41st Annual Vermilion Parish Jr. Livestock Show begins Friday in Abbeville

Nearly 230 students will take part in this weekend’s 41st Annual Vermilion Parish Jr. Livestock Show.
The event will begin Friday morning at the LSU AgCenter facility in Abbeville. The program will conclude Saturday with the Livestock Sale, which starts at 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend the show and sale.
The annual event is sponsored by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, Vermilion Parish School Board, Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, Cattlewomen’s Association, Rice Grower’s Association and Farm Bureau Association in cooperation with the LSU Agricultural Center’s Cooperative Extension Service.
“Everything is up from recent years,” AgCenter extension agent Hilton Waits said of this year’s participation. “Just about every species is up.”
Shown during the event will be 155 head of cattle, 143 hogs, 96 poultry, and more than 30 sheep.
Waits said several factors play into the increase.
“We have a strong program here in the parish,” Waits said. “We have had a long tradition of a good livestock program and show.”
Those who are a part of that tradition continue to build upon it.
“We have a lot of families and 4-H alumni who were livestock exhibitors when they were in 4-H,” Waits said. “Now their children are showing. I think a lot of people who have been through the project see the value in the project.
“They come back and support it.”
There are plenty of new faces, too.
“We have a lot of new kids,” Waits said. “We have a lot of new subdivisions and population into the parish that have become a part of the program.
“There are lots of families taking part in this project.”
Whatever the reasons, the numbers are great for the parish.
“It is definitely terrific for Vermilion Parish,” Waits said.
This year’s Sheep, Goat and Beef judge will be Brandon Whitton; Swine Judge will be Bobby Bingham and the Poultry Judge will be Steve Borel. The schedule of events will be:

FRIDAY
6:00 - 8:00 a.m. - Arrival of sheep, swine and goats and check health papers.
7:00 - 8:30 a.m. - Weigh market swine and commercial gilts
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. - Weigh market lambs, commercial ewes, market goats and commercial ewes.
11:00 a.m. – Noon - Arrival of poultry.
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Arrival of beef.

10:00 a.m. - Swine Showmanship Contest will be held in the following order:
15 years and over
13-14 year olds
11-12 year olds
9-10 year olds
Then the Breeding Hogs and Market Hog Show will be held.

12:00 p.m. - Sheep Showmanship will be held in the following order:
15 years and over
12-14 year olds
9-11 year olds
This will be followed by the Breeding Sheep, Market Lambs.
Next will be Goat Showmanship.
This will be followed by Breeding Goats and Market goats.

1:30 p.m. - Poultry Showmanship followed by the Poultry Show.
3:00 p.m. - Weigh and Mouth Commercial Heifers
5:00 p.m. - Beef Showmanship in the following order:
15 years and over
13-14 year olds
11-12 year olds
9-10 year olds

SATURDAY

7:30 a.m. - Beginning with Dairy Show followed by Dairy Showmanship.
Beef Breeding will follow in the following order: Commercial Heifers, Steers, Braford, Brangus, Red Brangus, AOB Brahman Influence, Gray Brahman, Red Brahman, Santa Gertrudis and AOB Non-Brahman Influence. 12:00 p.m. Recognition of Senior Livestock Exhibitors
12:15 p.m. - Presentation of Showmanship, Premier Exhibitor and record book awards and at 1:00 p.m. will be the sale of market hogs, commercial heifers, steers and market lambs.