Hood County Junior Livestock Show kicks off next week with 909 entries

The 68th annual Hood County Junior Livestock Show will soon be underway from Jan. 3-7, at the Granbury Reunion Grounds, 641 Reunion Ct., with 338 exhibitors and 909 entries.

The first Hood County Junior Livestock Show took place in 1955, and the show has grown over the years. The number of entries for 2023 has grown from the number of 2022 entries, 782.

“It stays pretty consistent, but we probably have a little bit more this year,” said Patricia Becker, sale chairman and treasurer of the Hood County Livestock Raisers Association. “We've got a lot of new kids (who will be showing this year). I'm the 4-H leader at Cornerstone Christian Academy, and there are 20 students from there who are showing rabbits this year.”

Becker said there are 318 entries in rabbits, 159 in pigs and swine, 27 in agricultural mechanics, 60 in cattle, 217 in family living, 42 in goats, 50 in lambs and 16 in poultry.

She said there are also 20 entries in Skill-a-thon, which tests an exhibitor’s knowledge on breeds, equipment, seeds, medication labels and meat judging.

"It's one of the harder ones because when you go to a major (livestock show), you can do a cattle Skill-a-thon, you can do a sheep Skill-a-thon, so it's isolated to just that breed,” Becker said. “For us, it covers all breeds, so the kids compete in that.”

The Hood County Junior Livestock Show is open to all Hood County students ages eight to 18 who are in 4-H, as well as in Granbury, Lipan and Tolar FFA.

Becker said the only major change from last year’s show to this year is the ruling for the auction sales.

“We changed the rules to where the top four placings in every class make the sales, so the sales should be a little bit larger this year,” she said.

Becker noted that during last year’s livestock show, the auction sale brought in $450,000.

"Last year, I worked really hard to where every kid that showed last year made some money, and that's the first year that that's ever happened,” she said. “It varied according to what they showed, you know, but every kid who showed last year, got some money back."

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The 2023 schedule of events for the Hood County Junior Livestock Show is listed below:

⦁ Tuesday, Jan. 3

11:30 a.m. - broiler show

2 p.m. - rabbit show

⦁ Wednesday, Jan. 4

11 a.m. - sheep show

3 p.m. - goat show

⦁ Thursday, Jan. 5

9 a.m.-12 p.m. - agricultural mechanics judging

12 p.m. - family living division judging

1 p.m. - swine show

⦁ Friday, Jan. 6

11 a.m. - heifer show

1 p.m. - steer show

⦁ Saturday, Jan. 7

11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. - buyer’s meal

1 p.m. - family living silent auction closes

1 p.m. - premium auction sale