Kentucky Agriculture
Commissioner Jonathan Shell
Contact Us
AgNet
  • About the KDA
      • Offices
      • Office of Commissioner
      • Office of Administrative Services
      • Office of Agricultural Marketing
      • Office of Agricultural Policy
      • Office of Communications
      • Office for Consumer & Environmental Protection
      • Offices
      • Office of Legal Services
      • Office of State Veterinarian
      • KDA Executive Staff
      • KDA Internship Program
      • Request an Official Appearance
      • News
      • Kentucky Agricultural News
      • Press Releases
      • News Archive
      • KY AGNEWS Sign Up
      • KDA Grants
      • All KDA Grants
      • All Current KDA Grants And Funding Opportunities
  • Ag Policy
      • Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy
      • Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy
      • Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund
      • Administrators
      • Applicants
      • Applicant Reporting
      • County Agricultural Development Councils
      • Kentucky Agricultural Development Board
      • Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation (KAFC)
      • Application Deadlines
      • Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation Board
      • Lender & Mentor
      • Loan Programs
      • Kentucky Agricultural Policy Publications
      • Annual Report 2019
      • Annual Report 2020
      • Annual Report 2021
      • Annual Report 2022
      • Annual Report 2023
      • Annual Report 2024
  • Animal
      • Animal Health
      • Animal Disposal and Rendering
      • Animal Welfare and Complaints
      • Beekeeping
      • Brands
      • Composting
      • Emergency Management
      • Animal Health
      • Equine
      • Farmed Cervids
      • Livestock
      • Movement and Identification
      • Online Permitting System
      • Animal Health
      • Pollinator Protection Registration System
      • Poultry
      • State Veterinarian
      • Stockyards and Dealers
      • Stray or Abandoned Horses
      • Animal Marketing Programs
      • Aquaculture
      • Livestock
      • Market News
      • Purebred Breeders Directory
      • Shows and Fairs
  • Online Services
      • Nuisance Weed Spraying
      • Nuisance Weed Spraying Program
      • Ag Businesses Directory
      • Ag Ringtones
      • ARD Inspector Search
      • Free Web Page Builder
      • Hay for Sale
      • Hemp Licensing Portal
        (login required)
      • KDA Calendar of Events
      • Landscape Plant Availability Guide
      • Licensing and Certification Log In Portal
      • Licensing and Certification Registration Portal
      • Nuisance Weed Spraying Program
      • Online Permitting System
      • Pest Control Company Directory
      • Pesticide Complaint Form
      • Pollinator Protection Registration System
      • Product Registration and Renewal System
      • Purebred Breeders Directory
      • Service Agency
      • Stray or Abandoned Horses
      • Weights, Measures & Motor Fuel Complaint Form
  • Pesticides
      • Environmental Services
      • Licensing and Certification Portal
        (login required)
      • Nuisance Weed Spraying Program
      • Pest Control Company Directory
      • Pest Control - Agriculture
      • Pest Control - Structural
      • Environmental Services
      • Pesticide Product Registration
      • Pesticide Complaint Form
      • Pesticide Training and Testing
      • Public Pest and Recycling Assistance
      • Pesticide License Renewal Portal Login
      • Pesticide Registration and Renewal
      • Training and Testing
      • Training and Testing
      • Product Registration
      • Product Registration
  • Plant
      • Plant Marketing
      • Plant Marketing
      • Plant Marketing Programs
      • Farmers Markets
      • Forage/Hay Testing
      • GAP-Good Agriculture Practices
      • Ginseng
      • Plant Marketing Programs
      • Grape and Wine
      • Hemp
      • Hemp Licensing Portal (login required)
      • Horticulture
      • Plant Marketing Programs
      • Landscape Plant Availability Guide
      • Organic
      • Produce Safety Program
      • Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
  • Promotional
      • Marketing Programs
      • Ag Businesses
      • Ag Education
      • Agritourism
      • Appalachia Proud
      • Buy Local
      • CSA - Community Supported Agriculture
      • Marketing Programs
      • Emergency Management
      • Farm License Plate
      • Farm Safety
      • Farm to Fork
      • Farm to School
      • Farmers Markets Directory
      • Farmland Preservation/PACE
      • Forage/Hay Testing
      • Marketing Programs
      • Free Web Page Builder
      • Good Agricultural Practices - GAP
      • Marketing Grants
      • Homegrown By Heroes
      • International Trade
      • Junior Chef
      • KDA Grants
      • Kentucky Proud
      • Kentucky Wine
      • Marketing Programs
      • Livestock Tag
      • Local Food Purchase Assistance Grant
      • Market News
      • Mobile Science Activity Center
      • Promotion and Development
      • Raising Hope
      • Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure
      • Shows and Fairs
      • Woodlands
  • Regulatory
      • Food Programs
      • Farm to School
      • Chefs in Schools
      • Local Food Purchase Assistance Grant
      • National School Lunch Programs
      • Senior Farmers' Market
      • Supplemental Programs
      • Regulation & Inspection
      • Aerial Recreational Devices
      • Amusement Ride Inspections
      • Egg Licensing
      • Grain Licensing and Regulation
      • Grain Licensing Search
      • Licensing and Certification Portal
        (login required)
      • Teen & Tobacco
      • Weights and Measures
      • Weights, Measures & Motor Fuel Complaint Form
      • Environmental Services
      • Pest Control - Agriculture
      • Pest Control - Structural
      • Pesticide Complaint Form
      • Pesticide Product Registration
      • Pesticide Training and Testing
      • Public Pest and Recycling Assistance
      • Other
      • Brands
      • Composting
      • Market News
      • Organic Program
      • Rendering
      • Stockyards and Dealers
  • AGNET
  • Contact Us
29
OCT

