Trinity County Fair
Junior Livestock
Young people across Trinity County raise an animal through the year, show it at the Fair in July, and sell it at the Junior Livestock Auction. The 2026 auction was the 68th.
It is the largest youth program the Fair runs, and for a lot of families here it is the reason they come to the Fair at all.
What young people show
Market and breeding animals across seven species, with showmanship classes alongside them.
Beef
Market steers and breeding beef.
Swine
The largest project at this fair by number.
Sheep
Market lambs and breeding sheep.
Goats
Market and breeding goats.
Rabbits
Meat pens and breeding rabbits.
Poultry
Meat pens and breeding poultry.
Turkeys
Market turkeys.
Showmanship
Judged on the exhibitor, not the animal, with a round robin.
[REPLACE: SPECIES_DETAIL - add per species weight ranges, class breakdowns, and any limits on the number of animals per exhibitor.]
Getting started
If your child wants to raise an animal for the Fair, start early. Animals have to be owned and cared for by the exhibitor for a set period before the Fair, so this is a decision made months ahead, not weeks.
- Join a club, or go independent. Most exhibitors come through 4-H, FFA at the high school, or Grange. You can also enter as an independent exhibitor.
- Choose a project. Species differ enormously in cost, space, and daily work. A meat pen of rabbits is a different commitment to a steer.
- Get the animal in time. Ownership deadlines are firm. Miss one and the animal is not eligible, whatever else you do.
- Enter before the entry deadline. Entries are registered in advance through the Fair's entry system.
- Weigh in and check in at the Fair. Animals are weighed and checked when they arrive.
- Show, then sell. Market animals are shown, then sold at the auction on the Saturday.
The dates and requirements that matter
These decide whether an animal is eligible, so please get them from the Fair Office or the Exhibitor's Handbook rather than relying on this page.
- Age and eligibility
- [REPLACE: JL_AGE_REQUIREMENTS]
- Ownership and possession deadlines
- [REPLACE: JL_OWNERSHIP_DEADLINES - by species. This is the single most important date for a family.]
- Minimum and maximum weights
- [REPLACE: JL_WEIGHT_LIMITS - by species.]
- Entry deadline and fees
- [REPLACE: JL_ENTRY_DEADLINE]
- Weigh in and check in
- [REPLACE: JL_WEIGH_IN_TIMES]
Ask before you buy an animal. Call (530) 628-5223.
Where to find a club
4-H, FFA and Grange all run livestock projects in Trinity County, each with its own leaders and meetings.
[REPLACE: CLUB_CONTACTS - add contacts for local 4-H clubs, the high school FFA program, and Grange, with permission. Families new to this usually do not know who to ring.]
Entering
Junior Livestock entries go through the Fair's online entry system, the same one used for exhibits.
This is a terminal fair
Market animals sold through the Junior Livestock Auction do not go home live. That is what a terminal fair means, and it is worth understanding before a child starts a project.
It is not a small thing for a young person, and families here generally talk about it openly from the start. Club leaders and the Junior Livestock Committee are used to the question and are the right people to ask.
[REPLACE: TERMINAL_DETAIL - add what happens after the sale, including processing arrangements and whether resale is offered to buyers who do not want the meat.]
Learning the whole process
A small animal butchering and processing class has been run during Fair week, teaching exhibitors what happens after the show. It is a practical part of the program rather than an afterthought.
The auction
Buying at the Junior Livestock Auction
The auction is held on the Saturday of the Fair at 10:00 am, in the Joe and Mary Borden Junior Show Ring and the Rourke Family Livestock Arena. Buyers are local businesses, families, and people who want to back a young person directly.
What a buyer pays goes to the exhibitor. For many of these young people it funds next year's project, a college fund, or both. Buying at the auction is the most direct support in the whole Fair.
[REPLACE: BUYER_INFORMATION - add how to register as a buyer, payment terms, delivery and processing arrangements, add on and boost procedures, and whether resale is offered. Then add a buyer registration link.]
Awards and buckles
Champion and reserve champion belt buckles and banners are awarded across the species, along with showmanship awards and a round robin. There is also a carcass contest with payouts.
Nearly every one of those awards is sponsored by a local business, family, or individual, often in memory of someone.
Helping in the barns
The livestock program runs on parents and volunteers, at check in, weigh in, ring help, and around the barns all week.
The Junior Livestock Committee
The committee runs the program and reports to the Fair Association board. Its meetings are part of the Association's public meeting schedule.
The Exhibitor's Handbook carries the full Junior Livestock rules, classes, and deadlines, and is the authority if anything on this page disagrees with it. Exhibitor's Handbook
Last updated: August 31, 2026