About this event
The Kay County Junior Livestock Show (KCJLS) in Blackwell is run by the Kay County Free Fair Board for Kay County 4-H and FFA exhibitors, with entries and forms handled through the Kay County OSU Extension office. The most recent verified edition ran February 8-13, 2026 according to the show rules (the county web page listed February 9-13). The next dates are not confirmed.
Dates, deadlines and schedule
For the 2026 show, nominations were due December 5, 2025, animal entries January 16, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. (a $50 late fee per animal ran through January 23), and eligibility letters for homeschooled and 4-H-only members February 6. The show week ran:
- Sunday-Monday: hogs check in Sunday evening; weigh-in Monday 8:00-9:00 a.m.; hog show 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday: sheep weigh-in 8:00-9:00 a.m. and goats 9:00-10:00 a.m.; sheep show 11:00 a.m., goat show 30 minutes later, then the doe fitting contest.
- Wednesday: cattle weigh-in 8:00-9:00 a.m.; cattle show noon, then the cattle fitting contest.
- Thursday: ag mechanics judging 10:30 a.m.; barn cleanup 5:00 p.m., all exhibitors.
- Friday: premium sale dinner 5:30 p.m., sale 6:30 p.m.
Divisions or species
Hogs (purebred and commercial gilts, market barrows), sheep (registered and commercial ewes, market wethers), goats (breeding does and wethers), and beef (registered and commercial heifers, market steers), each with showmanship (Junior 12 and under, Intermediate 13-15, Senior 16+) and community school groups from Tonkawa, Ponca City, Blackwell and Newkirk. There is also an ag mechanics contest, a carcass contest and a commercial beef stocker contest.
Getting there
The show is in Blackwell. Cattle may stay overnight in Whitman Arena. No street address is given in the rules.
Tips for exhibitors and families
- Bedding is woodchips only for all species.
- Swine need current pseudorabies papers and an 840 EID tag with no exceptions.
- The rules contain a few internal date conflicts (such as the ag mechanics form date), so confirm with the Extension office.
- Written protests require a $50 deposit to the Free Fair Board.
Official links
Oklahoma County Junior Livestock Shows: The Essentials
Oklahoma counties run their own junior livestock shows for 4-H and FFA members, and each county writes its own show book. Kay County's 2026 rules, for example, required nomination by December 5, 2025, with animals continuously owned and fed by the exhibitor from that date, while Tulsa County's nomination date was December 22, 2025. Choctaw County requires exhibitors to own their animals individually and keep them at home unless the board approves otherwise.
Tags and papers
Cattle at the Tulsa County show need an 840 RFID ear tag, sheep and goats need a scrapie tag, and swine need original negative test papers and a premises ID. Premium sales have their own limits, so read the current book.
Oklahoma Youth Expo
The Oklahoma Youth Expo has its own nomination and ID process. Under the 2024 OYE rulebook, exhibitors keep continuous ownership from nomination to show day, and an Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) official validates every health certificate before stalls are assigned. ODAFF's swine permit bars swine shown after March 1 from the Expo, and Oklahoma swine need an ear notch and an 840 electronic tag. Check okyouthexpo.com for the current year.
Read the full guide: Oklahoma County Junior Livestock Shows: How They Work
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