Educational Contests Overview

The Miniature Hereford Expo offers a variety of educational contests designed to help young exhibitors develop communication, leadership, creativity, and industry knowledge while building confidence both inside and outside the showring.

Contest opportunities include Showmanship, Sales Talk, Fitting, Judging, Arts & Crafts, Photography, Speech, and Costume.

Exhibitors must be entered in each contest they wish to participate in—including Showmanship—by the entry deadline.

Participation in contests is encouraged but not required.

Official Rules for the 2027 Miniature Hereford Expo will be posted prior to entries opening.

🖼️ Arts & Crafts: Please complete the Statement of Originality Form before arriving.

A&C Statement of Originality Form

Contest Overview
The contest descriptions below provide a general overview of each competition. Complete contest rules, eligibility requirements, and scoring criteria will be published in the 2027 Expo Rules prior to the opening of entries.

SHOWMANSHIP CONTEST

Showmanship will be blow & go. No-fit, no adhesive is allowed

Must wear Expo exhibitor T-Shirt.

Each exhibitor must use the same animal for all phases of the Showmanship Contest.

Pre Jr-Exhibitors may have one person to assist with exhibiting their animal for safety reasons

JUDGING CONTEST

The purpose of the Judging Contest is for the exhibitors to test their ability to evaluate desirable beef cattle phenotype.

Intermediate and Senior will judge 4 classes of cattle, consisting of 4 head per class

Pre-Junior Exhibitors will have the choice to judge two to four classes.

Intermediate and Senior divisions will have one oral reasons class

Pre-Juniors will not have a Questions class and will have a scribe for assistance with writing class placements.

FITTING CONTEST

The purpose of the Fitting Contest is for the exhibitors to test their fitting abilities and teamwork.

Pre-Juniors, Juniors, Intermediate, and Senior Division teams will be divided up by their age groups, with a RANDOM selection AT THE EVENT.

Pre- Junior teams will be assigned a mentor to coach/help them.

There will be no clipping in Pre-Junior & Junior Divisions, only paints and glues.

All team members should be involved in the breakdown of the animal, including full bath and blow out. Cans of leftover product should go to the person that donated the calf when contest is complete.

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

The purpose of this contest is to help exhibitors increase their communication skills through the creative display of a message or feeling through photography

Exhibitors are to take photographs by themselves, without the assistance from a parent or adult.

Exhibits must promote the Miniature Hereford Breed in some way.

All photos must be mounted on 11”x 14” foam core or gator board that is at least 1/8’thick. Photos can be any size up to including 11”x14” but must be mounted on 11”x14” foam core or gator board

SPEECH CONTEST

The purpose of this contest is to help exhibitors increase their communication skills in public speaking.

The contestants’ speech topic should be related to cattle and/or the beef industry.

One or more visual aids can be used for the speech contest

Pre-Junior & Junior length of speech is 3 min and no longer than 6 min. Intermediate & Senior length of speech is 5 min and no longer than 8 min

ARTS & CRAFTS CONTEST

The purpose of this contest is to allow exhibitors to showcase their artistic skills (example painting, video, sculpture, artistic posters, music, etc.).

Exhibitors must complete the exhibit by themselves, without assistance from a parent/adult

Exhibits must promote the Miniature Hereford Breed in some way.

Exhibitors must submit a signed Statement of Originality, that will include a short description about the process and supplies used to create the entry.

Entries

Schedule

Miniature Hereford Expo

Best week of the summer!

Educational Contests Overview

The Miniature Hereford Expo offers a variety of educational contests designed to help young exhibitors develop communication, leadership, creativity, and industry knowledge while building confidence both inside and outside the showring.

Contest Overview
The contest descriptions below provide a general overview of each competition. Complete contest rules, eligibility requirements, and scoring criteria will be published in the 2027 Expo Rules prior to the opening of entries.

SHOWMANSHIP CONTEST

COSTUME CONTEST

JUDGING CONTEST

FITTING CONTEST

SALES TALK CONTEST

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

SPEECH CONTEST

ARTS & CRAFTS CONTEST

Educational Contests Overview

The Miniature Hereford Expo offers a variety of educational contests designed to help young exhibitors develop communication, leadership, creativity, and industry knowledge while building confidence both inside and outside the showring.

Contest Overview The contest descriptions below provide a general overview of each competition. Complete contest rules, eligibility requirements, and scoring criteria will be published in the 2027 Expo Rules prior to the opening of entries.

SHOWMANSHIP CONTEST

Contest Overview
The contest descriptions below provide a general overview of each competition. Complete contest rules, eligibility requirements, and scoring criteria will be published in the 2027 Expo Rules prior to the opening of entries.