SHOWMANSHIP & ROUND ROBIN

Showmanship contests (in the order of Senior, Junior & Pre-Junior Divisions) will be held before the judging of each class of the following animals: Beef, Dairy, Horse, Sheep, Swine & Goat.

Showmanship Awards will be presented immediately after each event. (Senior, Junior, Pre-junior). Buckles will be presented at Awards Day in the fall.

RULES:

  1. 4-H members must exhibit in the class division (Pre-Junior, Junior or Senior) appropriate to their age.
  2. Showmanship entries to be included on the 4-H'ers entry blank. Please double check your entries.
  3. 4-H'ers must show/exhibit only their own animal. Animal shown must also be shown/exhibited by the 4-H'er in another 4-H Livestock Class at the fair, as an exhibit of a   4-H Livestock Project the 4-H'er is enrolled in.
  4. Dress Code:
  • Showmanship – Refer to Overall Livestock Rules.
  • Round Robin – Contestants are required to follow the minimum Dress Code for the species they are bringing into the contest. Contestants are encouraged to follow the dress code of all species in the show.
  1. All animals must be trained by the exhibitor and show evidence of training and fitting.
  • Beef animals are to be handled by halter and show stick.
  • Horses are to be handled by halter by MT Quarter horse rules.
  • Dairy are to be handled by halter.
  • Swine are to be handled by whip, plastic piping, stick, bat, or cane.
  • Goats are to be shown by collar or small link chain.  When showing a goat, the goat’s front feet must remain on the ground while shown, except for setting feet.
  • Sheep are to be held by the head.  When showing a sheep, the sheep’s front feet must remain on the ground while shown, except for setting feet.
  1. Each class of livestock exhibitors will be awarded a ribbon (blue, red or white) and premium money in lots 1 – 6 inclusive.
  2. Top Showmen in lot #'s 1 – 6 of classes 47, 48 & 49 will be awarded a belt buckle and the Reserve Showman will be awarded a plaque provided they are blue ribbon showmen. Only blue-ribbon showmen will advance to Round Robin.  (The Judge will determine if an entry warrants the Top Showman award regardless of the number of contestants.)
  3. The Grand and Reserve Champion Showmen of classes 47, 48 & 49, Lot #'s 1 - 6 will participate in the Round Robin Showmanship in either Pre-Junior, Junior or Senior Division for Grand Champion placing. Round Robin Showmanship will be held in the grassed show ring, refer to 4-H fair schedule for time. Senior Division will be the first to show followed by the Junior and Pre-Junior Divisions. 
  1. Round Robin: If a 4-H’er is the Grand Champion Showman in more than one lot of Class 47, 48, 49, he/she must choose which lot (animal) he/she wants to show in the Round Robin. If a 4-H’er is the Reserve Champion Showman in more than one lot of Class 47, 48, or 49, he/she must choose which lot (animal) he or she wants to show in the Round Robin.  If a Grand Champion Showman, must show Grand.  If a 4-H’er has won in more than one lot, must notify the department superintendents of the animal they have chosen to show.  Notification must be made to the superintendents no later than 1:00 p.m. Friday.  The third-place showman, etc. provided they are a blue-ribbon showman, or the unchosen lot(s), will then be moved up to show his/her own animal in the Round Robin.
  2. Each Round Robin contestant of the Pre-Junior, Junior & Senior Divisions may be showing a beef, horse, sheep, or swine in the show ring if species is available/entered in the fair. They may be showing a dairy and/or goat also in the showring.  All contestants will start with “0" points.
  3. If the Grand or Reserve showman of a lot of Class 47, 48 or 49 chooses not to show in the Round Robin, he or she will keep the buckle or plaque won.  The third-place showman, etc., provided they are blue ribbon showman, will then show his/her own animal in the Round Robin Livestock Showmanship.
  4. In the event an animal is considered unsafe by the judge and/or superintendents during the Round Robin Showmanship, another animal will be selected by the superintendents and each contestant will show the newly selected animal for scoring purposes.

ZS  -- Class 47 -- Pre-Junior Division Showmanship  4-H age 8-10 as of October 1, 2023

Lot Number

  1. Pre-Junior Horse** 
  2. Pre-Junior Sheep 
  3. Pre-Junior Swine 
  4. Pre-Junior Goat
  5. Pre-Junior Beef *(not market)
  6. Pre-Junior Dairy *

*Lots 5 and 6 refer to department rules.

ZS  -- Class 48 - Junior Division Showmanship  4-H age 11-13 as of October 1, 2023

Lot Number

  1. Junior Beef
  2. Junior Dairy
  3. Junior Horse**
  4. Junior Sheep
  5. Junior Swine
  6. Junior Goat

ZS  --  Class 49 - Senior Division Showmanship  Fourteen and older as of October 1, 2023

Lot Number

  1. Senior Beef
  2. Senior Dairy
  3. Senior Horse**
  4. Senior Sheep
  5. Senior Swine
  6. Senior Goat

**Horses will be judged at halter under the Montana Quarter Horse Rules. No stallions allowed.