The Shelby County 4-H Advisory Board will once again be hosting their annual Silent Auction during the week of the Shelby County Fair! As in the past, it is highly encouraged that each 4-H club provide a donation basket or item that will be entered into the Silent Auction. I have highlighted below the important details regarding the Silent Auction:

• Auction items will be displayed and open for bidding in the Booth Building during the week of the Shelby County Fair
• Proceeds from the Silent Auction will benefit the Shelby County Advisory Board, which is a group that supports and advises the 4-H educator about the current and future needs of the county 4-H program with the intention of promoting and strengthening involvement in 4-H.

What can 4-H clubs do to help?

• Provide a donation basket or an item to be entered into the Silent Auction
• With your donation basket or item, please include a list of items that are in your basket and the value of the basket
• Help the Shelby County 4-H Advisory Board advertise the event in your clubs and encourage people to check out the Silent Auction

If your 4-H club intends to donate a Silent Auction Basket, please email miller.11920@osu.edu! All Silent Auction donations must be brought to the Shelby County Extension Office by Friday, July 18th, 2025!

If you have any questions regarding the Silent Auction, please reach out at miller.11920@osu.edu. Thank you!

Open to both active 4-H members and 4-H alumni!

We are working on a special project that will be featured in the 4-H Booth Building at this year’s fair and are asking for your help! 4-H helps kids find their spark, build real world skills and become resilient, adaptable, lifelong learners. That’s why we’re putting a spotlight on how 4-H has impacted you! This form should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Our goal is to feature as many spotlights as possible! If you experience any difficulty in completing this form, please contact me at miller.11920@osu.edu. Thank you for your help on this project!

Survey Link

The Shelby County Outstanding 4-H’er Award is given out annually to FIVE outstanding youth who deserve to be celebrated for their positive impact on their communities. The youth, nominated by their peers or advisors, are featured online and honored at the King & Queen Contest. They also receive a certificate and plaque recognizing them for their outstanding leadership. This is a noteworthy award that is presented every year.

Please include the name of the 4-H member and 4 to 5 sentences on how you feel they work each day to impact those around them positively. Specific examples of involvement in service leadership should be included. Please also include a photo of the member for publicity purposes.

To see past winners, visit Outstanding 4-H’er Awards!

Nominations can be emailed to Katie Miller at miller.11920@osu.edu by July 11th! Thank you!

Please review the Showmanship Class Lists below for the 2025 Shelby County Fair! Please email miller.11920@osu.edu with any questions or scratches! These lists are based on our records in FairEntry. If you do not see your child’s name on the list and they would like to be added, please email miller.11920@osu.edu. Thank you!

Class Lists are subject to change due to scratches.

• Jr. Fair Rabbit Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Dairy Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Sheep Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Dairy/Angora/Pygmy Goat Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Swine Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Poultry Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Beef Showmanship Class List
• Jr. Fair Meat Goat Showmanship Class List

As fair nears, here are some forms that may be helpful:

Shelby County Fair Project Forms

• Shelby County 4-H Annual Project Update Form
• 2025 4-H Project Completion and Fair Requirements
• Shelby County Fair Scratch Form (due by July 11th to the Extension Office)
• Shelby County Fair Family Tagging Form (due by July 4th to miller.11920@osu.edu)
• Shelby County Fair Early Release Form (due by July 11th to miller.11920@osu.edu)

Shelby County Junior Fair Board Forms

• Shelby County Junior Fair Board Election Application
• Shelby County Junior Fair Board Appointment Application

Shelby County Fair Miscellaneous Forms

• 2025 Shelby County King & Queen Application

The Shelby County Junior Fair Livestock Sale Committee has once again decided to use Final Drive Auctions to facilitate our sale! Each exhibitor will have a webpage set up for buyers to be able to go on and place add-on bids. To get these set up and ready to go, we need your help! Each exhibitor participating in the Shelby County Jr. Fair Livestock Sale is asked to complete the following form: Shelby County Jr. Fair Livestock Sale Jotform

The form will request that you submit a photo of the exhibitor. The picture does not have to be with this year’s project! Below is a tip sheet that includes marketing suggestions for social media to market your livestock project better.

• Social Media Tips for Youth

If you have any questions regarding this process or have trouble accessing the form, please contact Sale Committee at office@shelbycojrfairsale.com. Also be sure to follow Shelby County Junior Fair Livestock Sale Committee on Facebook to stay up to date!

First Year Exhibitors going through the Auction: A completed W-9 MUST  be on file to participate in the Junior Fair Livestock Sale with your 4-H project. Please note that this information provided is only used in reporting the income on the 1099-MISC per Federal filing requirements and is not used for any other purpose. To comply with IRS requirements, the Senior Fair Board must file a 1099 MISC for anyone who sells their project for $600 or more. 

