What the Colquitt County Junior Livestock Market Beef Show Is
The Colquitt County Junior Livestock Market Beef Show is the county steer and heifer show run by the Colquitt County Junior Livestock Association (CCJLA). Young FFA and 4-H members bring market cattle they have raised, show them in front of a judge by weight class and in showmanship, and then sell them in a sponsorship sale. The most recent show was held Monday, March 2, 2026, at the Colquitt County Livestock Pavilion, with the sale the next evening, March 3.
Who Can Enter and Rules
- Grade: cattle exhibitors must be in 4th grade or older.
- Membership: every exhibitor must be an FFA or 4-H member whose name is on a Colquitt County school 4-H/FFA roll or on file at the County Extension office. Members who move into the county system, or from another county, may show an animal that was tagged while they attended school in their previous county.
- Ownership: each calf is entered under one exhibitor's name only, and an exhibitor must own the animal shown in showmanship.
- Tagging: ear tagging happens only on the designated tagging days, and every animal must be in the exhibitor's possession by the final tagging date. Lost tags must be reported right away to a Vocational Agriculture teacher or the County Agent.
- Limits: up to four steers may be tagged and two shown, and up to four heifers may be tagged and two shown. No substitutions are allowed after weigh-in or check-in.
- Minimum weight: 750 lbs.
- Halter: all animals in individual classes must be halter broken and shown from the halter.
- Natural appearance: pumping steers or heifers to make weight, using any substance, or using artificial tailheads, switches or body hair is prohibited. Violations mean disqualification from the show and sale. Heifers must meet state show age requirements.
How It Works: The Timeline
- Home tagging, Wednesday, October 22, 2025Electronic sign-up is sent the first week of October and is first come, first served. All tags and tattoos, including those on previously tagged animals, must be verified.
- In-person tagging, Thursday, October 23, 2025, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.For exhibitors who did not home tag. The signed entry form and entry fees are due at tagging, and fees are non-refundable.
- Weigh-in, Monday, March 2, 2026, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.Health papers are required before weighing. Cattle must be weighed and in the barn by 9:00 a.m. Each animal is weighed once, and that weight serves as both show weight and sale weight.
- Show, Monday, March 2, 2026, starting at noonShowmanship first, then heifer classes, then steer classes.
- Sponsorship sale, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 6:00 p.m.Animals in the sale must be back at the barn by 5:00 p.m.
Classes and Showmanship
Market animals are shown by weight, and the Show Committee divides classes as equally as possible after weigh-in. Heifer classes are divided by number of entries and weight. Only the first-place class winners compete for Champion, and the second-place calf from the Grand Champion's class competes for Reserve.
| Cattle showmanship division | Grades |
|---|---|
| Junior | 4th to 6th |
| Intermediate | 7th to 9th |
| Senior | 10th to 12th |
A grade needs at least three exhibitors to form its own class; smaller grades are combined. No first-year showmanship classes are offered.
The Sponsorship Sale and What You Get
- Animals sell in a sponsorship sale, by the head, one at a time. The Grand and Reserve Champions sell first and are pre-sold.
- An exhibitor may sell only one animal of each species.
- A project that wins Grand or Reserve Champion at a state show gives up weight-class competition at the county show with that animal, may still be shown in showmanship, and does not go through the sponsorship sale.
Where
Colquitt County Livestock Pavilion, Colquitt County, Georgia. After check-in, all show animals must stay in the barn, or in the designated cattle tie-out area, for the full show. Cattle are stalled in the lower barn's cattle stalling area.
Questions
Can a 3rd grader show a steer?
No. Cattle exhibitors must be in 4th grade or older, though hog and lamb or goat exhibitors may start in 1st grade.
Do I have to be in 4-H or FFA?
Yes. All exhibitors must be FFA or 4-H members on a Colquitt County roll or on file at the County Extension office.
How many animals can I tag and show?
Up to four steers and four heifers can be tagged, with two of each shown.
Official Links
- 2025-2026 CCJLA Show Rules (PDF): general rules, tagging, weigh-in, classes and sale
Georgia County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows: The Essentials
Georgia's youth livestock season runs from January jackpots to the Georgia National Fair in Perry, which ran through October 18 in 2026, per WTOC. The top show is the Georgia Junior National Livestock Show in Perry: lambs and goats October 7 to 11, 2026, and hogs, beef, heifers, ewes and does February 17 to 20, 2027, per Georgia 4-H.
Who can show
Georgia 4-H and FFA members who have not finished high school. Grade minimums run from 1st grade for lambs and goats to 4th grade for beef.
Tags and papers
Market lambs and goats need state ear tags by August 1 and hogs by December 5. Livestock need a veterinary inspection certificate.
Next steps
Ask your county Extension agent or ag teacher for the fair book and entry dates.
Rules differ by fair.
Read the full guide: Georgia County Fairs and Youth Livestock Shows
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- South Georgia Showdown Breeding Ewe and Doe Show
Breeding ewe and doe show at the Colquitt County Agriculture Center in Moultrie.
Moultrie, GA Official event details - Sunbelt Ag Expo
Three-day farm show billed as North America's premier farm show, with about 1,200 exhibitors and a 600-acre working research farm for equipment demonstrations and free seminars. Next dates are Oct. 19-21, 2027.
- Blue Ridge Cattle Classic
Two-day junior cattle show at the Union County Agricenter in Blairsville, part of the Georgia 4-H and FFA winter show circuit.
Blairsville, GA Official event details - Rockin The Ridge Market Hog Show
Market hog show for 4-H and FFA exhibitors at the Fannin County Ag Facility in Blue Ridge, run by the county FFA Alumni.
- Syrup City Harvest Classic Cattle and Pig Show
Three-day cattle and pig show in Cairo, the Syrup City, scheduled for November 13-15, 2026. Held each year as part of the fall youth livestock circuit.
Cairo, GA Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.