What the Governor's Livestock Sale of Champions Is
The Governor's Livestock Sale of Champions is the premium sale at the Nevada Junior Livestock Show and Sale, held during the State Fair of Nevada at the Nevada State Fairgrounds in Reno. The top youth market animals of the show are brought to the main arena on Saturday evening and sold to bidders, so the exhibitors who earned the highest placings get the spotlight and the money that goes with it. The 2026 sale was on Saturday, June 13, and the Governor's Show and Sale Dinner is part of the program.
Who Is in the Sale
The sale is open to youth who showed at the Nevada Junior Livestock Show: FFA, 4-H, Grange and independent members. Only market animals sell. Blue and red ribbon animals must sell, and white ribbon animals do not. The Top 5 market animals move to display pens in the arena on Saturday afternoon before the sale, and scholarship animals have their own place in the order.
How the Day Runs
| Time (Saturday, June 13, 2026) | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2:00 p.m. | Release forms available at the office; Top 5 market animals move to arena display pens |
| 2:45 p.m. | Auction meeting at the Show Office |
| 4:00 p.m. | Scholarship applicant presentations and awards; dinner and bar open |
| 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. | Governor's Livestock Sale of Champions in the Main Arena |
| After the champions | Auction of the remaining market animals |
The fair listed the sale at 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The show's own tentative schedule listed the Governor's sale at 5:00 p.m. and the general auction at 6:00 p.m., so arrive early. Species sell in this order: swine, beef, sheep, rabbits, market goats, scholarship animals, then poultry in the general auction.
Rules That Shape the Sale
- Grand Champion and Reserve Champion market animals must go to harvest and cannot be sold as live release. Buy-backs from packers are prohibited.
- Blue ribbon animals sell first, starting with the highest placing; show management sets the final order.
- Entering the sale ring late carries a $25 fine.
- Private treaty sales are not allowed through the show.
- Buyers who want a live animal must declare it on the invoice and pay by the designated load-out, or the animal goes to harvest and the buyer pays the harvest fee.
Bidders and Buyers
Buyers sign up for a buyer number at the show: Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until the sale ends. The show board told all access gates to admit buyers onto the grounds for the sale. Invoices are due 30 days after the sale, with a finance charge of 1.5 percent per month after 60 days, and a credit card service charge applies.
Add-ons
Anyone can add to an exhibitor's price. Add-ons are a minimum of $25 for beef, goat, sheep and swine and $10 for rabbit and turkey. No commission is taken on add-ons, and purchase orders are accepted up to 60 minutes after the sale.
What Exhibitors Get
Exhibitors are paid only after the buyer's payment clears. Commission is deducted from proceeds: 7 percent for market goat, rabbit, sheep, swine and poultry and 6 percent for beef, plus a carcass recognition fund deduction of 1.5 percent on goat, sheep and swine and 1 percent on beef. Champions are recognized with banner presentations on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m., when the champion market swine, lamb, steer and goat are driven into the arena.
Where
Main Arena, Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, Nevada State Fairgrounds, 1350 N. Wells Avenue, Reno, NV 89512. Fair admission is separate; see the State Fair of Nevada page for ticket prices.
Questions
Can anyone bid?
Buyers must register for a buyer number at the show.
Do the champions go home alive?
No. Champion and Reserve Champion market animals must go to harvest.
Who do I contact?
The Nevada Junior Livestock Show Board can be reached at NJLSB@agri.nv.gov or P.O. Box 8026, Reno, NV 89507.
Official Links
- State Fair of Nevada: Youth Agriculture Programming
- State Fair of Nevada
- NJLS 2026 schedule
- NJLS 2026 rule and information book
- University of Nevada, Reno: State Fair of Nevada returns
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Washoe County 4-H Livestock Show
Washoe County 4-H youth show and prepare their animals here ahead of the Nevada Junior Livestock Show in June. Free for the public to attend; exhibitors register and pay fees in advance.
1350 N Wells Ave, Reno, NV 89512 | (775) 784-4848 | Organizer: UNR Extension 4-H Office Official event details - State Fair of Nevada
The official Nevada State Fair returned to the Reno fairgrounds in June 2026 with the Junior Livestock Show, the 4-H State Expo, the Governor's Sale of Champions, a farmers market pavilion and junior bull riding. Held each year; the most recent dates were June 11-13, 2026.
- Nevada Junior Livestock Show and Sale
Three-day youth livestock show at the Nevada State Fairgrounds that ends with a live auction on Saturday evening; 4-H and FFA members show animals and buyers bid on market projects.
- Next Generation Youth Bull Riding
Friday-night junior bull riding added to the 2026 State Fair program in Reno, sold as a separate add-on ticket ($25 adults, $15 kids) on top of regular fair admission.
1350 N Wells Ave, Reno, NV 89512 | Organizer: Nevada Department of Agriculture Official event details - Nevada 4-H State Expo
Statewide 4-H Expo with small animal, livestock and static competitions, folded into the State Fair in 2026; youth show animals and projects from 8 am to 5 pm on Saturday, June 13.
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.