Rapid City Hosts 89th Junior Livestock Show

Youth from across the region are gathering at the Central States Fairgrounds for annual animal competitions.

Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Large Animals

Rapid City Hosts 89th Junior Livestock Show

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The 89th Western Junior Livestock Show has returned to Rapid City, featuring competition in dairy goats and market beef. Youth participants aged 8 to 18 are presenting animals raised over several months for a chance at more than 300 sponsored awards.

Why it matters

This event supports local agricultural education and honors the memory of the late maintenance manager Paul Nebel. The long-standing tradition continues to foster rural livestock skills in Western South Dakota and Wyoming.

The 89th edition of the competition features youth participants aged 8 to 18 vying for 300 sponsored awards. Events are currently underway at the Central States Fairgrounds, following the show's founding in 1937.

The players

Paul Nebel

The late maintenance manager whose service to the grounds is honored by this year's show.

Central States Fairgrounds

The primary event facility in Rapid City that hosts local agricultural and community exhibitions.

The details

Participants represent local agricultural education groups or family ranches, having provided daily care for their animals for months prior to the show. The event utilizes the Walter Taylor Building for a Consumer Science Fair and Barn 9 for the concluding livestock sale. Volunteers received commemorative buckles on Thursday to celebrate their ongoing support of the program.

Thursday, October 8, 2026: Volunteers were recognized at lunch.
Friday, October 9, 2026: Feeder calf and meat goat shows took place.
Saturday, October 10, 2026: Livestock sale occurs in Barn 9 at 2 p.m.

The Home Front

This event maintains a nearly century-old legacy of youth agricultural development in the region. It remains a primary local benchmark for comparing livestock breeding and agricultural education standards established since 1937.

If you are interested in local agriculture, attend the livestock sale in Barn 9 this Saturday at 2 p.m. to support the work of youth ranchers from the area.

The takeaway

The show serves as a community memorial for Paul Nebel while celebrating the hard work of local youth participants. Those interested in local agriculture should note the sale occurring Saturday at 2 p.m. in Barn 9 at the fairgrounds.