIVESTOCK DEADLINES

MONDAY, JUNE 16 - DNA SAMPLES DUE AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE

SUNDAY, JUNE 15 - SHOWSTOCK MANAGER NOMINATIONS DUE ONLINE

Website Link: https://showstockmgr.com
All livestock in contention to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair will be required to complete an online nomination with payment through Show Stock Manager and submit a DNA collector envelope with a hair sample. This includes all 4-H and FFA breeding livestock, market livestock, and feeder calves. Each State Fair nomination will be $7.00 per animal in Show Stock Manager. 4-H and FFA livestock nominations are due on June 15, 2025. DNA samples are due at the Extension Office by June 16, as we then mail them to Grand Island.

AUGUST 10, 8:00 PM - STATE FAIR ENTRIES DUE IN SHOWORKS https://nebr.fairwire.com/ (Opens July 1)

THE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR RUNS FROM AUGUST 22 TO SEPTEMBER 1, 2025. https://www.statefair.org/

AUGUST 1 TO SEPTEMBER 5 - AKSARBEN NOMINATIONS DUE.

For 4-H/FFA families who are planning on nominating the same animals for the NSF and Aksarben Stock Show, obtain your DNA envelopes from the local Extension Office or FFA Advisor. Turn in your completed DNA envelopes to the local Extension Office or FFA Advisor. Submit the DNA payment and complete the online nomination in Show Stock Manager. 4-H/FFA families will only be required to submit DNA and pay once for an animal.
After these steps, complete the online nomination process for the Aksarben Stock Show. The website is https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com/. Under the Livestock Show tab, go to Entry and Nomination Information. If you are not going to the Nebraska State Fair, you will need to order your DNA envelope from Aksarben at this website by June 26. If you are going to both, you will use the DNA from 4-H/FFA, no need to duplicate it for Aksarben.

AKSARBEN STOCK SHOW RUNS SEPTEMBER 25-28, 2025. https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com/

Horse Quiz Bowl

by Kate Maricle

On Sunday, March 30th, twelve Boone and Nance County 4-Hers participated in the 2025 State 4-H Horse Stampede Contest. Stampede consists of horse judging, hippology, public speaking, demonstration, quizbowl, art, and photography contests. Boone-Nance Members all competed in the Horse Quizbowl Contest.

Horsebowl is a team contest that consists of 3-5 members. There are a total of 24 questions where members compete head-to-head with another team, in a double-elimination bracket. Horsebowl questions are about anything that has to do with horses, ranging from show rules to a horse’s endocrine system.

Lora Sondrup, Luke Sondrup, Clara Brenglemen, Laramie King, and Blakeley Boryca competed in the Junior age division. The junior team won runner-up in their age division! The Boone/Nance senior team consisted of Hunter Olnes, Emilyn Kurz, and Abigail Addison. This team competed very well and had a successful day.

The Boone senior team was made up of Kate Maricle, Tinsley Neidhardt, Aidan Choat, and Dorothy Smith. They won the senior division and will move on to compete at nationals! In January of 2026, they will be headed to Denver to compete at the National Western Stock Show National contest. The teams were coached by Steve Pritchard.

Youth Crop Scouting Event

The 12th Annual Crop Scouting Competition contest will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead, Nebraska on August 5, 2025. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 5-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first ten teams who sign-up!

Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students.

Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place. Top two teams will be eligible for regional competition held in Iowa this year.

More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth. Teams must be registered by July 15.

Click flyer for more information.

Click flyer to register.

Click flyer to Register

NEBRASKA LIVESTOCK JUDGING CLASSIC

The Nebraska Livestock Judging Classic will be held June 13th at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. The $25 Registration Fee includes lunch and ice cream awards event. Registrations will be accepted the day of the event, although a phone call beforehand would be appreciated. For more information, call Kerry Elsen at 308-236-1235. For a schedule of events, go to https://nljc.unl.edu/schedule-events/

MEETING DATES

Meeting dates for Animal Science 101 and 4-H Shooting Sorts.

4-H Council Minutes

LATEST 4-H NEWS

UNTIL NEXT MONTH!

Steve Pritchard - Extension Educator

Sonya Glup - Extension Associate

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