schedule

Livestock must be in place
Friday, July 31, 7 pmMarket Animal Weigh In and Breeding Animal Check In
Friday, July 31, 8 pmJr Fair Beef Showmanship
Monday, August 3, 10 amJr Fair Breeding Show
Following Showmanship 
Jr Fair Feeder Calf Show
Following Breeding ShowJr Fair Market Beef Show
Monday, August 3, 7 pm
Bred and Owned Breeding and Feeder Calf Show
Wednesday, August 5, 12 pmJr Fair Livestock Sale
Friday, August 7, 9 amJr Fair Livestock Released
Friday, August 7, noon

All Beef Shows in the Expo Center

All Market Beef Scratches must be done at the Scales during weigh-ins

General Rules

Animals must be un-groomed (washed with soap and water only, dried, and combed). No oils, adhesives, or any other grooming products may be used for showmanship. Judging will be based on cleanliness and handling of the animal.
All stalls must be cleaned as needed.
All stalls will only use mulch - NO STRAW. Mulch must be in place by noon on Friday, the day of move-in.
Stalls must be cleaned of ALL hay and manure after the animals are released. Stalls must be taken down, and the carpet rolled up by each club before leaving the fairgrounds.
Butt fans are allowed, but no porta coolers.
All beef animals (including breeding) must have an RFID tag.
If an animal gets away from an exhibitor 2 times, the exhibitor will be released from the ring.

Age, Identification and Weight

Market beef must meet breed standards to show in a breed class. If an exhibitor is showing in a breed class, they must be able to produce proof of breed upon request. If proof cannot be provided, the animal will be assigned to the crossbred class.
All market beef and feeder calves will walk through the weigh-in at the fair. Market Beef will be first.
Following the weigh-in, all breeding animals will walk to the weigh-in area to be checked in.
Any animal with horns/scurs more than an inch from the base of the growth will be disqualified. There will be no re- measurements.

Market Beef - Specific Rules

To be eligible for the show, market beef must have an official EID tag by the weigh-in for the current fair season. A completed enrollment form must be submitted at weigh-ins. Junior Fair participants may enroll a maximum of four market beef animals and show four market beef animals.
Exhibitors must follow the current Market Beef Show guidelines.
All market beef must weigh a minimum of 900 pounds to be eligible to show.
DNA samples will be collected from the top 5 market beef and that DNA will be compared to the DNA collected at the December Weigh-in/Tagging. If the DNA samples do not match, the animal will be disqualified, and the exhibitor will be suspended from all Jr. Fair activities the following year. All exhibitors must abide by the rules set forth in the fall market beef project letter. The judge will place the top 5 animals overall, so in the event of any disqualifications, animals can be moved up.
All dairy steers will be housed in the beef barns.
Overall, beef champions will be selected from the top 2 animals in each breed, including crossbreds.

Beef Breeding - Specific Rules

Classes will include: Angus, Hereford, Chianina, Maine Anjou, Shorthorn, Shorthorn Plus, Simmental, All Other Breeds, and Crossbred. Registered heifers that do not have their individual breed offered can show in the AOB division.
Breeding beef exhibitors must be prepared to show certified test of registration, if called for. Breeding stock should also be able to show proof of breeding. if called for.
Breeding stock should also be hood vaccinated and receive the 5-way vaccine.
Both animals entered in class 18, cow/calf, must show in that class but do not need to show in individual age classes.
Heifer calves can be shown as a feeder calf heifer in both the breeding show and feeder calf heifer show.
Top 5 heifers will be selected by the judge.

