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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Hundreds of Kentucky youths will compete for some $100,000 in premiums as well as other prizes and Kentucky Proud points at the three Kentucky Junior Livestock Expos in June and July.\
The Kentucky Junior Livestock Expo – East will take place June 12-13 at Morehead State University. The Kentucky Junior Livestock Expo – Western Rivers is scheduled for June 29-30 at Murray State University. The Kentucky Junior Livestock Expo – West will be July 21-22 in Bowling Green.
“Livestock shows teach young people the value of discipline and hard work,” said Steve Mobley, director of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Division of Show and Fair Promotion, which conducts the livestock expos. “These events are educational as well as competitive. They give our youth a great opportunity to improve their judging, livestock selection and showmanship skills.”
The first day of each event will offer clinics and contests, lunch, dinner and an awards ceremony. (Livestock grading and judging clinics at the KJLE – West will start on July 20.) On the final day, participants will compete in beef, dairy, swine, sheep and goat shows. Each expo will conclude with a round-robin showmanship competition among the top two exhibitors in each species for the title of supreme overall showman.
A Commissioner’s Award will go to one exhibitor in each species at each expo. The commemorative belt buckle and cash award will go to the exhibitor with the best overall performance in showmanship, judging, skill-a-thon and the exhibitor’s highest-placing animal.
About 1,900 animals were exhibited in the three junior livestock expos in 2005. The number of animals exhibited at the Morehead and Murray expos set records for those events.
The junior livestock expos are part of the Kentucky Proud Points program for youth who exhibit livestock in KDA-sponsored shows. Points earned in the expos carry more weight than those of any other show except the Kentucky State Fair. Exhibitors who earn the most Kentucky Proud points will be honored this fall.
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