What Heifer in the Hills Is
Heifer in the Hills is a one-day heifer show for 4-H and FFA exhibitors, held in the Lumpkin County FFA Barn in Dahlonega. It draws middle and high school students from across north Georgia, and it pairs a showmanship contest with breed classes for registered heifers and a weight-class show for commercial heifers. The next show is Saturday, February 6, 2027, and online entries are due January 15, 2027.
Divisions and Ways to Compete
| Contest | How it works |
|---|---|
| Showmanship | Divided as evenly as possible by grade level; grades can be combined if entries are light. There is also an open showmanship class that pairs an observer of any age with a registered exhibitor. |
| Purebred breed show | Registered heifers shown by breed. Past shows have run Angus, Fleckvieh, High Percent Simmental, Shorthorn and Shorthorn Plus classes, plus two All Other Breeds divisions (British and exotic). |
| Commercial heifers | Shown by weight class. Commercial heifers are weighed in at check-in. |
Show management sets the final classes after registrations come in, and decides whether a heifer is shown as purebred or commercial.
How It Works: The Timeline
- By January 15, 2027: submit your entry online through the official entry form.
- Show morning: at the 2025 show, check-in ran 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., showmanship started at 9:00 a.m., and the breed show began right after showmanship.
- Payment: at the 2025 show, checks were due about two weeks before the show date and were non-refundable. Exhibitors who had registered but whose check had not arrived by show day were asked to pay cash.
Who Can Enter and Rules
- Exhibitors must be current 4-H or FFA members at the time of entry.
- Each heifer must be solely owned by the exhibitor. Registered heifers must be registered in the exhibitor's name with the breed association, and the original registration certificate must be shown at check-in.
- Every entry, commercial heifers included, needs a legible tattoo and/or tag number.
- A veterinarian's certificate is required, stating the animals come from herds not under quarantine and appear free of infectious, contagious or communicable disease.
- Heifers must be halter broken and manageable on a lead.
- Age classifications follow the state rules.
- Limits: three heifers per exhibitor, and no more than two in any one class.
- Exhibitors show their own animals, except when they have more than one animal in the same class. Substitute showmen must be cleared with show management, and a current 4-H or FFA member may show an exhibitor's second heifer.
- Bring your own feed, feed trough and water pails. Exhibitors are responsible for their animal's care during the show, and the show is not liable for loss or damage to exhibits, though it will give animals the best care and attention to prevent it.
Awards and What You Get
Awards go to class winners and showmanship winners, with a Breed Champion and Reserve Breed Champion and a Supreme Champion and Reserve Supreme Champion overall. In past years the show has named champion and reserve showmen by grade, with winners coming from several north Georgia counties. The show also sells commemorative T-shirts: in 2025 they were $20 pre-ordered and $25 on show day. A concession stand sells biscuits, hamburgers and hot dogs, and past shows have raffled a whole processed hog.
Where
Lumpkin County FFA Barn, 2001 Indian Drive, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533. Plan to arrive in the early check-in window, because showmanship starts at 9:00 a.m.
Questions
Can I enter a commercial heifer?
Yes. Commercial heifers are shown by weight class and are weighed in at check-in. They still need a legible tattoo or tag number and a health certificate.
How many heifers can I bring?
Up to three per exhibitor, with a maximum of two in any single class.
Do I have to be in 4-H or FFA?
Yes. Exhibitors must be current 4-H or FFA members when they enter.
Can someone else show my heifer?
Only in limited cases. You show your own animal unless you have more than one in the same class, and any substitute must be cleared with show management first.
What should I bring to check-in?
Your original breed registration certificate for registered heifers, the veterinarian's certificate, your own feed, trough and water pails, and cash if your check has not been received.
Official Links
- Georgia FFA Beef Cattle Shows: 2027 date, location, deadline and entry form link
- Online entry form
- Heifer in the Hills rules (2025 edition)
- The Dahlonega Nugget: Agriculture educators host annual Heifers in the Hills
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- 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 - MAC Attack Cattle Show
One-day junior cattle show held in the MAC Building in Hazlehurst, Jeff Davis County, on the Georgia 4-H show calendar.
Hazlehurst, GA Official event details - The MAC Attack Cattle Show
One-day cattle show at the MAC Building in Hazlehurst, scheduled for November 14, 2026. Held each year on the fall youth show calendar.
Hazlehurst, GA Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.