Competitor Rules

How To Enter:

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Rules and Regulations

All exhibitors agree to be bound by the rules and regulations of the Kimberton Community Fair. The Fair Management reserves the right to amend or add to these rules and regulations as its judges may determine.

EXHIBITS AND EXHIBITORS

Reasonable care will be taken to protect all exhibits on display from all injury and damage, but the Fair is not, in any way, to be held responsible for accidents, loss or damage by water, fire, theft, or otherwise, whatever may be the cause or extent of the damage or loss.

All entries must be grown, produced, or made since the 2009 Fair by the person whose name appears on the entry tag as "Exhibitor".
Any Exhibitor may be required to prove ability to reproduce an entry in any department in the presence of a qualified person.
Entry Date restriction does NOT apply to Houseplants, Quilts and/or Farm Equipment.

4-H Age Requirements: For the purposes of exhibiting, 4-H members must have passed their eighth (8th) birthday, but not have passed their nineteenth (19) birthday by January 1 of the current year. Exhibitors must be members of a regularly organized 4-H club, carrying a project in the field in which they wish to make entry, and be under the supervision of the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Service by July 1 preceding the fair.

FFA Requirements: FFA Exhibitors must show proof of membership prior to exhibiting.

Other Age Requirements: For purposes of exhibiting, non-4-H youth categories will be determined by the youth exhibitor’s age as of July 26, 2010. Youth exhibitors must be at least 7 years old and no older than 18 years.

Fair Department Superintendents may enter exhibits in their own Departments, but neither they nor any other exhibitor may communicate with the judges during the time of determining the awards, except to answer questions posed by the judges.

The Fair reserves the right to cancel and show or contest, determine an exhibitor’s eligibility to enter, and determine how many entries will be accepted from an exhibitor in the same class or, in the case of livestock, the same breed. Specific entry rules are indicated under each Department.

It shall be the responsibility of the exhibitor to make known the proper name of the article or breed of livestock, which is being entered. Any item entered improperly will be disqualified to receive a prize, but the judges will mark the correct name on the entry tag for the benefit of the owner so that the same mistake in entering need not occur a second time.

Supervisors of a Department reserve the right of refusing to accept any exhibitor or entry. Furthermore, the Supervisors reserve the right to bar from competition any entry of decidedly inferior quality and those not possessing sufficient merit to warrant recognition. The Fair Management reserves the rights to remove any exhibit, or part of an exhibit, not worthy of viewing by the public.

No exhibit may be removed at any time before the close of the Fair except by consent of the Fair Management.

Food products cannot be polluted with any substance or chemical that causes them to become poisonous and unfit to be used as food.

JUDGING AND PRIZES

1. Judges, with expertise in the competitive categories, will be looking for the best specimens. Exhibitors should submit entries that are indicative of their best efforts.

2. Prizes, as listed, may be given for meritorious exhibits. In cases where there is no competition, judges may give an award such as they deem the exhibit is worthy to receive. Same rule applies where there are fewer entries in any class than the number of prizes offered. The judges may, at their discretion, award a ribbon or rosette.

3. Should any animal, which is awarded a prize, be disqualified the animals gaining the lower prizes shall move into the next higher position if, in the opinion of the judges, the animals are worthy of such prizes.

4. During the judging, exhibits (except livestock shows) are to be closed to everyone except Fair Officials, Judges, and necessary attendants. No exhibitor or his agent shall communicate with the Judge during time of determining the awards except to answer questions posed by the Judges. Any exhibitor interfering with the Judges while making awards shall forfeit any premium to which he would otherwise be entitled.

5. It is the responsibility of the Exhibitor to know the judging schedule. Stock must be shown in the ring in order to qualify for any awards, and must be in the ring promptly on call and a failure to comply with the order renders Exhibitors liable to be ruled out of the competition. No person shall be allowed in the ring while stock is being judged except the Judge, Supervisors and necessary attendants.

6. The decision of the judges shall be final in all cases except where a mistake, fraud, misrepresentation, or collusion, not discovered at the time of award, is proved. In such cases, the Exhibit Supervisor or Manager may make the decision. The case may be appealed to the Fair Management from whose decision there can be no appeal.
All protests regarding the judging must be made in writing and must plainly state the cause of the complaint or appeal. Such protests must be filed at the Fair Office within (24) hours of the occurrence.

7. All ribbons won at present livestock show must be displayed upon completion of judging and remain on display until exhibits are released. Decorations with ribbons or ornaments previously won by animals at shows shall be prohibited until after the awards have been made in their respective classes by the judges.

If award ribbons are stolen or destroyed, the exhibitor may receive a duplicate at the close of the Fair or show (to be supplied by the Fair free of charge).

All prize money will be paid by check. Home Arts and Goat Livestock checks must be claimed at the Fair office during Fair Week between Wednesday and Saturday during regular Fair hours. Dairy Cattle checks are only available on Saturday after 1:00 pm or will be mailed. Exhibitor, or an alternate person who possesses a signed statement from the Exhibitor, must sign for the prize check. Exhibitors or alternate persons may be asked to show photo identification before claiming prize money. Sheep and Market Goat prizes will be mailed. Any prize check will be mailed if, at the time of registration, a self-addressed, stamped envelope is submitted for the return of the premium check (not applicable to sheep exhibitors). Any issued checks not claimed by the Sunday after the Fair will be considered a donation.

All premium checks must be cashed within sixty (60) days after the Fair, or they will be considered to be a donation to the Kimberton Fire Company.

LIVESTOCK

Failure to follow the requirements for livestock exhibition may result in Kimberton Community Fair losing funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the testing and/or quarantine of animals by PA Department of Animal Health inspectors during the Fair. (2/10/06)

The management of Kimberton Community Fair reserves its right to set requirements that are more stringent than those of the PA Department of Agriculture veterinarians (2/10/06).