Largest Livestock Exposition in the World Arrives in Louisville

 

 

Kentucky Venues

 

LOUISVILLE (Oct. 29, 2018) — It’s not Noah’s Ark, but it’s close. Over 30,000 animals and their owners from around the globe will move into the Kentucky Exposition Center as they compete in the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) for nearly $750,000 in premiums and awards. Last year the event drew competitors, exhibitors and attendees from 45 states and nine foreign countries, with an economic impact of $10.5 million.

NAILE is the largest all-breed, purebred livestock expo in the world and runs Oct. 30—Nov. 15, 2018. The expo features ten divisions of livestock competition including Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Dairy Goat, Meat Goat, Swine, Sheep, Llama, Alpaca, Draft Horse, and Quarter Horse.

Kentucky Venues has produced the event since 1974.

NAILE offers a variety of experiences for livestock enthusiasts and those new to the exposition world:

• The North American Quarter Horse Show
• The North American Marketplace
• The Sale of Champions
• The North American Championship Rodeo
• Livestreaming of select events

The North American Quarter Horse Show returns to Broadbent Arena Oct. 30-Nov. 7, 2018.

The quadruple-judged, quadruple-point North American Quarter Horse Show features more than 200 classes of events over its nine-day run. The show attracts upwards of 1,000 entries, with $75,000 of prize money at stake. Competition classes include cutting, reining, halter, team penning, Western pleasure, tie-down roping, pole bending and barrel racing.

The show is sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association, the National Cutting Horse Association and the National Reining Horse Association.

The Quarter Horse Show is free and open to the public. Parking is $10 daily. NAILE admission is required Nov. 2-5: $6 per person and free for children 12 and under.

Each year shoppers look forward to the North American Marketplace, which takes place exclusively during NAILE.

The North American Marketplace features more than 200,000 square feet of exhibit space and 200 vendors offering clothing, belt buckles, sweets, cowboy hats, arts and crafts, books, musical instruments, handcrafted furniture and jewelry. “Cowgirl chic” boutiques with the latest trends in western-style clothing and accessories round out the shopping experience.

