By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
EL RENO – Canadian County’s spring youth livestock competition will reach a milestone this year.
The 50th annual Canadian County Junior Livestock Show & Sale will be Feb. 26 through March 4 at two venues.
“It’s the golden anniversary,” Canadian County Fair Board Secretary Brad Tipton said.
More than 200 Canadian County youth will exhibit from Yukon, Mustang, El Reno, Union City, Piedmont, Okarche, and Calumet.
FFA and 4-H members will show 520 animals during the weeklong livestock show: 94 sheep, 26 goats, 318 swine, and 80 cattle.
The first part of the spring livestock competition on Saturday through Monday, Feb. 26-28 will be at the “old” Canadian County Fairgrounds, 220 N Country Club.
Feb. 26: Barns open at noon to receive gilts and barrows
Feb. 27: Gilt show at 1 p.m.
Feb. 28: Barrow show at 9 a.m.
The competition will move Tuesday through Friday, March 1-4 to the Canadian County Expo & Event Center, 3001 Jensen Road East.
March 1: Barns open at 5:30 p.m. to receive goats, sheep and cattle
March 2: Goat show at 9 a.m., sheep show at 1 p.m. and cattle show after 5 p.m.
March 3: Sale participants help set-up for auction
March 4: Banquet at 5:30 p.m. followed by “Sale of Champions”
Judges are Pete Dempsey of Mountain Park (goats and sheep), Jarrett Davis of Shawnee (swine) and Bryan Kennedy of Kingfisher (beef).
This year, more female entries are being added to Canadian County’s spring livestock auction sale – which will wrap up the weeklong activities Friday night.
“We’re going to be selling 90 animals rather than 78 like we have in the past,” Tipton said.
The premium sale will be live – and online at www.kencarpenterauction.com
NEW VENUE, MORE ANIMALS
The 50th Annual Canadian County Junior Livestock Show is being moved one week earlier – and will begin on the last weekend in February. In previous years, it was the week before spring break.
“It’s changed because OYE (Oklahoma Youth Expo) moved their date up,” Tipton explained.
This will mark the first year that the spring competition – at least part of it – will be presented at the “new” Canadian County fairgrounds’ facilities.
“We’ve spent a lot of time getting ready for this spring livestock show with all the changes of a new venue and adding more animals,” Tipton said.
A full schedule and program book may be viewed at canadiancountyexpo.org (click on “Jr. Livestock Show”).
“If they want to know details about the livestock show, it’s all right there in pdf files,” Tipton said. “There is a pre-entry link for exhibitors.”
Canadian County Junior Livestock Show officials are:
General superintendent Kyle Worthington, beef superintendents Kyle McNeff, Kelly Beck and Clark Reuter; swine superintendents Don Payne and Carey Crawford, sheep superintendents Shelly Bilderback and Sam Nusz, and goat superintendents Shelly Bilderback and James Turner.
Canadian County Fair Board members are Kelly Beck (chairman), Dan Wedman (vice-chairman), Clint Reuter (treasurer), Brent Hunt, Michael Beard, Justin Atkinson, Mike Crowly, Phil Carson, and Ken Carpenter.
For more information, contact Tipton at (405) 422-5400 or brad.tipton@okstate.edu
