Wednesday, January 2, 2019

2019 TCYS Reminders


This message has also been sent to all active Travis 4-H participants in 4-H CONNECT.  If you are not participating in the 2019 Travis County Youth Show, please disregard this email. 



Happy New Year!!!  The 2019  Travis County Youth Show (TCYS) is only a couple of weeks away!!!  We are so excited to see all of you there!

We wanted to send out a few general reminders for everyone as we prepare for the show and contests.  I will also send out more specific reminders for those who make auction as we receive the results of the show, as well as reminders for upcoming contest participants a little later on. 

TCYS takes place at the Travis County Expo Center located at 7311 Decker Lane; Austin, TX 78724.  We use Gate 1 off of Decker Lane to enter/exit the facility for this event.  The TCYS website is www.traviscountyyouthshow.org; the website itself has a quite a bit of information and resources.  The majority of the resources you will want to access will be listed under the “Livestock” tab and located at the bottom of that page. 

 This is a bit of a long email to help cover items for both our new and super experienced families.  Please bear with me and read through it to see if you have any other questions.  The items covered here are:
  • TCYS Rulebook
  • Eligibility Checks
  • Youth Fair Reminders
  • Livestock Reminders
  • Auction Declaration Reminders
  • Information that is coming later this week
TCYS Rulebook:
The most current copy of the TCYS rulebook as of today is available HERE.  Please make sure that you have read through all of the rules applying to your entries.  The TCYS officials will follow the rules as they are outlined in the rulebook, so it is best to know what is expected ahead of time. 

Please remember that TCYS is facilitated by volunteers; these individuals are taking time off of work (and working LONG hours) to provide this optional opportunity for our youth.  They are required to follow the rules as written and published for the current year.  If you find a rule you disagree with during the show, TCYS will accept recommendations for rule changes AFTER the completion of this year’s show.  I will send out the link once it has been activated with any appropriate instructions.  Thank you for helping us set a positive example for our youth!

Eligibility Checks:
Eligibility letters are being sent to the schools this Thursday and Friday; we will let you know if we have not received a response from your school by Friday, 1/11/19.  We encourage you to be proactive and check your grades with your school if you have any questions or concerns.  If anyone is marked as “ineligible” according to a school, we will notify you via email.  The timeliness of this notification will depend on when the school lets us know.  Eligibility must be maintained from the check-in of the show through the Auction date.

Youth Fair Reminders:
Check in begins on Thursday, January 17, 2019 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Banquet Hall (the smaller building in front of the open air barn as you enter the fairgrounds from Gate 1).  Parents can check in the projects without the youth member being present.

Some helpful reminders & resources:
  • The guidelines to help you check in to youth fair are being updated and will be sent out later this week.  
  • Project worksheets are located on the TCYS website and are available HERE
  • Preserved Recipe worksheets are available on the TCYS website and are available HERE
  • If you have entered a baked good, please remember to bring your approved and watermarked recipe with you to check in.
Livestock Reminders:
Check in begins on Thursday, January 17, 2019 from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM for steers, goats, lambs, and swine.  Rabbit check in is from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and Poultry check in is from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Please be patient as everyone will be weighed and classified off the trailer.  If you are in line, you will be checked in if check in continues after the designated time. 

Pen assignments are currently being finalized; we will be sending them out as soon as we receive them. 

Some helpful reminders & resources:
  • Herdsman set up is scheduled for Wednesday, January 16, 2018 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM; shavings will be made available at this time.  Instructions are available in the current rulebook and entry forms will be available at later this week.  Entry forms need to be completed and turned in to the TCYS Livestock Office during the times listed on Wednesday night.
  • Substitution forms will be accepted to exhibit animals for any circumstance that falls within the acceptable circumstances outlined in the TCYS rulebook.  Forms are available HERE and must be completed and turned in to the appropriate Superintendent at least 1 hour before the show.   This request must be made on the official Travis County Livestock Show Exhibitor Substitution Form provided by the Department Superintendent.  Junior Superintendents are not allowed to be utilized as substitute showmen if they exhibit that specie.
  • Animals will be dismissed on Sunday, January 20, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM.  Appeals for an earlier dismissal in the case of emergencies may be made to the Livestock Superintendent, Mr. Carl Dahlstrom, and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. 
  • The barn will close from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM; during this time there will be a patrol to ensure the safety of the animals during this time. 
  • IMPORTANT weight break reminders: weight breaks may be posted as early as 5:00 PM on check-in day.  Please do not ask about a status update on weight breaks until this time so they can stay focused and on task to accomplish this in a timely manner.  Be sure to stand back so they have enough space to actually post the weight breaks, or this process will be further delayed. 
Auction Declaration Reminders:
  • Youth Fair: Youth Fair Class Champion items are required to sell at Auction.  If an exhibitor has two (2) or more class champions, they must declare which of the two (2) projects they want to sell at the youth auction by Friday, January 18, 2018 at 9:00 PM to tcys@live.com.  At that time, the Reserve Class Champion of the class they opted out of will receive that auction slot. 

  • Livestock: The Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion from each species are required to sell at Auction (this is a ribbon sale only – youth will keep their animals).   Exhibitors with more than one (1) livestock project qualifying for Auction may sell up to two (2) animals (if applicable) from different divisions; Auction Declaration instructions for livestock will be posted with the weight break information at the show and is outlined below.
  • In the event that an exhibitor has more than 2 projects eligible to sell, it is the exhibitor’s responsibility to notify the Show Office as to which 2 projects will be sold.  This notification needs to be made between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM on Sunday (January 20, 2019) in the Show Office. In the event notification is not made, TCYS reserves the right to designate which projects sell.  It is the exhibitor’s responsibility to check and verify the Preliminary Sale List and the Final Sale Order. 
 Information that is coming later this week (thank you for your patience):
  • Youth Fair Check In Guidelines
  • Pen Assignments
  • Set Up/Tear Down Schedule
  • Poultry reminders
  • Herdsman Contest Entry Forms
I think that is all for now!  If you have any questions that weren’t covered or that come up, please contact Mellanie at 512-854-9600 or MLMickelson@ag.tamu.edu

Good luck!

No comments: