Junior Department Livestock

2024 General Eligibility Rules

1. Junior Department Shows are open to boys and girls who are 8 years of age or in third grade and not yet 21 years of age on or before September 1 of the year previous to the fair. (Meaning: Must be between 8-21 years of age by Sept. 1 of the year 2023).
2. If any one department is filled to capacity, it shall be up to the Board of Directors to accept or
   reject any further entries in said department. Group placings are not permitted. Junior Show animals
   must be the property of the boys or girls showing them - partnership registration is NOT ACCEPTABLE unless otherwise specified. If these animals are shown in the Open Classes, they must be shown in the same name. Thus the father is not permitted to show a Junior owned animal in the Open Class and the son or daughter show the same animal in the Junior Show.
3. All entries in the Junior Department are to be made to the Secretary of the Will County Fair before 5:00 p.m. Monday, August 5, 2024.
4. Each Exhibitor exhibiting in the Junior Department must purchase an Exhibitor’s Ticket. If Junior Exhibitor is exhibiting in Open Show Departments and the Junior Show Departments, he or she must purchase an exhibitor’s ticket at a cost of $20.00, which consists of five single day passes. JUNIOR EXHIBITORS EXHIBITING ONLY in Junior Show Departments, have a choice of purchasing an exhibitor’s ticket for $8.00, and receive two single day passes, or $20.00 and receive five single day passes.
5. The judges in the Junior Show will be selected by the Department Superintendents.
6. All other breed (AOB) entries must be registered purebred animals with registration papers.
7. Exhibitors must present the following to the Superintendent of Department H classes before showing:
   1. Registration papers in his or her own name on all animals where papers are required;
   2. Certificate of vaccination of all swine, approved by state veterinarians.
   3. Certificate of tubercular test on all cattle that require same, approved by state veterinarians.
   4. Certificate of Bang’s test on all breeding cattle, approved by state veterinarians;
   5. Health certificate on all sheep and goats, approved by state veterinarians;
   6. USDA flock testing report or NPIP certificate.
      (See General Health Rules for Open Classes.)
8. Exhibitors will be required to keep their exhibits at the Fair on 12:00 noon Wednesday, August 21st through Sunday, August 25th.
9. In case any exhibitor desires to show in any of the Open Classes of the Fair, it will be necessary for him or her to comply with the Rules of the Fair Association governing those classes.
10. All animals must be shown in the judging ring by their owner. If the exhibitor is unable to show their animal(s) due to conflict, they must notify the superintendent immediately. In order for an exemption to be considered they must be an exhibitor of the Will County Fair. If the exemption is for the junior show, the substitute exhibitor must be a junior show exhibitor of the Will County Fair as well.
11. A one time stall or pen fee will be charged for each animal(s) entered.
12. An exhibitor is limited to not more than one entry under one class number (except Department H-5, Rule 3 and in Department H-1, where entry has been made for steers, and they go overweight before date of Fair; then permission would be granted to show two animals in steers of the next higher weight, provided prior entry had been made.) This same rule applies to, H-3 Market Lambs and H-5, Market Gilts and Market Barrows.
13. No exhibitor will be permitted to enter more than two breeds in breeding stock classes.
14. Showmanship Age Classification:
    1. Pee-Wee Showmanship is for children under 8 years of age as of September 1st of the previous years fair, and are listed under the open shows. Pee-Wee Showmanship can not show in the Junior Show due to the State of Illinois age restrictions.
    2. Novice - 8 to 10 years of age as of September 1st of the previous years fair.             
    3. Junior - 11 to 14 years of age as of September 1st of the previous years fair.             
    4. Senior - 15 to 21 years of age as of September 1st of the previous years fair.             
15. Once an exhibitor wins showmanship, he or she is ineligible in their age classification.
16. Junior Showmanship winners will be eligible to compete for Senior Showmanship the following year.
17. Exhibitors maybe assisted in herd or flock classes during the judging process only by other boys or girls who meet the age requirement.