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FRANKFORT, Ky. — March in Kentucky means the end of winter, the climax of basketball season, and the Kentucky Beef Expo. This year’s edition of the annual beef show and sale will be March 4-6 in the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville.
“The Kentucky Beef Expo is the time for Kentucky’s beef cattle industry to shine,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “The expo gets bigger and better every year. It’s a great opportunity for breeders to improve their seedstock with some of the best that Kentucky has to offer.”
More than 1,300 head of top-quality show heifers, donor prospects, and herd bulls are expected to pass through the show and sales rings at the 18th annual Kentucky Beef Expo. “We’ll have more cattle during a shorter period of time than at the Kentucky State Fair,” said John McDonald of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Division of Show and Fair Promotion.
Separate shows and sales will be conducted for 12 breeds: Angus, Beefalo, Charolais, Chiangus, Hereford, Limousin, Maine-Anjou, Red Angus, Red Poll, Salers, Shorthorn, and Simmental. A scheduled show and sale for the Gelbvieh breed has been canceled. About 100 head are expected for the Pen Heifer Show and Sale for registered or commercial cattle in pens of two or three head.
The Expo is expected to attract 650 exhibitors, including 400 juniors, representing eight states. Because of the number of cattle involved, the State Veterinarian’s Office will inspect all livestock for disease before they enter the Exposition Center.
The Junior Heifer Show and the Steer Show on March 6 will award $500 for Kentucky Supreme Champion, $300 for Reserve Champion, and lesser amounts for third through fifth place in each event. The top five exhibitors in each show will be awarded a total of $7,500 in prizes, including $1,000 for first place. The junior jackpot shows are open to all 4-H and FFA members nationwide.
There will be a cattle judging contest for 4-H and FFA members, sponsored by the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association and Brown-Forman. The popular trade show will feature manufacturers of cattle handling equipment and a company specializing in artificial breeding.
Record crowds attended the 2004 beef expo, which generated sales of $737,130, an average of $1,495 per head. Two bulls sold for $10,000 or more.
The Expo is sponsored by Merial, Nutrena, Farm Credit Services, Kentucky Farm Bureau and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.
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