Livestock Rules
- Open class livestock exhibits must pre-registered. See the respective department for pre-registered dates and entry days.
- Exhibitors must keep their stocks, stalls, and pens in good, neat condition and open for inspection from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day of the fair.
- Exhibitors of livestock must inform themselves when their stock will be judged. Stock must be in the show ring promptly after being called, and any exhibitor failing to comply with this order will be ruled out of competition.
- Sires, dams, and groups entered as such, must be owned by the individual or firm exhibiting them, but progeny of animals may be shown, simply as proof of their breeding qualities, without such ownership.
- All animals under exhibition shall be shown to the judges, under the supervision of the respective superintendents.
- In all classes which call for registered stock, the exhibitors will be required to file registration numbers of all registered animals or the registration numbers of sires and dams in the case of animals under one year of age which have not registered. Only purebred and registered livestock are eligible to compete for premiums except in the market class. Purebred animals under one year of age which have not registered, will be accepted if proof is furnished that the sire and dam are registered as provided above.
- No animal shall compete in a group class unless it is entered as an individual.
- The first bedding of straw will be furnished free for livestock on exhibit. Thereafter exhibitors will furnish their own feed and bedding.
Livestock Show Ring Ethics
The Dakota County Agicultural Society adheres to the International Code of Show Ring Ethics guidelines. Exhibitors of animals shall at all times conduct themselves with honesty and good sportsmanship. Their conduct in this competitive environment shall always reflect the highest standards of honor and dignity to pomote the advancement of agricultural education. The code applies to all livestock shown at the Dakota County Fair in open class and youth divisions. Refer to page 59 in the 4-H premium book for "Livestock Show Ethics" guidelines. Violators will face forfeiture of premiums and or other disciplinary action.
Electrical Requirements
- All equipent brought in by exhibitors shall have electric cords of the three wire grounding type. All cords shall be in good condition and not be frayed or have the ground prong broken off.
- There shall be no cords or electrical equipment of any type in the horse stall area due to the possibility of the entire metal stall system becoming energized and causing serious inury or death to both the people and the horses.
- All fans (blade and squirrel cage type) will have guards installed to limit access to moving parts.
- All pressure washers and vacuums shall be plugged into Dakota county Fair Supplied ground fault circuit interrupter outlets on the outside of certain buildings(the outlest have reset buttons on them).
- The superintendent of the electrical department will inspect all electrical equipment and if found to be in violation will be red tagged and disconnected. If the exhibitor corrects or has corrected the problem the electrical superintendent will remove the red tag.
- Any question on the rules, please contact the electrical superintendent, Rick Martinson, at the fair office, 651-463-6900.
- All concessionaires and exhibitors must follow the National Electrical Code requirements for portable electrical systems. A copy of this publication is available to anyone form the Fair office.
The rules stated above are designed for the maximum safety for not only the exhibitors and the spectators but also for the livestock.
Health Regulations
- Any livestock from out of state must have a Health Statement no older than 90 days.
- Livestock or poultry known by the exhibitor to have an infectious, communicable disease or to have been exposed to an infectious, communicable disease or to be from a quarantined herd or flock may not be entered in the exhibition. A statement from a veterinarian that an animal is being treated for these diseases is not acceptable.
- General health examinations of all livestock and poultry will be made by the Official Veterinarian on the day of entry.
- Brucellosis test must be conducted prior to the ehibition and a record of the test results on a test chart or Intrastate Health Certificate Accompany the tested animals.
- WARTS OR RINGWORM: All livestock will be inspected by the Official Veterinarian on the opening date of the exhibition and daily during the exhibition. The Official Veterinarian will order the immediate removal of any livestock with symptoms of infectious or communicable diseases including livestock with warts or ringworm.
CATTLE: Brucellosis - (Cattle originating in Minnesota exempt.) Negative brucellosis test within 90 days of entry on females and males over six months of age except: 1) Cattle originating from a Certified brucellosis-Free Herd. (Certified herd number and date of last test to be available.) 2) Official dairy vaccinates under 20 months of age. 3) Official beef vaccinates under 24 months of age. Bovine Tuberculosis 4-H Cattle FFA Cattle, Open Class Beef and Dairy, coming form one of the following counties; Beltrami, Lake of the woods, Marshall, Pennington, and Roseau, MUST be tested and have a negative test for Bovine Tuberculosis within 90 days prior to showing at Dakota County Fair, or must bring proof of a negative whole herd test conducted within the last year. Cattle over the age of 6 months from those counties must be tested. ANY cattle coming form a Bovine tuberculosis Free State DO NOT have to be tested to show at the Dakota County Fair.
SHEEP: Sheep Exhibitors must comply with the new scrapie Erradication Program. All breeding rams, ewes, and market ewe lambs must have an official USDA Scrapie ID tag with the assigned flock ID number.
HORSES: Examined on the day of entry by the Official Veterinarian. Verification of current negative EIA (coggins) testing is required. Test is good for one year's time.
DOGS: All dogs must be accompanied by a certificate of rabies vaccination issued by a licensed veterinarian. 1) Modified live virus vaccines accepted for 36 months. 2) Trimune, Biorab-3, Rabguard-TC, Trirab and Rabmune-3, Imrab and Rabvac-3 which are inactivated are acceptable for 36 months.
POULTRY: (except waterfowl and pigeons): Accompanied by an official form identifying the fowl by using a leg or wing band and with a record of a negative test for pullorum-typhoid conducted within 90 days prior to entry to the exhibition or a record of origin from parent stock tested negative within 12 months prior to entry to the exhibition. poultry test results or origin to be on official forms.
GOATS: Goat exhibitors must comply with the new Scrapie Erradication Program. (contact the Board of Animal Health for more information).
CATS/PETS: All cats must be accompanied by a certificate of rabies vaccination.
Health papers are required for all animals from out-of-state six months of age and over.