Frequently Asked Questions

No, RV hook ups are not available on site or at the livestock trailer parking area, however; there are a couple of RV parks in the area that accommodate Show exhibitors.View R.V. Park & Hotel Listing

View R.V. Park & Hotel Listing

These dates are determined by the state extension service. You can find out information about these dates and other tag-in information through your local county extension office.

The 2012 Houston Livestock Show dates are February 28 - March 18. For the 2012 schedule, please refer to the 2012 Livestock Show Schedule web page.

Junior Show entries must be made online by your County Extension Agent or Agricultural Science Teacher. Please refer to the Junior Show section below for more information.

Open Show entries can be made online or by paper application and must be postmarked on or before Jan 5.

Junior show entries MUST BE SUMBITTED ONLINE before midnight, Dec. 1. Entries submitted between Dec. 2 -15 will automatically be charged a $250 late fee per chapter or county. Please refer to page 9 of the Exhibitor Handbook for further entry deadline information.

Yes, Junior Show entries submitted between midnight, Dec. 1 and on or before midnight, Dec. 15, will be accepted with a $250 late fee per club/chapter. Entries submitted after midnight, Dec. 16, until closing of check-in for individual species, will automatically be charged a $500 extra late fee per entry submitted by mail or in person. (Payment in the form of cash, check or credit card must be received prior to the close of check-in for the respective species.) Late entries are not guaranteed to be in pre-show press releases. Please refer to Rule 5 of the Junior Show Rules and Regulations in the Exhibitor Handbook.

Open Show entries must be submitted on or before midnight, Jan. 5. Open Show entries will be accepted after the Jan. 5 deadline date, if space is available. Open Show entries postmarked after Jan. 5 and entries that are hand-delivered to the Houston Livestock Show after Jan. 5 must pay a $25 per head late fee. Please refer to page 8 of the Exhibitor Handbook for further entry deadline information.

Yes, Open Show entries will be accepted after the Jan. 5 deadline date, if space is available. Open Show entries postmarked after Jan. 5 and entries that are hand-delivered to Houston Livestock Show after Jan. 5, must pay a $25 per head late fee. Late entries are not guaranteed to be stalled with other entries by the same exhibitor or owner. Open Show late entry deadline is Feb. 15. Please refer to page 8 of the Exhibitor Handbook for further entry deadline information.

No, late entries are not accepted for any rabbit entries. The entry deadline is Dec. 15 for Open Youth Meat Pen Rabbits and Feb. 1 for Youth and Open Breeding Rabbits and Cavies. Please refer to page 8 of the Exhibitor Handbook for further entry deadline information.

Participation in the Junior Livestock Division is limited to Texas resident students, who are members of a Texas 4-H Club or FFA Chapter. Exhibitors must be enrolled in, and attending, public or private elementary or secondary schools in Texas. Students must be between the ages of 9 and 18 on or before Aug. 31, 2011. Exception: students in the 3rd grade become eligible on their 8th birthday. Please refer to Rule 2 of the Junior Show Rules and Regulations in the Exhibitor Handbook for further eligibility information.

There are ownership deadlines for purchasing animals to exhibit in the Junior Livestock Show. Please refer to Rule 16 of the Junior Show Rules and Regulations in the Exhibitor Handbook for further eligibility information.

View the 2011 Junior Market Show Weight Breaks.

Yes, health papers are required on Junior Breeding Beef Heifers, Junior Breeding Gilts and Junior Breeding Sheep. Health papers are not required on Junior Market Steers, Barrows, Lambs, Goats or Junior Commercial Steers. Please refer to page 32-35 of the Exhibitor Handbook for further health requirement information.

Junior Show animals must be exhibited and sold by their owners. Please refer to Rule 15 of the Junior Show Rules and Regulations in the Exhibitor Handbook for further information on a substitute exhibitor.

Stall assignments are made upon arrival at the livestock staging area for Junior Market Steers, Junior Breeding Beef Heifers and Junior Market Barrows. To stall together, groups MUST arrive together at the staging area. NO assignments will be made for animals that are coming later. A Pre-penning request form is only accepted for Junior Market Sheep and Goats. Download the Junior Market Lamb and Goat Pre-penning Request Form.

Exhibitors must designate the heifer they wish to exhibit at time of online entry. However, exhibitors will be allowed to submit registration papers on multiple heifers (in the name of the respective exhibitor on or before Nov. 1, 2011) to allow for late substitutions. Substitutions will only be allowed if a digital copy of the substitute heifer’s registration paper (in the name of the respective exhibitor on or before Nov. 1, 2011) was received by the Show office on or before the December 1st deadline. Please refer to Rule 9 of the Junior Breeding Beef Heifer Show Rules and Regulations in the Exhibitor Handbook.

