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State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows

Date: October 1-5, 2025
Location: The Meadow Event Park - Doswell, VA
Contact: Katherine Carter- (540) 231-2257  Scott Greiner- (540)231-9159
Schedule: Coming Soon!

Additional information: State Fair of Virginia official web site

Please pay close attention to multiple steps/dates:   

Step #1 Nomination:       

Part 1 - Order DNA envelopes (and EID tags if you need them)       

  • May 15 - DNA Packet Ordering System Will OPEN
  • July 1 - Deadline for Mailing;Postmark DNA Samples to VA Tech

Nominations and DNA Sample Collection Required for: Commercial/Crossbred Heifers, All Market Steers, Commercial Does, Market Goats, Commercial Ewes, Market Lambs, Commercial Gilts, ALL Market Hogs

Part 2 - Nominate your animals     

  • July 1 - DEADLINE for Online Nomination through Fair Entry
  • July 1- Nomination forms and DNA samples must be postmarked by this date

***Nomination constitutes Ownership – once an animal is nominated, it cannot be shown under the name of another exhibitor.  Allowing someone else to show a nominated animal under their name constitutes a change in ownership and nullifies that animal’s eligibility for the State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows.

***Nominated animals may not be sold through a county fair or other premium auction post-nomination, even if the animal is “no-saled” or purchased back by the exhibitor.  The act of going through the auction/across the sale block signifies a change in ownership and nullifies that animal’s eligibility for the State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Shows.

Nomination does not equal Entry – You must also complete the Entry Process for ALL Animals that you plan to bring to the State Fair of Virginia, including those that were nominated.

Step #2 Registration: (All Registered Breeding Animals, Registered Market Beef and Registered Market Hogs ONLY)       

  • July 1 - Animals must be registered in the name of the exhibitor - Date of Issue by respective Breed Association, NOT Date of Sale

Step #3 Entry:  *ALL animals must be entered in the Entry System

  • July 2 - Entry System opens
  • August 15 - Entry System closes at 5:00PM
  • August 30 - All youth exhibiting livestock must have completed their required annual YQCA instructor - led training

***For full details and links please click on the tabs below:

 

 

Cattle Nomination Video

Swine Nomination Video

Lamb and Goat Nomination Video

To look up the status of a DNA nomination, type the last name of the child the nomination was submitted under into the search bar and press the "Enter" key on the keyboard. Children associated with the child searched (siblings/ members of the same household) will appear under the "Additional Family Members" column.

Be sure the white "Search" Bar is cleared out prior to beginning. You can only enter information into the white "Search" Bar. 

Nomination Status Check

  • Exhibitor Entry System - Opens July 15

  • COMING SOON

  • Coming Soon!

  • Coming Soon!

  • Beef Cattle - Justin Adcock - Illinois
  • Meat Goats - Harlan Yocham - Oklahoma
  • Sheep - Glen Martin - Texas
  • Swine - Jim McCoy - Ohio

 

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4H-295a

Youth Livestock Topics

Contact

Katherine Carter
Extension Youth Animal Science Specialist
carterke@vt.edu
(540) 231-2257


Scott Greiner
Extension Animal Science Specialist
sgreiner@vt.edu
(540) 231-9159

 

Hunter Liles
Extension Youth Animal Science Associate
huntl97@vt.edu
(540) 231-6345

 

 

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Virginia 4-H Livestock Programs Endowment

The Virginia 4-H Foundation is spearheading the advancement of the Virginia 4-H Youth Livestock Programs Endowment. 4-H livestock programming is funded through a combination of private gifts, endowment income, gifts in kind, and participant fees.

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