Livestock Events

Join us at the Washington County Fairgrounds for the Appalachian Classic Livestock Judging Contest. This premier competition gives teams and individuals the opportunity to showcase their livestock evaluation skills, compete for awards, and gain valuable experience in the ring.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
• Registration Deadline: September 7, 2026
• Location: Washington County Fairgrounds (Livestock Barn), 17046 Fairground Dr, Abingdon, VA 24210
• Awards: Prizes awarded to top teams and individual competitors

Schedule of Events

• 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Livestock Judging Contest and Questions
• 12:30 PM: Lunch (Pizza Provided)
• 1:30 PM: Optional Jackpot Reasons ($10 additional entry fee with payback)

Contact Information For questions or further details, reach out to event coordinators:

• Aaron Scyphers: 276-608-7520
• Kelsey Davidson: 276-698-7313

The Appalachian Area Lamb & Goat Show is open exclusively to junior exhibitors ages 4–18.

The evening will include:

• Market Goat Showmanship
• Market Lamb Showmanship
• Market Goat Show
• Market Lamb Show
• Commercial Ewe Show

Showmanship Divisions

Market Goat and Market Lamb Showmanship will be divided according to each exhibitor’s age on the day of the show:

• Peewee: Ages 4–8
• Junior: Ages 9–12
• Intermediate: Ages 13–15
• Senior: Ages 16–18

Arrival and Check-In

• Animal arrival may begin: 3:30 p.m.
• Check-in begins: 4:00 p.m.
• Check-in closes: 5:30 p.m.
• Show begins: 6:00 p.m.

All exhibitors and animals must be checked in by 5:30 p.m. to participate.

Meet Our Judge: Max Richardson

We are pleased to welcome Max Richardson of Maynardville, Tennessee, as this year’s judge.

Max is currently a senior in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and plans to graduate with his bachelor’s degree this year.

Max and his family own and operate R5 Cattle Company, a 35-head Red Angus operation focused on producing quality show cattle for exhibitors throughout the Southeast. In addition to his cattle experience, Max has experience evaluating and sorting several other livestock species.

Last spring, Max competed in numerous livestock judging contests and had much success in the sheep and goat divisions. He is excited to work with the Washington County Fair and the talented young exhibitors participating in this year’s show!

Details forthcoming

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 • 6:00 PM
Washington County Fair – Livestock Barn

Get ready for one of the Washington County Fair's most-loved traditions—the Greased Pig Scramble! Participants ages 2 through adulthood will have the chance to enter the ring and try to catch the pig.

Age Divisions

To ensure fair competition, boys and girls compete in separate divisions from ages 2 through 15:

• 2-Year-Old Boys & 2-Year-Old Girls
• 3-Year-Old Boys & 3-Year-Old Girls
• 4-Year-Old Boys & 4-Year-Old Girls
• 5-Year-Old Boys & 5-Year-Old Girls
• 6-Year-Old Boys & 6-Year-Old Girls
• 7-Year-Old Boys & 7-Year-Old Girls
• 8-Year-Old Boys & 8-Year-Old Girls
• 9-Year-Old Boys & 9-Year-Old Girls
• 10-Year-Old Boys & 10-Year-Old Girls
• 11-Year-Old Boys & 11-Year-Old Girls
• 12-Year-Old Boys & 12-Year-Old Girls
• 13-Year-Old Boys & 13-Year-Old Girls
• 14-Year-Old Boys & 14-Year-Old Girls
• 15-Year-Old Boys & 15-Year-Old Girls
• Ages 16–18 Boys & Ages 16–18 Girls
• Adult Men's Division & Adult Women's Division

Participants will compete within their assigned division, and a trophy will be awarded to the winner of each division.

How Each Age Group Competes

• Ages 2–5: Participants will enter the ring and grab the ribbon off the pig's back.
• Ages 6 and up: Participants will enter the ring and attempt to bear hug the pig to win.

Waiver Requirement

A completed and signed waiver is required for every participant before entering the ring. For participants under 18, a parent or legal guardian must complete and sign the waiver.

Waivers will be available the week of the event:

• Downloadable from the Washington County Fair website
• Available on the Washington County Fair Facebook page
• Available at the Fair for on-site completion

Important: To help speed up check-in, we strongly encourage all participants to print and complete their waiver before arriving at the fairgrounds. Bringing a completed waiver will help keep lines moving and get participants into the ring faster.

Come ready to get a little dirty, have a lot of fun, and make lasting Fair memories at the 2026 Washington County Fair Greased Pig Scramble!

Details forthcoming