How Oklahoma County Junior Livestock Shows Work
Most Oklahoma counties run their own junior livestock show for 4-H and FFA members, usually in winter or spring and often tied to a premium sale. There is no single statewide rulebook for them. Each county board or Extension office writes its own show book, so dates, limits and weights differ from one county to the next. The three examples used here are the 2026 Kay County show rules, the 2026 Tulsa County spring show book and the Choctaw County junior livestock rules. Always read your own county's current book.
Who Can Show
- Membership. Exhibitors must be 4-H or FFA members. Kay County requires current 4-H enrollment with state dues paid, or FFA dues paid and enrollment in an agriculture class in 8th grade or above.
- Age and grade. Kay County requires age 8 and 3rd grade or above, Tulsa County requires age 8 and 3rd grade by September 1, and Choctaw County requires 3rd grade and age 8 before September 1.
- County residence. In Kay County, exhibitors and animals that show in another county's show are not eligible. Choctaw County requires attending a Choctaw County school, homeschooling in the county, or attending a private school in a designated school area.
- Academic eligibility. Kay County requires a school-certified eligibility letter from 4-H members and homeschoolers, due to the Extension office by February 6, 2026.
Ownership, Nomination and Tagging
Most county shows lock in the animal early. The nomination or registration date is the point after which the project must be yours, in your possession and fed by you.
- Kay County 2026. Nominations were due December 5, 2025, and animals had to be continuously owned and fed by the exhibitor from that date. County-nominated animals need a tag plus two photos (a headshot showing the ear tag number and a side profile) with the exhibitor in the picture.
- Tulsa County 2026. Animals had to be nominated in the exhibitor's name by December 22, 2025, and owned and fed daily by that date. Registered heifers had to be registered in the owner's sole name by January 20, 2026. All cattle, including registered heifers, need an 840 RFID ear tag to compete.
- Choctaw County. Exhibitors must individually own all animals, which are kept at the exhibitor's home unless the Junior Livestock Board approves otherwise before registration. No animal may be kept at a breeder or seller facility, and no animal may be replaced after its species' registration date.
Sheep and goats generally need a scrapie tag in the ear, and Kay County requires an 840 EID tag on hogs. Tulsa County requires the original swine test form and a premises ID.
Species and Classes
Counties typically offer market steers, breeding heifers, market and breeding swine, wether and ewe sheep, and wether and doe goats. Kay County also runs commercial beef groups and carcass contests, and Choctaw County adds a broiler pen project. Limits vary: Kay County lets an exhibitor show 3 animals per division, while Choctaw County allows up to 4 registrations in most species. Minimum weights are set by the county, for example 900 pounds for Kay County market steers and 800 pounds for Choctaw County steers.
Show Day and the Premium Sale
Weigh-in is usually the morning of or just before the show, with species on separate days. Kay County 2026 weighed hogs on February 9, sheep and goats on February 10 and cattle on February 11, with the premium sale on February 13 at 6:30 p.m. Tulsa County 2026 ran cattle on Monday, February 23, goats and sheep on Tuesday and swine on Wednesday at Expo Square.
Premium sale rules also differ by county. In Kay County an exhibitor may sell up to 5 animals per sex and species, one carcass per species and one commercial group, but only one lot in all. Choctaw County limits each exhibitor to one beef animal, one sheep, one goat, one swine and one pen of broilers, lets the judge pick the sale animals, and rewards buyers who give $100 or more with a handwritten thank-you card and a framed photo. Tulsa County's money program is a bonus lineup that pays a share of entry fees to the top 10 percent of animals.
Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE): Qualifying and ID Rules
The Oklahoma Youth Expo is the state's big junior show. OSU lists it as open to Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members ages 8 to 19, with more than 7,000 members bringing more than 13,000 head. Exhibitors enter through OYE's own nomination and ID process, described below.
