Georgia-Carolina State Fair a great week for children to showoff animal showmanship |Vaughn
When the Georgia-Carolina State Fair opened on Friday, it will marked the 99th year the Exchange Club of Augusta has been hosting this annual event.
I get so excited about spending a week with friends, family, and animals for the Best 10 Days of October. I am almost giddy.
The weather for the next week looks like it was scripted for all this “Big Fun” we are about to have.
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The Georgia-Carolina State Fair has been an agricultural fair from the onset, and with my work with the Exchange Club and Extension, I am lucky enough to be a part of this annual event by helping with the livestock committee. Our committee hosts youth from ages 4 to 19 who come from all over the Southeast to participate in livestock shows.
Our shows consist of five categories of animals: beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and dairy cows. These kids (and animals) that come to Augusta for the week are amazing to watch.
So how does a livestock show work? It is quite the exhibition.
The Exchange Club has a large livestock barn with an entrance across from Magnolia Cemetery on Third Street in downtown Augusta. A day or two before their show, contestants trailer their animals to the fairgrounds, unload and bring lead them into our barn. A Georgia Department of Agriculture agent checks the animal’s health records and physically examines them for any signs of ailments.
When given the okay to enter the barn, the kids bring their show animals to their assigned location for anyone attending the fair to see. Contestants and their crew set up camp with feed, grooming supplies, halters, fans, chairs and begin the process to ready their animals for the big event.
All five shows are divided up into two basic types: showmanship, which entails showing how good of a handler the youth are, and best of show, which is all about the animal. Showmanship is broken down by the age of the participant and is a blast to watch. Each kid dresses in their best show attire, enters the arena on the judge’s command and introduces their animal by walking in order into the ring. Each contestant makes sure to maintain eye contact with the judge at all times while maintaining control of the animal. At any time, the judge may also stop a participant and ask questions about the animal being shown. Questions might be the animal’s date of birth, current weight or mother’s name.
Winning the Showmanship event is what seems to drive these young handlers. The winner’s prize is a giant belt buckle (which is usually put on their belt immediately), ribbons and some spending/feed money.
The other side of the livestock shows are the actual highlighting the animal itself. The livestock is divided up by categories including age, breed and weight. When presented, the judges look for traits such as the structure of the animal’s body, straightness of their back, muscle tone, gait and general appearance relative to age. Ribbons and money are awarded for the best of each category that is finalized with a Best of Show and Grand Champion.
These kids work hard to raise, feed, groom, vet and train these show animals for our annual event. Make a trip downtown to check out these livestock shows and the rest of the fun the fair has to offer. You won’t be disappointed.
Here's a schedule of events:
Beef Cattle Show is Oct. 15 at 2 p.m.
Swine Show is Oct. 19 at 2 p.m.
Sheep Show is Oct. 20 at 3 p.m.
Goat Show is Oct. 21 at 3 p.m.
Dairy Show is Oct. 22 at 2 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: State Fair a great week for children in Georgia
