2023 Mississippi State Fair and 2024 Dixie National Junior Round-Up: General Rules

May 2024 · 37 minute read

Reminders and Important Dates

Reminders

The rules in the current year’s Mississippi State Fair or Dixie National Junior Round-Up Premium book supersede any rules published previously in a Mississippi State Fair or Dixie National Junior Round-Up Premium book or in this publication. [New rules and regulations passed by the Mississippi Livestock Council Show directors will be in brackets throughout this book.]

An official show veterinarian from the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine will be on site during the junior livestock shows.

General Show and Animal Health Reminders:

Important Dates

Ownership of animal – September 1, 2023 (Friday)

Entries must be submitted to county Extension office by Friday, September 1, 2023.

Classification/DNA Hair Collection Week, September 11–13, 2023

Mississippi State Fair, Jackson – October 4–15, 2023

Ownership of animal – Friday, December 1, 2023

Entries must be submitted to county Extension office by Friday, December 1, 2023

Classification/DNA Hair Collection Week, December 11–14, 2023

District Livestock Shows

Dixie National Junior Round-Up, January 30–February 8, 2024

Contact Information for Mississippi State Fair and Dixie National Junior Round-Up

Danny Johnson

FFA Livestock Director

Mississippi Department of Education

Email: djohnson@lauderdale.k12.ms.us

Dean Jousan, Ph.D.

4-H Youth Livestock Specialist/Co-Manager

Mississippi State University Extension

Email: dean.jousan@msstate.edu

Greg Young

Livestock Director

Mississippi Fair Commission

Email: Greg@mdac.ms.gov

David Christiansen, DVM

Clinical Veterinarian

MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

Email: christiansen@cvm.msstate.edu

Jim Brett, DVM

Clinical Veterinarian

MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

Email: jbrett@cvm.msstate.edu

Carla Huston, DVM

Clinical Veterinarian

MSU College of Veterinary Medicine

Email: carla.huston@msstate.edu

Jim Watson, DVM

MS Board of Animal Health

Email: JimW@mdac.ms.gov

Linda Mitchell, Ph.D.

Head

Mississippi State Center for 4-H Youth Development

Email: Linda.mitchell@msstate.edu

Steve Martin, PhD.*

Interim Director

Mississippi State University Extension

Andy Gipson*

Commissioner

Mississippi Dept. of Ag and Commerce

Allen Keene*

President

Mississippi Livestock Council

*Mississippi Livestock Show Director

Social Media

General Rules Pertaining to Exhibitors and Participants in the Mississippi Junior Livestock Shows

Mission Statement

The Mississippi State Fair and Dixie National Junior Round-Up Livestock Shows promote agriculture to educate the public and promote Mississippi youth through livestock education and competition.

Exhibitor Eligibility

Only youth (ages 8–18) physically residing in Mississippi who are bona fide members of a 4-H club or FFA chapter within the state are eligible to show. Exhibitors must be at least 8 years old before January 1 of the current year and must not have passed their 18th birthday before January 1 of the current year. The only exception to the eligibility rule is for exhibitors who have not passed their 19th birthday before January 1 of the current year and are currently enrolled in high school. Exhibitor’s age is determined by the exhibitor’s age on January 1 of the current calendar year in which the show is held (not necessarily age on show day).

Code of Conduct

Each exhibitor and their family participating in Mississippi Junior Livestock Shows is a representation of several thousand 4-H and FFA Beef, Dairy, Sheep, Goat, and Swine Project Members in the state of Mississippi. Each exhibitor and their family must accept the responsibility of creating a positive image that reflects the 4-H and FFA ideals. All exhibitors, parents, and guardians must participate in the Mississippi Youth Livestock Producer Quality Assurance Program to be eligible to show in the Mississippi State Fair, District Shows, and Dixie National Junior Round-Up. Show Management reserves the right to send any junior exhibitor home with their exhibit if they, any family member, or anyone helping to fit their animal is guilty of conduct unbecoming the junior livestock shows. This training is formalized by signatures on the Code of Conduct Agreement: 4-H/FFA Livestock Exhibitors (MSU Extension Publication F1152).