- Eligibility. The 2024 OYE rulebook requires membership in an Oklahoma 4-H club or FFA chapter and attendance at an Oklahoma school or homeschooling in Oklahoma. FFA exhibitors must be on their chapter's roster at the state FFA office by February 1. Exhibitors who were 19 as of July 1 before the show are ineligible.
- State ownership rules. Exhibitors must keep continuous ownership, possession and daily care from nomination until show day. Jointly owned animals are ineligible except under the household nomination rule, and animals sold in any terminal premium sale are ineligible.
- Nomination. Market steers, market lambs, commercial ewes, all goats and all hogs are nominated online by OYE's deadlines, with DNA samples. For the 2025 show, sheep, goat and steer nominations were due November 21, 2024, hogs December 5, 2024, and online entries February 21, 2025. Steers require three photos with the exhibitor in them, and the ag teacher or Extension educator must approve entries. Heifers and breeding ewes are not nominated and go through entries only. Check okyouthexpo.com for the current year's dates.
- ID. The OYE tag number goes in the validation number box. Hogs need an ear notch and an 840 tag, sheep and goats need a USDA scrapie tag, and market animals arrive wearing their assigned OYE ear tag.
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture (ODAFF) checks
Under the OYE rulebook, an official from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) Animal Industry Services Division checks every certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) and validates it before stall or pen assignment, and market animal tags are checked at the ODAFF check station at the entry gate. The CVI must be dated within 30 days of arrival.
ODAFF's swine permit form adds a hard calendar rule: no swine exhibitions are to be conducted after March 1 of each year except the Oklahoma Youth Expo, and swine shown after March 1 and other swine from the same premises are barred from the Expo. Oklahoma-origin swine need an ear notch plus an official 840 electronic button tag, and the premises needs a federal PIN or state LID.
Tips for Families
- Read your county book in the fall, before nomination day, not in January.
- Photograph the animal with the ear tag legible on the nomination date.
- Keep original health and registration papers together; counties and OYE both ask for originals.
- Know ODAFF's March 1 swine rule before you plan any late swine shows.
Official Resources
- OSU Extension - Youth Livestock Events: statewide contests and camps
- 2024 Oklahoma Youth Expo All Species Rulebook (PDF): eligibility, ID and health rules
- OYE Online Nomination Guide (PDF): nomination steps and deadlines
- ODAFF Swine Exhibition or Special Sale Permit (PDF): swine ID and testing
- ODAFF - OYE Skillathon Contest: written test for 4-H and FFA members
Oklahoma Listings Covered by This Guide
- Kay County Junior Livestock Show
Spring junior show with swine, sheep, goat, cattle, carcass, fitting and ag mechanics contests plus a premium sale; the 2027 week is planned for February 8-12.
Blackwell, OK | 580-362-3194 | Organizer: Kay County Free Fair Board Official event details - Creek County Spring Stock Show
Spring stock show Feb 16-23, 2027 at the Creek County Fairgrounds with heifer, steer, goat, sheep and swine classes, ag mechanics contest and premium sale; Creek Ag and 4-H clubs handle sale setup.
17808 W Hwy 66, Kellyville, OK 74039 | Organizer: Creek County Fair Board Official event details - Oklahoma Youth Expo
Premier statewide junior livestock show for 4-H and FFA exhibitors at the Oklahoma City fairgrounds; the next edition is listed for March 10-19, 2027.
- Sequoyah County Junior Livestock Show
61st annual 4-H and FFA show, Feb 4-5 2026, with the Bidder's Barbecue and Premium Auction on Feb 6 at the Sequoyah County Fairgrounds in Sallisaw. Includes a 4-H Impressive Dress Contest.
464101 E. 1070 Rd., Sallisaw, OK | Organizer: Sequoyah County OSU Extension and Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce Official event details - Woods County Junior Livestock Show
Woods County Junior Livestock Show Feb 9-10, 2026 at the Woods County Fairgrounds in Alva: swine and cattle on Monday, sheep and goats on Tuesday. Open to the public.
