Hundreds of young livestock handlers from across Southeast Idaho are preparing to compete at the Eastern Idaho State Fair, which runs September 4-12 at the fairgrounds in Blackfoot. The 124th iteration of the event draws 4-H exhibitors from a six-county region who have spent the summer conditioning animals and honing showmanship skills.
Registration closes September 1. Last year’s fair drew 461 individual exhibitors with 1,600 total entries across livestock and horse show categories, according to University of Idaho Extension data.
Counties Gear Up for Competition
Bingham County alone boasts more than 200 active 4-H members this summer, with 97 planning to attend the state fair. Bannock County is sending 27 participants from its pool of 199 animal project members. Jefferson County, which hosts two county fairs at Mud Lake and Rigby, has 300 animal projects underway with 95 heading to the regional competition.
Carmen Willmore, University of Idaho Extension Educator for livestock and 4-H in Bingham County, emphasized the coordination required across the region. “I share the responsibility with the rest of my office in making sure that we’re representing 4-H at the state fair and that all of our counties are doing the same thing and keeping all of our kids registered,” Willmore told the EastIdahoNews.com.
Jefferson County has seen steady growth in participation since 2020, reflecting a broader regional trend in youth livestock engagement.
Young Competitors Share Their Goals
Several county fair champions are advancing to state competition with experience and confidence. Sammy Circle, 11, of Pocatello took first place in team sorting at the Bannock County Fair and is taking an animal to the state fair for the first time. “I think I’ll do pretty good,” Circle told organizers.
Tietsie Fly, 16, of McCammon has made the state fair a tradition. Fly won grand champion in showmanship and quality at the Bannock County dairy goat show and is competing at the state level for the ninth consecutive year. The dairy goat show at the county level drew 15 competitors.
Kallie Hansen, 16, of Rigby placed third in showmanship with a pig at the Jefferson County Fair and is bringing two pigs to the state fair. Hansen maintains a practice herd of four pigs to prepare for competition.
Fair Scope and Geographic Reach
The Eastern Idaho State Fair draws entries from a broad geographic region spanning southern counties including Oneida, Franklin, and Bear Lake, northern counties such as Clark and Fremont, and western counties Butte and Power, with entries coming up to the Wyoming state line.
For questions about entries or Extension programs, the Bingham County Extension Office can be reached at (208) 785-8060.
What Comes Next
Exhibitors have until September 1 to finalize registrations for the September 4-12 fair. Young handlers will spend the coming weeks putting finishing touches on their animals and practicing presentation skills. The state fair represents a culmination of months of work—feeding, training, grooming, and conditioning livestock—and offers young people a competitive venue to demonstrate their agricultural knowledge and work ethic alongside peers from across the region.