What the 4-H/FFA Meat Goats Show Is
The 4-H/FFA Meat Goats Show is the youth meat goat competition at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot. North Dakota 4-H and FFA members bring market goats and breeding goats to the fairgrounds, show them in age-based showmanship and in the ring, and the best showmen move on to the fair's round-robin showmanship contest. The 2026 show started at noon on Friday, July 24, in the Gooseneck Arena, during the fair that ran July 17 to 25.
Classes and Ways to Show
| Part of the show | How it works |
|---|---|
| Showmanship | Junior (age 8 to 10), Intermediate (11 to 13), Senior (14 to 16), Advanced (17 to 19), Legacy (20 to 21), with age counted as of Sept. 1, 2025 |
| Market goats | Class 350 market doe and class 351 market wether, any breed or crossbred, under one year old at the show |
| Breeding goats | Meat, fiber and pygmy goats are shown together as one show; dairy goats show separately |
Registered animals with papers are subdivided by breed, and breeds with fewer than three entries are combined into an All Other Breeds group. Grade animals and registered animals without papers are shown as commercial, and commercial does are shown in heats by weight.
Who Can Enter and Rules
- Exhibitors must be enrolled North Dakota 4-H members (ages 8 to 18) or FFA members on a chapter roster.
- Entries are limited to two per class per breed, and 12 animals total for the meat and fiber goat show.
- Goats must be owned or leased, with daily management by the exhibitor, by May 1 of the show year, and entered by May 1 through 4-HOnline or with the FFA advisor.
- Papers must be shown at check-in for registered animals; photocopies do not count.
- All 4-H/FFA livestock exhibitors must have quality assurance training (YQCA, LQA, BQA, PQA, or an accredited FFA chapter with a formal ag course).
- Market goats are age verified at the official weigh-in by checking for milk teeth. Market wethers and does are shown by weight in groups of no more than 10, and the first and second in each weight group are considered for champion and reserve champion market goat.
How It Works: The Timeline
- Arrive: Goats may arrive Monday, July 20 from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. or Tuesday, July 21 from 7:00 a.m., and must be penned by 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Weigh-in for 4-H/FFA goats happens on arrival, and the all-goat weigh-in closes at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday.
- Exhibitor meeting: Tuesday, July 21, noon, in the Expo Arena.
- Show: Friday, July 24, noon, Gooseneck Arena. Showmanship runs at the start of the show, and the top two meat goat showmen advance to the round robin.
- Round robin and awards: Saturday, July 25, round robin at 8:00 a.m. and 4-H/FFA awards at 9:30 a.m. in the All Seasons Arena.
- Release: Staggered release of 4-H/FFA livestock runs 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, with release times varying by distance from Minot. Removing goats early can mean forfeiting premiums.
Awards and What You Get
Blue, red and white ribbons carry premiums, with extra premiums for first place in market classes and for champion and reserve champion breeding animals. Premiums are mailed in September. Each exhibitor receives a show shirt to wear in every show. Grand and reserve champion market goats are drug tested after judging. The round-robin contest pairs the top showmen from beef, dairy, dairy goat, meat goat, sheep and swine, and awards in the junior and intermediate division come from the North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association, while the ND FFA Foundation sponsors the senior and advanced awards.
Where
Gooseneck Arena, North Dakota State Fair, 2005 Burdick Expressway East, Minot, ND 58701. Livestock trailers park off the grounds, and one free livestock load/unload pass per family must be requested in advance. No fans are allowed in barn aisles.
Questions
Do I sign up on the fair website?
Your county extension agent or FFA advisor enters you. Families showing only in 4-H/FFA complete the 4-H/FFA Only Exhibitor Stall and Passes Request Form on ndstatefair.com for passes.
Can my goat show in more than one show?
The same animal can be in the 4-H or the FFA show, not both, but can also enter the junior and open shows.
What does a fair ticket cost?
Exhibitor season tickets for 4-H and FFA members are $10 at the gate with a membership card.
Who do I call?
The State Fair office at 701-857-7620. The goat superintendent is Kadey Klain.
Official Links
- 2026 livestock exhibitor schedule
- 2026 4-H division exhibit list
- 2026 Boer goat department rules
- How to enter
North Dakota County Fairs: The Essentials
North Dakota county fairs run from June into the fall and combine an open class, a 4-H division run by NDSU Extension, and often FFA exhibits. Each county sets its own fair book, dates and deadlines, so get yours from the Extension office early. History: laws from 1897 and 1905 let county commissioners levy taxes to support county fairs.
Examples
Grant County's 2025 fair (August 14-17, Carson) required six club meetings, set market beef ownership at March 1 and other species at May 1, and used interview judging for static projects. Cass County's 2021 Red River Valley Fair opened registration June 1 and paid static blue $3.50, red $2.50 and white $1.50.
State fair
The 2026 North Dakota State Fair ran July 17-25 in Minot. Static exhibits needed a blue ribbon or higher at a county event supervised by Extension, and exhibitors needed to be enrolled in 4-HOnline. Livestock entries were due May 1, with YQCA or equivalent quality assurance training required, and premiums were mailed in September. Read your county book for the dates that apply locally and for any residency rules before you enter.
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- North Dakota Farm Bureau Living Ag in the Classroom Minot
A Living Ag in the Classroom session in Minot for teachers. Next session posted for January 27, 2027; the city comes from the event title.
Minot, ND | Organizer: North Dakota Farm Bureau Official event details - Ward County 4-H Air Rifle and Pistol Match
County 4-H shooting sports match held February 21, 2026, at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds in Minot, with a Fun Match for all ages at 1 p.m.
2005 E Burdick Expy, Minot, ND 58701 | Organizer: Ward County 4-H Official event details - Rodeo Minot
Friday brings an NDRA rodeo and Saturday a PRCA rodeo at the State Fair Center, with adult tickets at $15 and $20. Held each year; the most recent dates were April 10-11, 2026.
2005 Burdick Expressway East, Minot, ND 58701 | 701-857-8206 Official event details - Ward County 4-H Achievement Days
The 94th annual Ward County 4-H Achievement Days ran June 12-18, 2026, at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds with 264 members showing projects, horses and livestock; free to attend.
Minot, ND | Organizer: Ward County 4-H Official event details - NDSA Spring Roundup Berthold
NDSA District 6 spring roundup in Berthold, a free cattlemen's meeting that starts with a 5 p.m. social. Held each year; the most recent roundup was 2026-06-08.
210 Main Street, Berthold, ND | Organizer: North Dakota Stockmen's Association Official event details
All North Dakota events by date
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.