2025 CHANGES TO LIVESTOCK RULES

APPLICATION OF RULES: The General Rules and Regulations apply to every division in the fair. There are also rules specifically for divisions. Exhibitors are responsible for reading, learning, and following all the rules that apply to the division entered. All changes and reminders will be highlighted in yellow.

Goats
The Starr County Youth Fair will only be allowing castrated male goats (wether goats) in the market goat classes. Females will no longer be allowed to show in the market goat classes. Female goats will now only be allowed in the commercial goat, full blood/purebred or percentage goat (Breeding Goat) classes.

Heifers/Cows & Bulls
The Starr County Youth Fair will only be allowing registered breeding cattle that are up to 30 months of age at the time of show to be exhibited. The old rule allowed registered breeding cattle to be shown up to 36 months or 3 years. Animal registration paperwork needs to be under the exhibitors’ name as of October 1st for registered heifers/cows and bulls. Original animal registration needs to be submitted at the time that validation paperwork is due.

Market Hogs
Maximum weight is now 300 lbs. Animals will be reweighed at the discretion of the Division Chairman. Hogs that are found to have injuries or illness are subject to sift at the discretion of the chairman and livestock committee.

Market Steers
•All steers will be weighed by the committee during the sift. Any steer found to weigh under 1000 lbs. (5% variance not applicable) will be immediately sifted and required to be removed from the show grounds. The sift weight will serve as resale weight, not the steer’s show weight.

For all livestock:
• Animals being held in sample collection areas for drug testing will be allowed to be watered/drenched and fed if so desired by the exhibitor. Only the exhibitor, parent/guardian, or AST/4-H Leader will be allowed to do so. It will remain their responsibility to make certain that the animal is still within its allowed weigh-back range.
• Safety of all exhibitors and volunteers – In the case that an exhibitor loses control of their animal, the superintendent reserves the right, at any time, to have the animal secured and removed from the arena to prevent the injury of the owner/exhibitor, other exhibitors, arena staff, and/or others. Any animal that is removed from the arena for safety reasons may be disqualified.
• No drenching, watering/feeding, or grooming (cleaning or wiping of feces/debris by the exhibitor is not considered grooming) is allowed while in the “holding area” at any time.