4-H Club or FFA project. If an individual participates in a 4-H Club or National FFA Organization (FFA) project, any net income from sales or prizes related to the project may be subject to income tax. Report the net income as “Other income” on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8. If necessary, attach a statement showing the gross income and expenses. The net income may not be subject to S.E. tax if the project is primarily for educational purposes and not for profit and is completed by the individual under the rules and economic restrictions of the sponsoring 4-H or FFA organization. Such a project is generally not considered a trade or business. For information on the filing requirements and other tax information for dependents, see Pub. 929.

You will find the link to the W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number form attached.  You must fill this form out in its entirety, including your Social Security Number, and either mail it to the Senior Fair Board Office or drop it off in their drop box (located outside their office):

Shelby County Senior Fair Board Office

701 S. Highland Ave. Sidney, OH 45365

The W-9 MUST be filled out before the animal’s check-in. Failure to comply may jeopardize your participation in the sale.

Note: This form only requires turning in once. It is kept on file for the exhibitor’s eligible years. If you turned in this form last year, you do not need to do so again this year. Please get in touch with the Senior Fair Board office at 937-492-7385 with questions.

As a reminder, the Shelby County Junior Fair Market Rabbit Tattoo/Check-In is Saturday, June 21st from 8-10 AM!

To avoid unnecessary congestion on the fairgrounds, here are the details for Rabbit Tattoo/Check-In:

1. Enter the fairgrounds using the Middle School Entrance gate
2. Turn right and head towards the Horse Arena Area
3. If your rabbits need tattooed, park in the grassy area around the Horse Arena and come to the Tattoo Station (located inside the Horse Barn)
4. If your rabbits are already tattooed (w/ “SC25”), continue on the drive past the horse arenas towards the Extension Office gate
5. Once tattooed or checked, please head out the gate that empties into the Extension Office parking lot

ATTENTION: please be prepared to indicate the following:

• if you plan to participate in the Junior Fair Livestock Auction
• if you plan to participate in Rabbit Showmanship
• if you plan to take your rabbits home from fair or if you intend to put them on the bulk trailer

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at miller.11920@osu.edu or 937-419-7127. Thank you!

For more information and to view the study guides, please visit our Skillathon page on our website!

Per Junior Fair Rules and Regulations, all animal exhibitors MUST participate in at least one Skillathon exam prior to the first day of Shelby County Fair. Skillathon exams will be administered at the following times:

• July 16th, 2025 from 5-8 PM
• July 17th, 2025 from 5-8 PM
• July 18th, 2025 from 5-8 PM

If an exhibitor has a legitimate conflict with the above-listed times, they can contact miller.11920@osu.edu to schedule an alternate time!

Topics:

Skillathon exam topics are administered on a three-year rotation. 2025 will be Test A. Topics for each year will be as follows:

• Test A: Meat ID, Breeds, Anatomy, Medication Label, and Quality Assurance

Divisions:

Exams will be administered according to the age of the youth, with age division as follows:

• Beginner: 8 to 11 years of age as of January 1st of the current year
• Intermediate: 12 to 14 years of age as of January 1st of the current year
• Senior: 15 to 18 years of age as of January 1st of the current year

Format: 

Skillathon exams will consist of a test portion and an oral interview (unscored). The test portion will include three species-specfic knowledge sections and a Quality Assurance section. Exhibitors will be asked to discuss their project experience and turn in a Shelby County Junior Fair Livestock Feed Record for the oral interview portion (unscored).

Note! Exhibitors who fail to complete at least one skillathon exam prior to July 20th will NOT be allowed to show or sell any exhibit at the Junior Fair!

Awards:

 The highest skillathon score in each age division (see above) in each specie with a market class (beef, lambs, goats, swine, rabbits, poultry, and cavies) will receive an award and will sell immediately following the Grand & Reserve Champions and the Grand & Reserve Rate of Gain Champions. The highest skillathon score in each age division (see above) in each non-market specie will receive an award. If an exhibitor receives the high score in more than one market specie, they must elect which they plan to priority sell and notify the Junior Fair Board.

Accommodations: 

Shelby County is committed to ensuring all youth have a positive 4-H experience. If your child requires any testing accommodations, please contact miller.11920@osu.edu in advance and we will work to make a reasonable accommodation arrangement. Requests for accommodations must be submitted to miller.11920@osu.edu by July 4th to review and adequately prepare!

Shelby County Pig & Calf Scramble

• Friday, July 25th at 7 PM
• Entries close on July 8th or until full!
• Open to Shelby County Junior Fair exhibitors

Species and Age Groups are as follows:

• Calf Scramble: Ages 14 and older (limit first 40 signed up)
• Sheep Scramble: Ages 11 to 13 (limit first 40 signed up)
• Pig Scramble: Ages 8-10 (limit first 40 signed up)

All entries and waivers should be turned into the Shelby County Senior Fair Office (drop box for after hours) and no late entries will be accepted!!

Pig & Calf Scramble Entry Form

Check out this opportunity being offered in Champaign County!