Code of Ethics

To maintain a high degree of confidence and integrity of our Mississippi Junior Livestock Shows, any animal found to have been fitted, cared for, or shown in an unethical manner will be disqualified and the exhibitor will forfeit all awards, premiums, and sale money. The exhibitor, their parent/guardian, or livestock fitter may be barred from participating in future shows. Exhibitors of animals at livestock shows will always deport themselves with honesty and good sportsmanship in order to maintain a high degree of confidence and integrity of our Mississippi Junior Livestock Shows. By entering an animal in the Dixie National Junior Round-Up, the exhibitor, their parent/guardian, and livestock fitter acknowledge that they have read and will abide by this Code of Ethics below as adapted from the National Code of Show Ring Ethics.

Animal Inspection

Drug Use Rule

Violation of Drug Use Rule

Mississippi Livestock Exhibition Health Form

Treatment of Animals on the State Fairgrounds

Unethical Fitting

Unethical fitting is not acceptable and is considered a violation of the Code of Ethics. Any owner, exhibitor, fitter, trainer, or other responsible persons found to be practicing unethical fitting will be subject to disciplinary action. Unethical fitting includes, but is not limited to:

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee for the Mississippi State Fair and Dixie National Junior Round-Up will be responsible for enforcing the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics. It will consist of the following people:

Code of Conduct Agreement

By enrolling an animal in the show, every exhibitor and exhibitor’s parents and/or guardians agree that:

Exhibitor Attire

[Exhibitors are expected to wear attire appropriate for the weather while remaining modest and socially acceptable. Exhibitors must wear shirts with sleeves. Clothing deemed immodest or distracting to other contestants or participants will not be permitted. No T-shirts, hoodies, sagging pants, pants with rips/holes, sandals, halter or open front or low-neck tops, or other inappropriate type attire will be allowed in the show ring or at the Sale of Champions. No clothing may be worn by an exhibitor that identifies a farm name, breed, slogan, or advertisement during judged competition.]

Animal Presentation

Each exhibitor will clip, groom, and dress their own animal throughout the ownership period and while at the Mississippi State Fair and Dixie National Junior Round-Up. An exhibitor may be assisted in the clipping, grooming, or dressing of their animal by others. There are no residency requirements, qualifications, or restrictions for those assisting with the clipping, grooming, or dressing of livestock. This rule does not apply to the removal of horns or the trimming of hooves.

Nomination Rules

Ownership/Ear Tag/Entry, Classification and DNA Validation of Livestock

Exhibitors must purchase an 840 USDA Official EID [All-in-One] ear tag for all market or commercial animals (except for Commercial Dairy Heifers and Goats) through the State 4-H Livestock Office. These animals must be ear tagged before making entry and the EID tag number must match what was entered at the time of show, or the animal will be disqualified. In addition, all other ear tags must be removed from all animals, excluding official show tags. The Extension agent or agricultural education teacher must verify all animals are under the exhibitor’s supervision by the following dates.

Classification/DNA Collection Week, September 11–13, 2023

Classification/DNA Collection Week, December 11–14, 2023

Classification of all swine for DNJR (refer to DNJR schedule for times):

General Show Rules That Apply to Multiple/All Shows

Showmanship

Exhibitors in each type of market or commercial animal class may enter that species showmanship classes.

Exhibitors must show their own animal, and that animal must be entered in that junior breeding or market show.

The age of the exhibitor entering showmanship classes will be determined by their age as of January 1 of the current show year.

Showmanship entries must be pre-registered. Entries must be completed by Extension agent/agricultural education teacher for exhibitors under their direct supervision. Exhibitors will be assigned into heats for each class as needed.

