News

There are 32 goats entered market show. The goats must be at the fair by 4:50 p.m.

There were 26 lambs validated for the 2022 show. Weigh in for lambs is scheduled for 5 p.m.

The hog show is the largest species, represented by 106 validated for exhibition. The pigs must be in place on the fairgrounds by 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, March 29. Weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. The show is at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 30.

The Market Broiler show is scheduled Wednesday, March 30. Check in of each pen of three broilers begins at 10:50 a.m. with the sift beginning at 11 a.m. followed immediately by the show. The project began in December 2021 when entry fees were submitted. Each broiler competitor gets a straight run of 25 broilers about six weeks before the fair. They may purchase two runs; however, they may compete with only one pen of three birds. There is a minimum weight of 10 pounds for a pen of the three broilers. There were 38 pens of broilers ordered, up by 10 from 2019. The Grand Champion Broiler exhibitor is responsible for bringing three broilers for use at the market auction on Friday, April 1, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

The seventh annual Master Showmanship competition is scheduled for Thursday, March 31, after the completion of the steer show which begins at 4 p.m. This event is to test the ability of our steer, swine, lamb, and meat goat showmen as they show each other’s animals. The best showman is the Master Showman.

The Youth Open Breeding Gilt show begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, in the main show arena. Entry fee is $20 per head, limited to FFA and 4-H members. All entries must be family owned, in the same household. Gilts may not be borrowed. Only exhibitors entered in the gilt show are allowed to participate in the showmanship contests. All breeds will be shown together.

Both shows will award buckles. Registration for both shows is 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the livestock office. Entries for each show is separate at $25 per head; entry into both shows is $40 per head. Both Shows are open to exhibitors in or out of the county, however the Junior show has an age requirement and the Best of 5 is limited to only VZ County FFA and 4-H exhibitors. The Open show will start at 9 a.m. in the main show arena, with 10 head to make a breed. The open show has buckles. The Junior Show will start between 10:30 and 11 a.m. in the old show arena, with 7 head to make a breed.

The show is open to all 4-H and FFA members with the order: Heifer show, Showmanship and Best 5 Head. Seven head makes a breed. Awards Buckles will be given to Division Champions and Reserves. Divisions will be American, English and European. Engraved tumbler cups to Breed Champions and Reserves.

The eighth annual Van Zandt County Spelling Bee is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 31, in the Todd Berry Building. It is sponsored by the Canton Rotary Club open to fourth, fifth and sixth graders in Van Zandt County. Contestants qualify through their school or homeschool group and pre-entry was completed by March 24. The spelling lists were made available to each contestant. A champion from each age division is not the champion until he or she corrects the misspelling of the other speller and then correctly spells the next word on the list. In other words, the champion must spell two words in a row correctly.

This is the second year for the VZ County Breeding Sheep (Wether Dam) Show and Breeding Goat (Wether Doe. Check-in is from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30. The sheep show will begin at 1 pm followed by the goats. Exhibitors must be apart of a Van Zandt FFA or 4-H program. They will be shown by weight classes, not breeds, and do not have to be validated for the Junior Livestock Show. The showmanship competitors must also be a paid entrant in the show. A full set of the rules can be found online at www.vzfair.org. New this year is a breeding Rabbit Show. It will be Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Registration and check-in is 8:30 to 9 a.m., with the show starting at 9 a.m. It is open to exhibitors that are a part of a Van Zandt County FFA or 4-H program. Each exhibitor may show as many rabbits as desired. Entries are in accordance with the American Rabbit Breeders Association (A.R.B.A) standards. Only A.R.B.A. recognized breeds are eligible to show.