Rules & Information............
Market Show Particpants & Parents
Meet For Instructions

by: Bobby McDonald

Many may have thought that half the battle of showing in the Hopkins County Market Show, scheduled for February 23-25, 2006, was purchasing the animal. However, as participants and parents learned on Sunday afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., in the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center, a lot of hard work goes on to produce a county show the size and magnitude of our local show. Hours of preparation and planning must be accomplished before the show can be conducted.

"I had no idea what all went on 'behind the scene' of the show," expressed one first time exhibitor's parents. "I didn't realize how much the NETLA organization did all year to make certain that the show is conducted, so that it is fair to everyone and so that my child can be a participant."

Brad Johnson, President of the NETLA organization goes over the rules and regulations regarding
entering an animal project in the 2006 Hopkins County Market Show and Sale. Parents were encouraged
to ask questions and make certain that everything was understood, at a parent's meeting on Sunday afternoon.

Hours of assembling pens, conducting a buyers luncheon, cleaning the Civic Center, and composing records, are required so that the local county show can be conducted, each year.

"Certainly, the 4-H and FFA students have a big responsibility to purchase, feed, groom, and train their animals, but another interested group is contacting buyers, weighing animals, and compiling records, so that the Hopkins County Market Show can be an educational and enjoyable experience for the local youth," states Brad Johnson, President of the Northeast Texas Livestock Association. "We meet and work all year on securing buyers, setting 'floor' prices for the livestock, and aiding the youth in all phases of the show and sale!"

These students and parents were assembled on Sunday afternoon to make sure they had all of the
instructions to enter their projects in the Hopkins County Market Show.

Interested adults, many who have formerly participated in the show during their own youth, come and work on rules and criteria that assures that all the hard work a student puts into the project, is rewarded. "There's nothing anymore dissappointing to us, than to see a child work with their project, do everything right, and not receive a reward," exclaims Johnson. "We want to see those students who work hard and pay attention to detail to be rewarded with a large check for their project, at the end of the sale. That's the only motivation of our group and we do our best to 'get the word out' to local business people and provide educational aspects of letting the folks all across Hopkins County know how hard these kids work!"

Clancey Horton, front row left, brought his dad, Heath Horton, to the meeting to make certain that
they had all of the information for him to show in his first Hopkins County Market Show.

Each student participating in the show and one of both of their parents, must attend a meeting where all the rules are explained and where questions can be fielded to make certain that everyone knows what is happening in the workings of the show. Parents will be asked to participate in assembling the grounds for the show, working in the concession stands, contacting buyers, and then, the final clean-up after the Sale of Champions. Additionally, the students are given 20 raffle tickets that they are required to sell. Proceeds go to the buyers pool, where each student is equally able to receive the benefits during the sale.

"We wish that each student that begins a project could receive the rewards of selling in the Sale of Champions," adds Eddie Lampp, Vice-President of the NETLA organization. "However, the Sale of Champions is reserved for those students who give the necessary care to producing the top animals in the show. Valuable lessons are learned both when you make the sale and when you don't. Missing the sale encourages youth to try harder the next year and give the process even more effort!"

So, if a 4-H or FFA youth drops by your place of business and offers you a chance to win a side of beef, buy a raffle ticket and know that it is going for a very worthy cause, to help support the local youth of Hopkins County!

Sulphur Springs FFA member, Colton Wilks, right, didn't waste any time in selling raffle tickets
to his friend, Riley Tatum, left. Each exhibitor is required to sell 20 raffle tickets in order to participate
in the show.

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