How many of you are former 4-H and/or FFA members with animal projects?

How many of you had an adult/parent do all of your care and fitting of your project for you during fairs and shows?

It is fairly well understood that the 4-H program was designed for kids nine to nineteen years of age and the FFA program was developed for youth, in high school, fourteen to twenty-one years of age. Within these youth programs, livestock projects are utilized as a mechanism to develop youth character. Nowhere in these two programs does it emphasize parental or adult involvement as the primary reason for the program’s existence.

Following the news media's revelations of the youth livestock show incidents in Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Colorado, questions arose as to how to stop the cheating. Some of these questions were answered by an article in the March issue of the Farm Journal. In this article kids were interviewed and gave their thoughts on how to stop the cheating. Their views included having fair boards banning all professional groomers and limiting parental/adult help.

In addressing the issue of keeping the youth program for youth and controlling the adult/professional fitter’s involvement, one concern arose: Can you provide the proper/ideal definition for the jock/fitter/professional groomer? Indiana made a concerted effort, but at the State Fair of Texas, we could not provide a definition we were comfortable with. Therefore, after numerous meetings and review by legal counsel, the following statements were implemented in the 1995 Premium List:

Restriction of Assistance: Youth Exhibitors are expected to care for, groom, fit and show their own animals(s) while on grounds at the State Fair of Texas®. Youth Exhibitors will not be allowed to receive any assistance in the care, grooming, fitting or showing of their project animal(s) from any adult with the exception of the supervising CEA or AST from the chapter or club entered and/or from another bonafide Texas 4-H or FFA member. However, in the case where the supervising AST or CEA cannot attend the fair and in the best interests of education and safety, one designated County 4-H leader or FFA parent may be designated to serve in a supervisory capacity per specie, for the care of project animals. The designated adult (4-H leader/FFA parent) shall not groom, fit or show any youth project animal(s). To utilize a designated adult, the supervising AST or CEA must submit the name, complete address and drivers license number of the designated adult, in writing on official county or school stationery, by October 1 to the Livestock Department of the State Fair of Texas®.

Other adults or similar unauthorized persons are strictly prohibited form providing direct assistance in the care, grooming, fitting or showing of youth project animals while on grounds at the State Fair of Texas®. Violation(s) of this Youth Show requirement will result in immediate disqualification of the Youth Exhibitor, with the project animal being declared ineligible for competition and the exhibiting family (as defined hereinabove) being placed on one (1) year suspension from entering exhibits at the State Fair of Texas®.

Texas House Bill 72 - the Perot Rule - provided by law strict limitations on the number of days students could miss for extra-curricular activities. Since the implementation of this law, youth participation for the entire duration of the fair or show diminished and the parental/adult involvement dramatically increased to the level that in many instances the youth exhibitor was only in attendance for show day. This situation provided the need to limit adult involvement.

Once the word got out regarding the rule, tremendous incorrect information and wild imaginations ran rampant through the barn talk circles. A limited number of people made the effort to contact the fair for clarification or proper interpretation of the rule. It is hard to imagine, in this day and age, that it is that difficult to pick up the telephone to get the proper information. Yet, there were some very interesting conversations with parents/adults regarding the rule and how it impacted them as a parent. In one instance, a father called who had a fourteen-year-old son (fifteen by fair time). The son was not allowed to fit the steer because he was not good enough and a lot of money was spent on the steer. The father said he could not take the chance of the son ruining the steer.

My question to the father was, "Whose project is it?" This is supposed to be a youth show for youth project animals.

In retrospect, we know that we will make some modifications to the assistance rule. Yet, we are continuing to put the youth show back in the hands of the youth exhibitors.

Without doubt, we are not the pioneers in this area of limiting adults. AK-SAR-BEN in Omaha, Nebraska, has been a model for many, many years. In the past few years many states have gone to regulations of this manner. More recently the Ohio State Fair and the National Western Stock Show have implemented more stringent guidelines in limiting adults in the grooming process.

Yet, we all need to understand that the youth livestock shows and the projects are very big business and adult egos are difficult to control.

Just remember that the only difference between a 4-H mamma and a fighting pit bull dog is that the pit bull doesn’t wear lipstick. The only difference between a rattlesnake and an FFA daddy is that the rattlesnake warns you before it strikes.

In conclusion, the total intent of the restriction of assistance rule is to have a youth program for youth.