Rank the toughest majors and state fairs

[InIt2WinIt]

I thought this would be a fun discussion. I realize there is a lot of variability year to year, but I'm just talking about generally.

Majors(with hair):
1. Fort Worth- tough to argue with given the numbers
2. Denver
3. KC/Louisville

State Fairs:
In my opinion, Iowa is clearly the toughest. After that I'm not sure. You could make arguments for a lot of other states. Colorado is very sparse in numbers but the top end is terrific. Wisconsin and Indiana are typically very competitive from what I know.

Would love to here everyone's thoughts

 

[Bradenh]

havent been to many. but i would tell you ft worth should top any list... that show is unreal quality and numbers wise

 

[NHR]

The NAILE in Louisville is the toughest I have seen. Just WOW!!!

Fort Worth is a good show also but no comparison to the NAILE.

 

[Bradenh]

what gender are you talking about nhr

 

[Ohio1]

For state fairs I'd say after Iowa it'd be  ohio/Indiana and the only major I've been to is the NAILE and I'd say the steer show there was the toughest last year with Bonham, Guyer, vickland etc.

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

Its pretty safe to say he was referring to cattle seeing as how this is a cattle forum.

From my experience at places i have been to for Jr. and Open shows, this is the way i would rate them. Maybe it was the tough cattle or the place itself.

NAILE >  FT Worth > Houston> San Antonio >Texas State Fair> Dixie National > Ozark Empire Fair> Nebraska State Fair> Louisiana State Fair > Tri-State Fair

 

[NHR]

The Shorthorn cattle at the NAILE (open and junior) are just incredible. You can take a grand champion from any Texas major and get buried in class at the NAILE.

The steer show at the the NAILE is also very  good however the best depth of quality for steers at a major would be Fort Worth.

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

Old world shortie is pretty clear this is a cattle site.
Gender he would be referring to steers hiefers. Glad to learn this is a cattle
Thought we were talking about a sheep show.

Just last night the original question was what "Species". Clearly the post was edited by SS95 to "Gender" after my post, kinda weird huh

 

[NHR]

Old world shortie is pretty clear this is a cattle site.
Gender he would be referring to steers hiefers. Glad to learn this is a cattle
Thought we were talking about a sheep show.

Last night it said "species" not "gender"!!!

 

[Bradenh]

it was an honest mistake i miss-worded it... that why the edit option is there, i simply read the response and changed it to make it more understandable?

 

[breyfarm]

Ohio State fair and ohio beef expo are pretty tough top to bottom but them and louisville is the only ones i been to so I can't really say compared to some people on here who goes to a lot of them around the states

 

[JY]

I would say jr. Heifers might be tougher at the naile but steers nothing compares to ft worth. The crossbreed classes have 70 to 80 head per class and the breeds on thurs are unbelievable. It is a very big honor to get pulled to the middle in ft worth. And there are 12classes of crosses. Of course what might tougher than the show is getting classified. Love ft worth t.here is nothing like it.

 

[JY]

The heifers at Louisville maybe as tough as any but ft worth steer show is the toughest.  There are 12classes of 70 to 80 head in the cross reds. The barred shows on Thurs. are u believe able also. To get pulled to the middle in ft. Worth is a big honor. Of course getting classified maybe tougher than the show. But love ft. Worth nothing compares <party>

 

[twistedhshowstock]

Hmmm...its tough to say...they all have a lot of quality.
I would say for Heifers at Majors(all around Jr and Open)
1. NAILE
2. Denver
3. Kansas City
4. Ft Worth
5. Houston/OYE/Georgia National

Steers
1. Ft Worth/Houston
2. Denver/Naile
3. Kansas City/San Antonio

For State Fairs
1. Iowa all the way.
2. Indiana/Ohio
3. Illinois/Kansas
4. Minnesota/Wisconsin

I am lucky enough to have had the opportunity to witness most of these shows in person, though not with enough regularity to be able to comment confidently on the state fairs other than to say its tough to get around Iowa.

 

[Hereford399]

When the Defranks have a bad a$$ steer Ohio is tough to win. But state fairs I'd say Iowa then ohio

 

[Bi-Lane Livestock]

What about the Royal????

In my opinion it is the toughest major followed by NAILE and then Ft. Worth.

State fairs:

Iowa, Ohio/Indiana followed by IL.

 

[DiamondMCattle]

For the open cattle shows Denver has to be at the top. For the Junior Market Show it has to be FT Worth.

 

[oakview]

Louisville is by far the toughest in the Shorthorns, both junior and open, in my opinion.  That heifer show is unbelievable, and it gets tougher every year.  I like Denver, but the Shorthorn numbers are no where near what they are in Louisville. There's something to be said about the stockyards, too.  Have you ever seen so many Herefords in one place?  For those of you too young to have seen Denver in it's prime, you really missed something.  Iowa has to rank right up there with anybody in the state fair division.  Illinois has to be near the top, too.  I have been very disappointed with the numbers at most of the other state fairs.  It seems unfair that sometimes a PACE show might have 40 head and there might be over 100 in Des Moines and you get no points, like last year.  We used to show at Kansas City fairly regularly, but it doesn't come close to Louisville or Denver.  I've never been to Ft. Worth, although I did send a bull calf there about 10 years ago that was second in the early spring bull calf class.  We were unable to attend due to bad weather getting there.  Louisville gets my vote for cattle, facilities, and the fact that the race track is about 2 miles away.

 

[wiseguy]

Louisville Shorty show is without question the best show in North America. I have seen four heifers that each won a state fair in the same class.  After that I think the Hereford show at Denver (horned and polled) is an easy second. If you haven't seen this show it is impressive no matter what breed of cattle you raise. As far as state fairs Iowa and Illinois trump all others in terms of numbers and quality. At least shorthorns.

 

[nkotb]

I would argue that at most state fairs, the top end would be competitive anywhere.  After about the top 5, I would think you could argue one state fair is tougher than the others.