Pen space is available during the show only at the discretion of the Show veterinarian. The Show veterinarian can be reached at the trailer located on the west side of the main cattle arena.

Health Papers are required on all Open Show animals for show, sale and/or exhibition. Please refer to page 32 - 35 of the Exhibitor Handbook for further health requirement information.

Yes, Open Show Breeding and Specialty Cattle exhibitors also are allowed to enter a maximum of two head of cattle for display purposes only. Display only cattle must be entered in the Show at the same time as the exhibitor’s competition cattle and will be stalled with the exhibitor’s cattle. The entry fee is $100 per animal. Please refer to Rule 7 of the General Rules and Regulations in the Exhibitor Handbook for further information about display only cattle.

Request for stall assignments must be made at the time of entry on or before Feb. 15; STALL REQUESTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED. You will receive your stall assignment upon arrival to the Airport Blvd. livestock exhibitor staging area. Cattle will be stalled by breed only; special requests must be submitted in writing and may be approved at the discretion of Show management only.

Junior Show exhibitors will each receive one complimentary grounds pass which is valid though the duration of the current Show. Each club/chapter also will receive one complimentary grounds pass for the CEA/AST. 

Yes, additional passes can be purchase for $25 each at time of entry online or upon arrival at the Superintendent Log Cabin located on the east side of the main cattle arena.

Junior Show distribution is based on the number of exhibitors per county or chapter per show week. Permits are mailed to the AST/CEA to be distributed at their discretion to the exhibitors.

Open Show vehicle permits are allotted by one per exhibitor, one per owner (if different than exhibitor) and one for every additional five head beyond the first animal entered.

Please refer to Rule 10 of the General Show Rules and Regulations for the vehicle permit distribution breakdown.

No, there are no additional livestock exhibitor vehicle permits available for purchase. A vehicle permit allows exhibitors to enter the designated livestock gates to help with the ease of unloading livestock, equipment, etc., and does not guarantee a parking space. For additional vehicles, parking is available for a fee in the Yellow Lot located off Main Street.

When the livestock exhibitor parking lot is full, vehicles with a valid "L" tag can park in the Yellow Lot on Main Street at no additional charge.

No, arrival times are strictly enforced. These times are set up to allow for the barns to be made ready for each new group of animals arriving for show. Please refer to the 2012 Livestock Show Schedule for specified move in dates and times.

All livestock exhibitors must stage at Airport Blvd. to receive a move-in tag before arriving at the North Stadium Entrance to Reliant Park. Vehicles without the appropriate move-in tag will be sent back to Airport Blvd. Exceptions include Junior Market Poultry exhibitors and Junior Commercial Steer exhibitors that can arrive directly at Reliant Arena through Gate 5. View a map of livestock exhibitor staging and trailer parking.

The exhibitor staging area at Airport Blvd. will be open at 5 p.m., the afternoon prior to Junior Market Show and Junior Breeding Beef Heifer, and Open Show move-in days. Gate 5 will be open at 2 a.m. for all Junior Commercial Steer and Poultry exhibitors.

The trailer parking area at Airport Blvd. is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on move-out days for exhibitors to pick up their trailers.

No, there are designated release dates and times for each species. Please refer to the 2012 Livestock Show Schedule for specific release times.  No early release will be issued.

To obtain a release, you must have the following information: drivers license number, state issued by, truck license plate number and trailer license plate number. Vehicles picking up animals and/or with trailers must stage at Airport Blvd. prior to entering North Stadium Drive. Vehicles with tack only release forms and no trailer do not need to stage at Airport Blvd.

Yes, a release form must be obtained at the Livestock Superintendent Office for a truck that will be picking up tack only. Trucks with a release form that says TACK ONLY are not required to stage at Airport Blvd. You may report directly from Exhibitor Parking to the North Stadium Entrance.

Hay and feed may be purchased through the Show's Feed Committee. Exhibitors who wish to bring their own hay, grain, mixtures or supplements will be permitted to do so. Exhibitors are requested to store no more than two days’ supply of feed or hay in the barn at any time. Paid feed bills must be presented at the time releases are requested.

No, bedding is not provided in the tie-outs. Exhibitors that purchased tie-outs at the time of entry must bring their own straw. The use of shavings in the tie-outs is highly discouraged. Straw is available for purchase by the Show's Feed Committee.