Protests

All protests must be made on an official protest form available at the livestock show office and sealed in an envelope with protest fees. Show officials will sign the seal to ensure it is not opened until rules committee meeting. Protests must be made and signed by the person protesting. The protest must designate the exhibitor and animal involved and the specific rule or regulation that the exhibitor and/or animal is violating. All submitted protests will be announced over the public address system, but the name of the person filing the protest will be kept confidential. Protests regarding the eligibility of an exhibitor and their animal to participate in the shows, not requiring carcass inspection and/or laboratory tests, must be accompanied by a $300 cash deposit (which will be forfeited if protest is not sustained) and submitted to the show manager before the start of that show. Once the show has started, no animal will be removed from the show but may be disqualified (awards forfeited) at any point after the show. Protests that involve unethical fitting, grooming, or exhibition of livestock must be accompanied by a $300 cash deposit (which will be forfeited if protest is not sustained) and submitted to the show manager before the conclusion of that show. Protests concerning unethical procedures, the basis of which requires inspection of hide/carcasses and/or laboratory tests, must be accompanied by a $500 cash deposit (which will be forfeited if protest is not sustained) and submitted to the show manager within one hour after the end of the show involved. Once protest has been filed, the decision to protest is final. No protest may be withdrawn once it has been properly filed.

Barn Rules

Stall and Pen Assignments

Selection of Judges

A committee will be formed to select judges for the Fair and DNJR. The committee will consist of the following members: Head of the MSU Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences (committee chair), an appointed MSU Extension Service employee, an appointed agricultural education teacher, and the Mississippi Fair Commission Livestock Director. This committee will be known as the Judge Selection Committee. Judges will be announced for both shows from this committee by April 1 each year unless the date is extended by a vote of the Judge Selection Committee. If a judge is unable to serve, the Judge Selection Committee has the authority to hire a replacement judge.

Qualifying Animals for DNJR

An exhibitor must earn a blue ribbon with each animal exhibited at their district livestock show based on the 4-H club or FFA chapter in which they participate. Only junior exhibitors may compete in the DNJR Show. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

Liability of Exhibitors

All property of every character entered for competition, display, or other purpose left anywhere in the fairgrounds will be subjected to the control of the fair management.

Claims for Injury

No claim for injury to any person or property will ever be asserted, no suit instituted or maintained against the Mississippi State Fair or Dixie National, its officers or their agents, by or on behalf of any persons, firm or corporation or their agents, representatives, servants, or employees having license or privilege to exhibit on the fairgrounds or occupy any space thereon.

Livestock Liability Bill

WARNING: Under Mississippi law, an equine or livestock activity sponsor or an equine or livestock professional is not liable for an injury to or the death of a participate in equine or livestock shows resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities or livestock shows pursuant to House Bill #416.

General Premiums and Awards

Clean Aisle Awards: The Mississippi Fair Commission will pay premiums listed below in the junior beef, dairy cattle, sheep, swine, meat goat, and dairy goat division to the county group, 4-H Club, or FFA Chapter that keeps the cleanest aisle and most attractive display. To qualify for these special prizes, the county group must consist of six animals or more. Items considered for judging will include, but not be limited to, orderliness and cleanliness of quarters, stalls, and animals, promptness in having stalls and animals cleaned each morning, neatness of feed, equipment, and forage arrangement, and personal appearance of herdsmen and helpers.

Mississippi Board of Animal Health Health Requirements Governing Admission of Livestock for the Dixie National Junior Round-Up Shows

An Official Health Certificate will accompany all animals with each animal individually identified (except nursing calves and kids) and be apparently free of any contagious, infectious, or communicable disease. As long as Mississippi remains a Brucellosis & Tuberculosis Free State, there will be no Brucellosis or Tuberculosis testing requirements for the Mississippi Junior Round-Up. No entry permit is required.

These regulations have been issued in compliance and cooperation with the Mississippi Fair Commission for the prevention of contagious diseases.

Dr. James Watson, State Veterinarian

PO Box 3889, Jackson, Mississippi, 39207

(601) 359-1170

Publication 3814-1 (POD-08-23)

By Dean Jousan, PhD, Associate Extension Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences, and Cobie Rutherford, Extension Instructor, Extension Center for 4-H Youth Development.

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