Tri-Rivers Fair Board
The Tri-Rivers Fair Round Robin Showmanship contest will be held at 2 p.m Saturday, Aug. 12 in Ag Hall and Barn #2 at the Saline County Expo Center, 900 Greeley. Round Robin Showmanship features the winning showmen from each age division, in each species shown throughout the fair week.
“Round Robin is a culmination of the top showmen in each large livestock species; including beef, horse, swine, sheep and meat goats,” Jacob Schmeidler, 4-H Agent with the Central Kansas District Extension, said. “The participants will be displaying their abilities to correctly handle and show each animal they are given, based on the standards of excellence for each species.”
The show will involve a separate judge for each species being shown, with each judge bringing skillset that specializes their expertise in the species they will be judging.
Showmanship winners in the junior, intermediate, and senior divisions of each species will rotate between the five species. This means that a 4-H’er who only showed beef, will have the opportunity to try their hand at showing goats, lambs, hogs and horses.
“What makes this event so unique is that these 4-H members have the opportunity to experience showing many different species that they may have never shown before,” Schmeidler said. “One of the most exciting parts of 4-H is how members have the opportunity to try their luck at many different projects and areas of life they may not otherwise have the chance to experience.”
Audience members can watch four of the species in Ag Hall, and can watch swine being shown in Barn #2.
“Round Robin is the only livestock show where viewers can watch multiple species showing at the same time,” Schmeidler said.
Other Saturday events
Saturday at the Tri-Rivers Fair looks like a full schedule, starting with the 4-H Livestock Sale at 9 a.m. in Barn #2.
Also at 9 a.m. the 4-H Fair Fun Day will begin in the air conditioning of the 4-H Building at the Saline County Expo Center. 4-H Fair Fun Day is a free event open to all children ages 5-10 years old that lasts until 12:30 p.m. Participants will rotate through different hands-on workshops featuring different 4-H projects presented by current 4-H members. The event includes a free lunch.
Also for children, both young and young-at-heart, the Ell-Saline FFA will provide a petting zoo from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Barn #1.
At 10 a.m. the Kansas Tractor Club will showcase the antique tractors of some of the club’s members. The tractors will be set up in the circle drive south of Tony’s Pizza Event Center (TPEC.) Inside TPEC, the Show and Sell Artist Showcase and commercial vendors will be open at 10 a.m.
TPEC will also be the location for the 4-H CO2 car races starting at 12 p.m.
Following the races, Woof-Fest will run from 1-5 p.m in the Great Plains Manufacturing Convention room of TPEC. The demonstrations and education offered is through a fair partnership with the Salina Kennel Club.
Saturday’s schedule will wind down with final bids taken on silent auction items at 3 p.m. in Kenwood Hall at the Saline County Expo Center. Funds raised through the silent auction will go to support 4-H Scholarships.
Closing out the Tri-Rivers Fair will be two events at 7 p.m. The Draft Horse Team Pull will be in Ag Hall, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the Demolition Derby will be at the Salina Speedway with gates opening at 6 p.m.
The carnival, put on by WEEE Entertainment, opens at 6 p.m. every night of the Tri-Rivers Fair.