43258 Harper Rd, Alva, OK 73717 | (580) 327-2786 | Organizer: OSU Extension Woods County Official event details - Alfalfa County Spring Livestock Show
Youth spring livestock show for cattle, swine, sheep and goats in Cherokee, listed for Feb 9, 2026 through the Alfalfa County Extension Office; held the week of Presidents Day, so annual.
602 West 5th St., Suite 2, Cherokee, OK 73728 | 580-596-3131 | Organizer: OSU Extension Alfalfa County Official event details - Eufaula Local Livestock Show and Premium Sale
Show at 9 a.m., premium dinner 5:30 p.m. and premium sale 7 p.m. on Feb 14, 2026 at the McIntosh County Fairgrounds.
121182 OK-9, Eufaula, OK | Organizer: Eufaula Ag Boosters Club Official event details - Kingfisher County Spring Livestock Show
96th annual spring livestock show for 4-H and FFA members from Kingfisher, Cashion, Dover, Hennessey, Lomega and Okarche; year 2026 inferred from weekdays. Lomega 4-H runs the concession stand.
Kingfisher, OK Official event details - Kay County Spring Junior Livestock Show
Kay County Junior Livestock Show (KCJLS) in Blackwell for Kay County 4-H and FFA exhibitors. Show rules give Feb 8-13, 2026; the county web page lists Feb 9-13.
- Kingfisher County Spring Livestock Show Bidders Feed and Premium Sale
Bidders feed at 5:30 pm followed by the premium auction at 6:30 pm on Monday, Feb 16 (2026 inferred from weekday); new business buyers are asked to contact the Extension Office.
Kingfisher, OK | Organizer: Kingfisher County Extension Official event details - Canadian County Junior Livestock Show
Part of the Canadian County Spring Livestock Show and Sale, held at the county expo center with entries due February 5; shown dates are the most recent posted.
3001 Jensen Road E, El Reno, OK Official event details - Payne County Junior Livestock Show
2026 show days Feb 21-25 with the Premium Sale on Feb 26 at the Payne County Expo Center. The 2025 show ran Feb 22-27, so it recurs annually.
4518 Expo Circle E, Stillwater, OK 74075 | Organizer: Payne County OSU Extension Official event details - Tulsa County Spring Livestock Show
Spring 2026 youth livestock show: cattle Feb 23, goats and sheep Feb 24, swine Feb 25 in the Bronco Barn at Expo Square. Uses a Bonus/Premium Lineup paying the top 10 percent of each show.
- Washington County Junior Livestock Show
2026 show for Washington County 4-H and FFA members at the county fairgrounds in Dewey, Feb 26-28 with check-in Feb 25. Radio coverage is carried by Bartlesville stations.
- Oklahoma Junior Cattlemen Summer Preview Show
OJCA junior beef cattle show held at the Payne County Expo Center, hosted by the Oklahoma Junior Cattlemen Association board of directors.
- Major County Horse Expo
Horse Expo at 6:30 p.m. on opening day of the Major County Free Fair, one of the fair book livestock events at the Fairview fairgrounds.
Fairview, OK Official event details - Kay County Junior Livestock Show Board
Board that administers the Kay County Junior Livestock Show (Feb 8-13, 2026) for Kay County 4-H and FFA members, with community groups from Tonkawa, Ponca City, Blackwell and Newkirk; entries go through OSU Extension.
OK - Pontotoc County Junior Livestock Show Board of Directors
Volunteer board running the Pontotoc County Junior Livestock Show and Premium Sale; in 2023 it sought sponsors for awards, judges, insurance and night security and added a ring photographer.
OK | 580-399-3119 - Stephens County Junior Livestock Show
Youth competition for cattle to rabbits and pigs plus floral design at the Duncan Fair & Expo Center; winners earn ribbons, banners and the Master Showman belt buckle.
2002 S 13th St, Duncan, OK 73533 | 580-255-0516
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.