All the latest products related to showing livestock are also available, including specialized vehicle trailers for transporting animals and various livestock gear. In addition to the shopping, the Children’s Barnyard provides opportunities for guests to interact with rabbits, mini-horses, lambs, newly-hatched ducklings and other baby animals.

The marketplace is located in the North Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center and is open daily Nov. 3-15 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Extended hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. run Nov. 9-10.

North American Marketplace shoppers and expo visitors receive free admission and parking
Nov. 6-7. All other days, admission to NAILE is $6 per person and free for children 12 and under. Parking is $10 daily.

The Sale of Champions celebrates accomplished young exhibitors who have raised award-winning market animals and serves as the capstone event of NAILE. This year’s Sale of Champions will take place on Nov. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in Freedom Hall.

Ten percent of sales are donated to charitable organizations. The remaining 90 percent of the proceeds are split, with 10 percent going to promote the expo and 80 percent being divided amongst the young exhibitors. More than $1.75 million has been raised through the auction to promote youth involvement in agribusiness and fund charitable endeavors.

The North American Championship Rodeo is always a wild ride and will take place in Freedom Hall Nov. 8-10. From barrel racing to bull riding, cowboys and cowgirls compete for the coveted first-place finish and cash prizes. Friday, Nov. 9 is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night” with a portion of ticket sales going to Horses and Hope, a breast cancer awareness organization.

Guests can buy tickets online at ticketmaster.com/artist/834727?tm_link=tm_header_search.

Interested guests can experience NAILE anywhere with livestream on select events free of charge. Footage will be broadcast by Walton Webcasting from four locations throughout the Kentucky Exposition Center and include both judged competitions and sales.

Followers can log on via desktops, laptops, phones, tablets and other mobile devices to view live coverage of sheep, swine, and beef and dairy cattle shows. The broadcast schedule and livestream coverage will be posted on the NAILE website at livestockexpo.org/livestream.html. Archived footage from past years is also available for viewing.

Event passes for the entire expo are $25 for admission and $25 for parking.

For more information, including a schedule of events, visit livestockexpo.org.

Follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/KYNAILE and Instagram at instagram.com/KY_NAILE.

Press Release Sign-up

    In the News

  • 4/11/25 – Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corp. approves more than $2.1 million in loans
  • 3/18/25 – Ag Education Week brings the agriculture experience to the classroom
  • 3/17/25 – Russell County Hospital, Dry Branch Stock Farm partner up on Food is Medicine initiative
  • 3/07/25 – Agriculture Commissioner kicks off Ag Tag season visiting with FFA, 4-H members
  • 3/06/25 – 2025 Beef Expo sales reach more than $700,000
  • View All Press Releases...

    Agriculture Links

  • Kentucky Farm Bureau Newsroom
  • Cromwell Ag Network
  • Morning Ag Report - WKDZ 106.5 FM

KDA Video

Agriculture in Kentucky

Agriculture is more than a part of life, it’s a passion and commitment to provide the fiber, feed, and shelter the world needs.

Equine Industry in Kentucky

Agriculture is more than a part of life, it’s a passion and commitment to provide the fiber, feed, and shelter the world needs.

Kentucky Farmers' Markets

Kentucky Farmers' Markets bring fresh, local produce, meats, eggs, and handmade goods directly to communities. These markets support local farmers and offer a vibrant shopping experience with seasonal products, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

Sunshine Class

The Sunshine Class is a unique opportunity for special needs individuals to engage in Kentucky agriculture by showing livestock. To learn more about how to get involved visit kyagr.com/sunshine/

ABOUT KDA AGNET CONTACT US REQUEST AN APPEARANCE
KY Department of Agriculture |Phone: (502) 573-0282 |Fax: (502) 564-2133 |1-800-327-6568 |Disclaimer |Ag links
© Kentucky Agriculture Department. All rights reserved.
Kentucky Proud