This handbook is for youth exhibitors and their families participating in the 2027 Galveston County Fair & Rodeo livestock events. It contains the official rules, schedules, and policies that govern entry, eligibility, and exhibition of animals.
This is the official exhibitor handbook for the 2027 Galveston County Fair & Rodeo (GCF&R), a youth livestock event held in Galveston County, Texas. It is intended for 4-H and FFA members, their parents, and school agricultural instructors who are participating in the fair's livestock shows and related activities.
The handbook opens with a detailed pre-fair schedule of important dates, including tag-in days for market swine, lambs, steers, and commercial heifers, as well as deadlines for market broiler and turkey orders. It also lists the dates for the mandatory exhibitor meeting and the fair's livestock judging contest.
The main livestock schedule runs from April 9 through April 17, 2027, and is presented day by day. It specifies check-in and check-out times for each species, including breeding beef, market rabbits, lambs, swine, turkeys, broilers, goats, and steers, along with judging times and the schedule for the online auction and the Ag Mechanics silent auction.
The eligibility rules section explains that eligibility is handled between the GCF&R, school officials, and the Galveston County Extension Agent. It details the process for submitting eligibility lists and states that any discrepancies must be resolved in writing before check-in, with failure to comply resulting in disqualification from the 2027 and 2028 fairs.
A substantial portion of the handbook is dedicated to the Substance Residue Policy. This policy prohibits the use of unapproved drugs or chemicals in any animal entered for exhibition, requires compliance with USDA and the Wholesome Meat Act, and defines terms such as 'unapproved substance' and 'random testing'. It also states that the exhibitor is solely responsible for ensuring their animal is free of prohibited substances.
The document also includes sections on general livestock rules, specific rules for each species (breeding beef, market rabbits, broilers, turkeys, lambs, swine, goats, steers, commercial heifers), agricultural mechanics, livestock scrambles, the youth project show, and market auction exhibitor rules. It concludes with maps of the fairgrounds and contact information for the fair office.