You will need to complete one YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals) certification this summer in order to be eligible to show livestock at the State Fair of Virginia.Please visit the following website to see your choices of workshops: https://ext.vt.edu/
The closest training to you is in Madison on Thursday, June 28, from 7-9 p.m. That is limited to 40 youth, so don't delay in signing up. Sign-ups must be done online, not through the Extension office. If you attended the market animal boot camp in Rockingham, you're okay. You can choose whatever YQCA workshop time and location works for you.
If you're a Facebook user, there's a Virginia YQCA page that you can "like" to stay up to date on workshops.
For those who like lists, here's what you need to do for showing livestock at the State Fair:
- Nominate market animals and commercial breeding animals at an official site. We offered this for cattle in January and sheep/goats at our May 1 county weigh-in. The Central Virginia nomination site will be in Louisa on Monday, June 18, the same week as our county fair. We are waiting on the final list of nomination sites; you can choose any across the state if you still need one. If you have purebred animals, make sure the registration papers are in your name by the ownership deadline.
- Complete YQCA certification annually. Previously, BQA certification would work (like what we did for cattle working), but that is NOT the case in 2018! All State Fair livestock exhibitors need YQCA.
- Enter your animals online before August 15. Entries are not open yet, but that will be coming in mid-July. Make sure you watch the State Fair website for details.
Let us know if you have specific questions. We're here to help!