All livestock offered for premiums must have been the property of the owners for thirty (30) days or longer. Health Certificates (aka Certificate of Veterinary Inspection") are to be issued in the name of the Exhibitor.

Joint ownership of livestock is considered to be as one owner in accordance with the registration papers.

Any animal of unthrifty nature, unsuitable condition, or which cannot be satisfactorily handled under show conditions must be removed from the Fairgrounds.

All market animals should be weighed on the same set of scales, under a qualified weight-master, under the direction of the Fair.

Overfitting of cattle is discouraged. Any artificial means used to change the form or shape of an animal will disqualify it from competition.

Livestock Exhibitors will be expected to maintain a clean and neat personal appearance, including wearing standard show ring attire. Remember you are representing the Fair and the livestock industry.

Livestock Exhibitors are expected to display or parade their animals as directed by the Supervisor, to accept the stall assignments without controversy, to keep their animals in an attractive appearance, and to cooperate with the Department in every way that may serve to increase the educational value of the show.

Livestock Exhibitors are responsible for maintaining a clean and sanitary barn area during Fair week. All equipment must be removed promptly as the Supervisor may direct.

Exhibitor is responsible to furnish all hay, grain, straw, etc. The Fair is responsible for supplying water to all livestock.

When on exhibition in the ring, each animal must be under halter and under control of an owner or employee. The Fair will have stand-by attendants available during the youth judging or showing, persons designated to help if there is trouble with the animals.

Entry into showmanship and fitting classes will be at check-in time. At that time, verification of ownership and age of exhibitor (as of January 1) will be required.

GENERAL LIVESTOCK HEALTH RULES AND REGULATIONS

Animal Owner or Caretaker Verification of Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship form must accompany each exhibition animal and must be presented upon arrival at all shows and fairs in Pennsylvania, including out of state entries (1/30/06). The Fair will retain copies of the Relationship Form for a period of one (1) year.

It is required that all production agriculture species on the fairgrounds must also be accompanied by an approved "Certificate of Veterinary Inspection" (CVI). This includes animals in fair-sponsored competitive events and non-competitive exhibitions held on the fairgrounds during the Fair (4/21/05).

The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued after May 1 is required. (2010)

Animals will not be unloaded nor admitted to the Fairgrounds without the proper CVI and an Animal Owner or Caretaker’s Verification of Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR). These documents must remain available at all times during the Fair as additional inspections by the PA Department of Agriculture’s veterinarian could be made.

All animals must be free of infectious and contagious diseases and a statement of this (preprinted on the CVI, requires veterinarian’s signature) is required on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. Animals presented for exhibition may be subject to inspection by show officials and/or veterinarians contracted by the Fair before they are permitted to be unloaded into the fairgrounds or at any time while on the Fairgrounds. Livestock will be rejected if known to be or appear to be unhealthy, infected with or exposed to any contagious, infectious or external parasitic disease, or restricted by quarantine, or if health certification or identification documentation is not acceptable.

All show animals should be held in isolation for at least 30 days after return to the herd of origin.

Use only grooming products that are approved for use on meat and dairy animals when fitting livestock entries for show. Unapproved products may contain ingredients that result in unacceptable residues in the meat or milk. If any exhibitor is uncertain whether a specific product is residue safe and approved for use on meat or dairy animals, the product should not be used. IMPORTANT: If upon slaughter, treatment with drugs, biologics or any chemical from fitting products is the cause of condemnation of a carcass, the loss of the carcass and any other damages will be borne by the exhibitor.

The Fair is not, in any way, to be held responsible for diseases or illnesses that exhibition livestock may become infected with following the Fair.

Before importing animals from a state or area that is quarantined to prevent the spread of disease, owners must contact the PA Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services regarding imports from that state or area.

GUIDELINES FOR CARE OF ANIMALS

It is the responsibility of each exhibitor to care for animals in a manner that is responsible and ethical. The following are some guidelines for the treatment of animals exhibited at the show.

a) Restraining Animals
i. Animals should be tied or penned in a manner that will not hurt the animal or restrict its breathing in any way.
ii. Animals should be tied so that all four feet are firmly on the ground and they have enough room to stand comfortably and lie down.
iii. Animals should be tied so that they are not able to injure animals tied near them.
iv. Animals unaccustomed to each other should not be penned together.

b) Handling – any type of rough handling which could harm the animal is prohibited. The use of whips, canes, and show sticks should be restricted to showing only and then be used only to guide the animals, not punish them. Remember, animals will respond quicker and better to quiet, gentle handling than loud, rough handling.

c) Bedding – all animals should have bedding that is dry and clean. Pens should be cleaned regularly to keep the animals clean and comfortable. If non-traditional bedding such as carpeting is used, it should be regularly cleaned (at least twice daily) to keep the pen free from manure.

d) Feeding and Water – animals should be well fed and have access to clean water regularly. Realizing that many market animals must have restricted amounts of feed to maintain the proper weight, animals must be fed adequate amounts of feed to meet the animal’s basis requirements. Animals not allowed reasonable access to feed and water will be disqualified from the show.

e) Transportation – animals should be transported in a way that is both safe and considerate of the animal’s well-being.

f) Blanket/Sweat Collars – any type of material such as blankets or sweat collars should be large enough to permit normal body functions such as breathing, eating, drinking or lying down.

g) Health – it is the responsibility of the exhibitor to provide proper health care for their animals through routine inspection and consultation with health care professionals. The improper or illegal use of drugs or antibiotics is prohibited. If medication is indicated, be sure to follow the label directions and allow more than the stated withdrawal time.

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