We are excited to share several upcoming dates and opportunities for the Bastrop Area Livestock Show!  There are a few updates and changes – please be sure to read through the rulebook.  Below are several reminders and updates to help you!

Please let us know if you have any questions and have a great week!

UPCOMING DATES:

• Saturday, December 4, 2021, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM at the Bastrop Show Barn will be the validation/entry night for the following livestock:
  • Breeding & Market Swine
  • Breeding & Market Goats
  • Market Lambs
  • Rabbit Entry Forms (entry forms only, no payment) must be postmarked or hand-delivered at this time
  • Plant Show Entry Forms and Fees must be postmarked or hand-delivered at this time

• If your animal was State Validated, you do not need to physically bring your animal with you
• Families must attend and complete entries and payment for these species

LIVESTOCK SHOW OPPORTUNITIES:

• Copies of the Carbon Copy Livestock Entry Form may be picked up ahead of time at the County Extension Office and will be available at the Bastrop Show Barn during entry/validation nights
• Exhibitor Eligibility: All students who plan to participate in the livestock show must enroll by November 1. Exhibitors must be enrolled in the Bastrop Independent School District from the date of animal validation through the date of the show to be eligible to compete in the show and be an active member of the Bastrop or Cedar Creek FFA supervised by an Agricultural Science Instructor, or be an active member of a Bastrop County 4-H club supervised by a Bastrop County Extension Agent during the current school year. Youth attending private or home schools and residing within in the geographic areas of Bastrop ISD must be a member of a Bastrop County 4-H club to be eligible to compete from the date of animal validation through the date of the show to be eligible to compete in the show.
• Meeting Requirements: 
  • Returning 4-H & FFA Members – must have attended at least 5 of their regularly scheduled 4-H or FFA club meetings (September 1 through May 31) within the current stock show calendar year (from end of last stock show to start of present stock show) and sign the official attendance sheet
  • New 4-H & FFA Members – New members to Bastrop County 4-H or FFA must attend at least 3 of these said meetings and have signed the official attendance sheet
  • If an exhibitor misses a meeting due to a UIL or school sponsored activity, a letter on school letterhead or school email from the coach or school sponsor must be provided to the Ag. Science Teacher or County Extension Agent in order for it to be deemed an excused absence.
• RABBIT REMINDERS:
  • Youth need to be reaching out to their breeders as soon as possible.  They will need to breed around Thanksgiving time in order to be able to provide rabbits for these show dates.
  • There are TWO (2) Dates that rabbit exhibitors MUST pay attention to and participate in to be able to show:
    • Saturday, December 4, 2021 – Entries are due (carbon copy form (no payment) is due and can either be hand delivered to the show barn OR postmarked by this date)
    • Thursday, February 3, 2022 – Payment is collected and rabbits are physically validated on this evening at the show barn – you MUST have submitted your entry form in order to be able to validate your rabbits

NEW – INVITATIONAL CONTEST OPPORTUNITIES:

• There are several new contest opportunities that have been opened up to the County!
• To participate in these invitational contests, exhibitors must be in 3rd-12th grade and enrolled in the Bastrop Independent School District, Elgin Independent School District, McDade Independent School District, or Smithville Independent School District from the date of entry through the date of the show to be eligible to compete. Divisions will be Junior (ages 8- 10), Intermediate (ages 11-13) and Senior (ages 14 & up). Youth attending private or home schools and residing within the geographic areas of Bastrop County must be a member of a Bastrop County 4-H club to be eligible to compete from the date of entry through the date of the show.
• The following contests are open as invitational contests to the County:
  • Floral Design Contest
  • Youth Western Art Show Contest
  • Baking & Food Preparation Contest
  • Plant Show Contest
  • Agriculture Public Speaking Contest

RULEBOOK, LINKS, & UPDATES:

• Show Website: https://bastrop.agrilife.org/bals/
• 2022 BALS Show Rules – updated 08/24/21
• 2022 Plant Show Entry Form – Due 12/04/2021
• 2022 Youth Western Art Show, Ag Mechanics, Baking & Food Prep, Floral Design, & Public Speaking Contest Entry Form – Due 02/03/2022
• Ag Mechanics Recordbook (Editable Word Document)

QUALITY COUNTS REMINDERS – REQUIRED FOR ALL MAJOR SHOWS, BASTROP, & ELGIN SHOWS:

• All NEW exhibitors and exhibitors who have moved up in age groups (if you moved from 5^th to 6^th grade or from 8^th to 9^th grade) will be required to complete Quality Counts training and the test to show at local and major livestock shows. The training is divided into Junior (3-5 grade), Intermediate (6-8 grade), and Senior (9-12 grade) divisions according to the exhibitor’s age.  A Quality Counts number will be required for all youth exhibiting market and/or breeding livestock at major shows in Texas (Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, San Angelo, Rodeo Austin, Sandhills Stock Show, State Fair of Texas and Heart O’ Texas Fair).  All Exhibitors will be required to complete and pass the online test BEFORE submitting show entries to be eligible to show, and will be required to put their verification number on major show entry cards in November. Therefore, you will need to complete the new Quality Counts test before entries are due.  Don’t wait until the last minute, as the training takes approximately two hours to complete.  Exhibitors can access the system, and complete the training/testing, at https://www.texaslivestockvalidation.com/qc/qcregister.aspx.
  All livestock exhibitors will be required to be verified under the system for entry into major livestock shows, and please add your FFA chapter to your registration if you are enrolled in both organizations. Please know, we will provide step-by-step instructions for getting your exhibitors registered and verified online. Call Mellanie or Ashley at the Extension office if you have more questions.