More Than a Livestock Show: The Youth Behind the Animals
Walk through the livestock barn at the Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo and you’ll see more than cattle, sheep, goats and hogs.
You’ll see young people who have spent months feeding, grooming, training and caring for their animals. You’ll see them preparing for competition, learning from their successes and setbacks, and proudly presenting the results of their hard work.
For many Rockbridge County 4-H and FFA members, the Livestock Show and Sale is one of the highlights of the year. And for the community, it’s an opportunity to see firsthand how agriculture helps shape the young people who will carry it forward.
The 2026 Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo, September 10–12 at the Virginia Horse Center, brings youth livestock exhibitors together for another year of competition, learning and tradition.
“Livestock showing has taught me patience with my projects and problem solving for the difficult ones. Along with big responsibility and commitment knowing I must get up every day and get done what needs to be done for my animals.”
- Layton Lilly, age 12, who has been showing at the Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo since he was 5.
The Work Behind the Show
A livestock project doesn't begin when an exhibitor walks into the show ring.
Long before fair week, 4-H and FFA members are caring for their animals and learning what it takes to raise and present livestock. They learn responsibility by making sure their animals are fed, watered and cared for. They learn patience when training doesn't go exactly as planned. They learn how to accept a judge's decision, learn from it and come back better prepared next time.
And they learn that success isn't always measured by a blue ribbon.
The experience of raising livestock teaches young people about commitment, responsibility, agriculture and the connection between people and the animals that help feed our communities.
A Poultry Tradition That Runs Deep
Livestock at the fair isn't just about cattle, sheep, goats and hogs. The Rockbridge County 4-H Poultry Club brings another important agricultural tradition to the Reel Arena/East Complex.
The club gives young people hands-on experience with chickens, ducks, turkeys, quail and other poultry while teaching them about breeds, animal husbandry and showmanship. Members also develop leadership, public speaking and service skills along the way.
And Rockbridge County has something particularly special to celebrate: the county is home to the longest-running Poultry Chain project in the nation. The Poultry Chain recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, continuing a tradition that has introduced generations of young people to poultry projects and agriculture.
During the fair, visitors can see the 4-H Poultry Show in the Reel Arena/East Complex and watch these young exhibitors put their knowledge and hard work on display.
The community can also support the exhibitors at the 4-H/FFA Market Animal Sale on Friday at 6 p.m. The Poultry Chain birds are the first in the ring to be auctioned, with proceeds returning to the Poultry Chain program to help purchase birds for the following year's participants.
It's another great example of what makes the livestock experience at the fair about much more than a ribbon—it's about passing agricultural knowledge and traditions from one generation to the next.
See the Livestock Shows in Action
The fair offers several opportunities to watch these young exhibitors compete. Livestock events will take place in Barn 6, making it easy to find the action once you arrive.
Livestock Highlights
- Thursday, 2:00 PM — Market Animal Shows begin
- Friday, 10:00 AM — Livestock Showmanship Classes begin
- Friday, 6:00 PM — Market Animal Sale
- Saturday, 9:00 AM — Breeding Animal Shows begin
- Saturday, 12:30 PM — Supreme Showmanship
Thursday's market animal shows include market hogs, lambs, steers and goats, while Friday's showmanship competitions give exhibitors an opportunity to demonstrate not only their animals but the skills they have developed working with them. Saturday brings the breeding shows, with competition across several livestock species and the opportunity to see the Supreme Showmanship competition.
The Sale: Where the Community Gets Involved
Friday evening's 4-H/FFA Market Animal Sale at 6 p.m. is another important part of the experience.
The sale provides an opportunity for members of the community to support the young exhibitors whose hard work is on display. It's a reminder that livestock projects aren't just about competition, they connect young people with local businesses, families, farmers and community members who recognize the value of agriculture and youth development.
Agriculture Is Part of Our Community
For those who live in an agricultural community, livestock may be a familiar part of everyday life. But the fair offers everyone a chance to better understand the work behind that familiar sight.
Young exhibitors are learning where food comes from, how livestock are raised and what it means to take responsibility for another living thing.
They are also learning skills that extend well beyond the barn, public speaking, sportsmanship, time management, confidence and perseverance.
And perhaps most importantly, they're learning that their work matters.
Come See the Young People Behind the Animals
You don't have to be a livestock expert to enjoy the shows.
Stop by Barn 6. Watch an exhibitor prepare an animal for the ring. Ask questions. Cheer for the young people who have worked hard to get there.
Take a few minutes to watch the showmanship classes and see the relationship between an exhibitor and their animal. Then, if you're able, come back Friday evening for the sale and show your support for these young members of our community.
The livestock show is one of the places where the heart of the Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo really comes through.
It's agriculture. It's competition. It's education.
But most of all, it's about young people learning, growing and taking pride in what they do.
And that's something worth coming to see.
