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Coffeyville Fair Association Brings Events to Walter Johnson Park

April will be a busy month for the fairgrounds at Walter Johnson Park in Coffeyville, Kansas.

The Montgomery County Fair Association will support the Junior Advisory Board (JAB) as they host their annual Steer and Heifer Jackpot on Sunday, April 6 and the Rodeo Committee will welcome the Kansas High School Rodeo Association to the fairgrounds on April 12 and 13.

Steer and Heifer Jackpot

2025 marks the eighth Steer and Heifer Jackpot produced by the Junior Advisory Board. Made up of high school students, the JAB is an organization, supported by the fair association, that gives students the opportunity to produce events and serve as advisors for various fair and rodeo committees, while earning valuable, real-life experience and scholarship dollars.

“This fall will mark our 10th year of JAB – it’s hard to believe it has been going on that long,” said Jamie Carr, JAB Advisor. “Each fall we take applicants and start a new group. We have kids from all over, and it is a fun experience to bring them together to produce events and learn the ins and outs of the fair.”

The jackpot will be held in Coffeyville at Walter Johnson Park, on Sunday, April 6. Check-in is from 7:30 am to 9 am. The show starts at 10 am, with heifers showing first. The event is open to the public and there will be concessions on site.

This will be a “Blow and Go” show and is open to 4-H, FFA and breed association members who are 22 years of age or younger as of January 1, 2025.

The show is a fundraiser for the JAB’s scholarships. Buckles will be awarded for the grand steer and grand heifer and for the reserve steer and the reserve heifer. Buckles will also be given for the grand champion junior and senior showmanship contests. Cash prizes will go to breed champions and supreme champions overall.

The entry fee for the show is $30 per animal and $10 for showmanship, cash only please. Registration will take place onsite.

High School Rodeo

The next weekend, April 12 and 13, Kansas High School Rodeo Association members, along with their families, will travel from across the state of Kansas to Coffeyville for one of the association’s 11 sanctioned events.

But this event will be different, because Coffeyville will also host the association’s annual Cowboy Prom. After competing all day, the cowboys and cowgirls will be dressed to the nines, ready to let loose and have a little fun with their friends.

“This is our 3rd year to host the Cowboy Prom, and each year it gets bigger,” said Luke Carr, Rodeo Chairman. “The committee does a great job of transforming the space and making it fun for the kids. Then they are up bright and early the next morning, ready to compete and finish the weekend.”

There are also several local students participating including: Tagg Bond, Edna, KS.; Hadley Carr, Coffeyville, KS; MaKenna Goemmer, Nowata, OK; Addi Jones, Dewey, OK; Sage McClain, Welch, OK.; Paisley Nolte, South Coffeyville, OK; and Lyza Prater, Peru, KS.

We encourage everyone to come support these high school athletes. The high school rodeo is free to the public and concessions will be available on site. Events will start Saturday, April 12 at 10a and Sunday, April 13 at 9a.

This year’s Inter-State Fair and Rodeo, produced by the Montgomery County Fair Association, is August 10-16, at Walter Johnson Park in Coffeyville, Kansas. The event includes five nights of grandstand entertainment along with the 4-H and FFA exhibits and livestock shows, the carnival, parade, bean and watermelon feed, and so more. More information on this year’s event and ticket availability will be available soon. Check out our website, fairandrodeo.com and follow our page on Facebook for the latest updates.

Photo Info: Pictured is Gemma Emberson with the 2024 JAB Steer and Heifer Jackpot Grand Champion Heifer, Courtesy Photo

Inter-State Fair and Rodeo Livestock Updates for 2025

Livestock Committee works to keep up with changes in the industry.

Progress and changes are coming for the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo Livestock shows.

The first announcement from the committee for the August event is the addition of counties able to show in the market shows at the inter-state event.

The market shows are open to active 4H and FFA members living in Neosho, Montgomery, Labette, and Chautauqua counties in Kansas and Craig, Nowata, Rogers, and Washington counties in Oklahoma. The additions are Neosho in Kansas and Rogers in Oklahoma.

“We are excited to see our shows grow in size and competitiveness this year,” said Justin Wintjen, Livestock Chairman. “The livestock industry is changing, and we feel the changes made this year will help maintain our status as an elite event.”

Another change for the 2025 event is the transition to a mostly non-terminal event. Only Grand and Reserve Grand Champions from each species are required to go through the premium sale and they will be terminal. All other sale animals will be allowed to return home for the exhibitor to slaughter or to be shown again.

“This is a huge change and will benefit all show families,” said Wintjen. “Animal prices, feed prices, and all other inputs are going up and have been for years. This will lessen the financial burden on families who want to be competitive at multiple livestock shows.”

The final change will be for the nomination and entry processes. Traditionally, these processes have taken place with paper forms and cash or check payments. This year, the process will take place entirely online.

Nominations through Showworks online will open April 1 and will remain open until May 15. Families will submit pictures of the animals and upload them nomination. Sheep and Goats will be nominated with the entire premise ID tag, Swine will be nominated with an 840 or ISF tag and ear notch, and Beef will be nominated with ISF tag.

“We are excited to implement this change to improve efficiency for our committee,” said Wintjen. “We are a group of volunteers, and anything that saves time and cuts confusion helps us put on a better show.”

Within the industry, online entries have become common practice. Nominations, entries, and fees are taken online at most of the larger events in the area. Entries will be open from June 15 to July 15th. Participants will be able to choose from the list of nominated animals to enter and they will also be able to enter any breeding animals at that time.

The Inter-State Fair and Rodeo livestock shows will begin on Tuesday, August 12 and continue throughout the week. The annual Premium Sale will be held in the livestock arena on Friday, August 15 at 4:30p. All shows and the Premium Sale are open to the public. The Montgomery County Fair Association invites everyone to support these hard working kids and their livestock projects.

Photo Info: Pictured is Izzy Lewis with the 2024 Grand Champion Market Goat, Courtesy Photo