Attention will be focused on the show ring when youth and their animals take center stage at the 2016 Gillespie County 4-H and FFA Livestock Show and Auction, Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 7-9.
Set for the Gillespie County Fair Grounds, the show will see 341 exhibitors from Gillespie County 4-H Clubs, the Fredericksburg FFA, Fredericksburg Junior FFA and the Harper FFA participating in the event.
While the county show is the only competition for some local exhibitors, a large number will be continuing on to other contests across the state.
Coming just after the county show will be the Hill Country District Junior Livestock Show in Kerrville, Jan. 17-23.
Stock shows around the state will keep local exhibitors busy, including the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Jan. 15-Feb. 6; San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, Feb. 5-21; San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Feb. 11-28; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, March 1-20, and Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo in Austin, March 12-26.
Some exhibitors will also take part in the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo in Odessa, Jan. 7-16.
Exhibitors in the Harper area actually got their first taste of the stock show season on Dec. 12 when that community held its annual Harper Livestock Show.
The 2016 Gillespie County 4-H and FFA Livestock Show and Auction is dedicated to Henry Louis and Sherry Welge and the Durst family.
They were honored on Sunday night at the appreciation barbecue for buyers that was held at the Gillespie County Fair Grounds.
Plaques of appreciation were presented to the honorees.
More information on the Welges and the Dursts as well as a listing of the trophy and awards donors, committee members, schedule, photos of buyers of champion animals from the 2015 show and a feature on the new Fredericksburg Independent School District Agricultural Science Center can be found in a special 16-page section included in today’s newspaper.
Overseeing the show is the Gillespie County Youth Livestock Show Association.
Entries
The 2016 county show is expected to draw 341 exhibitors, including 219 Gillespie County 4-Hers, 96 Fredericksburg FFA members (junior and high school) and 26 Harper FFA members.
Entries total 801 for the upcoming show, including 260 swine, 123 meat goats, 167 lambs, 10 breeding sheep, 110 broilers, 38 turkeys, 45 steers, 10 heifers and 38 Angoras.
Gillespie County 4-Hers will be showing 503 entries, including 145 swine, 76 meat goats, 76 lambs, four breeding sheep, 92 broilers, 38 turkeys, 28 steers, 10 heifers and 34 Angora goats.
Entries from the Fredericksburg FFA and Junior FFA total 238 and include 94 swine, 32 meat goats, 81 lambs, six breeding sheep, six broilers, 17 steers and two Angora goats.
The Harper FFA has 60 entries, including 21 swine, 15 meat goats, 10 lambs, 12 broilers and two Angoras.
In 2105, the stock show featured 317 exhibitors showing 773 entries.
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