AAOK
Well-known member
This past Friday and Saturday we completed our 3rd SE District Beef Expo in Ada, OK. There are seven of us who got together in the Fall of 2006 to put together what we hoped would be a well run jackpot in this part of the State. We show Heifers, Prospect & Market Steers. Our show is an LLC and a 501(c)(3) to both protect ourselves from liability and raise funding which is condsidered charitable and deductible. With the news of the economy, we really didn't know what to think this year, even though our local economy is still solid. Our show is limitied to 4-H and FFA members of the 24 counties in SE Oklahoma.
We had great support from businesses up to 50 miles outside our area, and even had a radio station 60 miles away offer free advertising and did a free remote during the show. We lost a few sponsors, but gained some others. We had 7 Gold Sponsors who donated $500 or more. They are allowed to hang a banner, and set up a display inside the arena. They are listed on the front page of our program. We had another 20 sponsors who donated at least $100, who get a business card Ad in the program.
We began Friday, 4pm with a fitting clinic by Wes Stover, then a hamburger fry hosted by Citizen's Bank. At 6:30p we had a Team
Fitting Contest. We had four teams of three, each team had to have one member of the opposite sex. The winners each recieved a pair of Andis clippers, 2nd each got a Show Halter, 3rd. show sticks, and 4th a fluffer comb.
Our entry fee is $30 to pre-enter, $40 the day of the show. Payback of entry fees is 100%, and each exhibitor is handed a 5 dollar bill as they leave the arena. This year we had 164 head, 141 heifers, 10 prospect steers, and 13 market steers.
The three Supreme Champions each received $500 and a Show Box. Reserves received $250. We paid an added $100 to all Breed Champions and $50 to all Reserves. Breed champs also received a chair. Vouchers are handed out in each class along with ribbons. The vouchers must be redeemed for cash within one hour of the conclusion of the show. You would be amazed at how many leave without redeeming their vouchers.
I've listed all this because I have seen a lot of posts about not enough shows, poorly organized shows, shows that don't pay, and so on, and so on. This show of ours was started for this very reason. Number 1, our county show had only 22 heifers last year. Our last year to show, 1999, there were 72. Our County show this year is going back to a fitted show, and will have a fitting contest to qualify for OKC. A few good people, willing to put in a minimal amount of time, is all it takes. Plan, Do, Check, Act!
