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Show-Day Checklist for Oklahoma Livestock Exhibitors and Families

An Oklahoma show-day checklist: CVI and ODAFF validation, original papers, tags, weigh-in windows, packing, dress, drug rules, protests and thank-you notes, drawn from county, OYE and State Fair rules.

Events illustration for the guide Show-Day Checklist for Oklahoma Livestock Exhibitors and Families in Oklahoma

Before You Load the Trailer

Oklahoma shows do not share one checklist. Each county, fair and the Oklahoma Youth Expo (OYE) publishes its own rules. This list pulls out the items that recur in the 2026 Kay County and Tulsa County show books, the Wagoner County Fair rules, the Oklahoma County Free Fair book, the 2024 OYE rulebook and the Oklahoma State Fair 2026 health regulations. Your own show book wins if it differs.

Papers and Validation

  • Certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI). The Oklahoma State Fair rules and the OYE rulebook both require an official CVI issued within 30 days of arrival. At OYE and the State Fair, an official from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) must validate it before animals get stall or pen space.
  • Originals only. Wagoner County does not accept pending, faxed or photocopied documents. Tulsa County says registration papers must be official paper copies, not digital.
  • Swine test papers. Oklahoma County requires negative brucellosis and pseudorabies results, an ear notch, an 840 EID tag and a premises ID. Kay County says test papers must be shown to the superintendent before unloading.
  • Registered animals. Kay County requires registered heifers, gilts and ewes to submit original papers at check-in.
  • OYE tag number. The OYE nomination guide asks for the OYE tag number in the validation number box on every entry, so keep your receipt and confirmation number.
  • Nomination photos. Kay County requires two photos (headshot and side profile) with the exhibitor and tag number visible.

Tags and ID

  • Cattle: an 840 RFID ear tag at Tulsa County.
  • Sheep and goats: a USDA scrapie tag. Kay County also requires one on ewe lambs and does.
  • Swine: an 840 EID tag, plus the county or OYE tag in the ear at Kay County.
  • Never remove a scrapie tag; the OYE rulebook calls removal illegal.

Check-In and Weigh-In Timing

Weigh-in windows are short and species-specific. Kay County 2026 weighed hogs on February 9 from 8 to 9 a.m., sheep on February 10 from 8 to 9 a.m., goats that day from 9 to 10 a.m., and cattle on February 11 from 8 to 9 a.m. Tulsa County 2026 had cattle check-in with weigh-in on Monday, February 23, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., and Tulsa disqualifies animals not weighed during the designated times. Oklahoma County's free fair weighs steers at 6:00 a.m. on the day of the show. Arrive early, because Wagoner County allows one weigh-in per species and the Oklahoma County fair allows market animals to be weighed only once. The 2026 State Fair beef guide says Gate 7 accepts animals from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with no exceptions.

What to Pack

  • Feed, bedding and water containers. Exhibitors furnish their own at Tulsa County and Wagoner County. Kay County requires woodchips only for all species, and Tulsa County does not allow straw.
  • Clean-up supplies. Wagoner County forfeits premiums if pens and stalls are not cleaned before leaving.
  • Cash for entry fees. Tulsa County's $20 per head entry fee is due in cash on show day.
  • Show-day paperwork. Keep CVI, registration papers, receipts and tag records in one folder.

Dress and Grooming

  • Kay County requires 4-H and FFA colors and emblems, bans headgear except cowboy hats and bows, and bans farm logos on clothing.
  • Choctaw County requires a white collared shirt tucked in with the 4-H club jacket or vest, and no baggy pants or jeans with holes.
  • The State Fair junior beef guide asks for clean pressed jeans and a collared shirt, with no T-shirts or headwear.
  • Choctaw County bans paint and, for beef, adhesives, so check what your show allows. The State Fair junior steer show allows glue and paint.

Drugs and Health

  • Medications must come from an attending veterinarian, and FDA withdrawal periods must be observed (Kay County).
  • The OYE rulebook prohibits showing any animal that received an unapproved drug at any point in its life.
  • Animals with a contagious disease are removed from the barn (Tulsa County).

Sale Day and Thank-You Notes

Know the premium sale rules before the show. In Kay County, exhibitors must select their sale animal within 30 minutes after the steer show ends and notify the Show Board in writing, and animals in the sale must return for auction or forfeit their spot. In Choctaw County, sale attire is a white collared shirt with the club jacket or vest, with no key chains, lanyards or visible cell phones, and animals must be presented as they appeared in the show ring. Choctaw County buyers who contribute $100 or more receive a handwritten thank-you card and a framed 8x10 photo, so keep a photo ready and write thank-you notes to your buyers.

Protests

Protests are written and require a deposit: $50 in Kay County and $100 in Choctaw County and Wagoner County. Wagoner County requires filing within 5 hours after the award is presented.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does validation mean at an Oklahoma show?

At OYE, ODAFF checks each CVI and validates it before stall or pen assignment, and the OYE tag number goes in the validation number box on the online entry.

Can I bring a copy of my papers?

Not at the shows we reviewed. Wagoner County requires originals, and Tulsa County wants official paper registration copies.

Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.

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