Bred and Owned - Specific Rules

Preble County Bred and Owned Market Beef will be shown on Monday evening. (County Bred and Owned Market Beef exhibitors must choose to be in the regular market beef class or the County Bred and Owned - not both. At the December weigh-in, exhibitors will declare which class they want to show in.) The Preble County Bred and Owned Champion and Reserve Champion Market Animal will compete in the Final Drive.
The Wednesday Preble County Bred and Owned show will be for the feeder calves and breeding classes- The start time of this show will be announced at a later time.
This is a Preble County Bred and Owned show; it is no longer a "Born and Raised" show. Embryo calves are not included in this show. We would like to promote the breeders in our county with this show, so when you are declaring for the market show, which class you would like to be in, and when you are signing up for the feeder and heifer show, please keep that in mind. If you have any questions regarding this, please reach out to one of the Beef Committee members.
The animal needs to be registered in the exhibitor’s name.

Junior Fair Feeder Calf - Specific Rules

Calves competing in this event must be either steers or heifers. No bulls.
Calves must be born after January 1 of the current year. Ownership of these animals by June 15.
Animals are considered feeder calves up to 900 pounds but must be born after January 1 of present year.
Calves are not eligible to be sold through the Preble County Junior Fair Sale.
New for 2026, exhibitors will tag their own feeder calf and turn animal market form into the fair office. There is not feeder calf tag-in.  
Exhibitors may enroll 4 calves and show 4 feeder calves.
The feeder calves will be shown after the conclusion of showmanship. Feeder calves must be divided into beef and dairy beef classes. Final weight class divisions will be determined by the Beef Committee after weigh-in. Steers and heifers will be separated in the feeder calf show.

classes

Showmanship

and older
& 16 years old
& 14 years  old
& 12 years old
8, 9 10 years old

Breed Order

Angus
Hereford
Chianina
Maine Anjou
Shorthorn
Shorthorn Plus
Simmental
All Other Breeds
Crossbred

Junior Fair Breeding Beef 

Jr. Heifer Calf - born January 1 - April 30, current year
Winter Heifer Calf - born November 1 - December 31, previous year
Sr. Heifer Calf - born September 1 - October 31, previous year
Late Summer Yearling Heifer - born July 1 - August 31, previous year
Early Summer Yearling Heifer - born May 1 - June 30, previous year
Late Jr. Yearling Heifer - born March 1 - April 30, previous year
Early Jr. Yearling Heifer - born January 1 - February 28, previous year
Sr. Yearling Heifer - born September 1 - December 31, 2 years previous
Cow/Calf - age categories to be determined by interest  *All offspring must be less than 206 days old to compete.

Jr Fair Feeder Calves

Beef Feeder Calf Heifer
Beef Feeder Calf Steer
Bred and Owned  Feeder Calf Heifer
Bred and Owned  Feeder Calf Steer
Dairy Feeder Calf Heifer
Dairy Feeder Calf Steer

Jr Fair Market Beef

Market Steers shown in breed order above
Dairy Steers
Market Heifers
Bred and Owned Market Beef

Bred and Owned Breeding and Feeder Calves

Same show order of the Jr. Show

Thank you to our 2025 Rate of Gain Sponsors: Roger Voge & FamilyThanks to Somers Super Beef 4-H Club for helping to get the barn ready, to Dixon Township Swine 4-H Club for the carpet, and to Preble Shawnee FFA for use of the scale for weigh-ins!

thank you to our sponsors

2025 Sponsors

Barnes Butcher Shop
Bar D Therapy
Beoddy Oil Company
Brown Transport
Country Mile Realtors
Mike and Melissa Dare
Morgan Dare
Logan Deeter
G & J Kartway
J.A Kovach Law Co.
Leedy Farms LLC
Tom McKee
MedShip
Merchants Bank of Indiana
Reigel Feed & Grain Inc.
Roger Voge & Family
Rowe Premix
United Producers

2026 Sponsors

Brown Transport
Logan Deeter
G & J Kartway
Gene Rowe, Rowe Nutrition LLC
J. A. Kovach Law, Co.
Merchants Bank of Indiana
Mike Dare & Family
Morgan Dare
Preble Lambs Unlimited
Riegel Feed & Grain
Somerville National Bank
US Bank
Washington Township Livestock