Academic & Youth Fair · General
4-H county and state fair judging on the Danish system, with Clover Kids through Senior divisions and purple to white ribbon awards.
A ready-made youth fair for Nebraska-style county and state fairs: four age divisions from non-competitive Clover Kids to Seniors, four exhibit and contest items, and purple, blue, red and white ribbons with Champion and Reserve Champion on top.
This template models a youth county or state fair in the Nebraska pattern, where young people bring a project, a speech or an animal and have it judged face to face. It has four age divisions: Clover Kids (5 to 7), Junior (8 to 10), Intermediate (11 to 13) and Senior (14 to 18), with age taken as of the cut-off date the fair publishes. Clover Kids is deliberately non-competitive, so every child there receives a participation ribbon and nothing is ranked. The other three divisions are competitive.
There are four items. Public Speaking / Demonstration is an individual item where an entrant talks or shows how something is done. Project / Static Exhibit is an individual item where a finished project is displayed and judged. Livestock Showmanship is individual and judges the handler rather than the animal. The Judging Team Contest is the only team item, where a team assesses classes of exhibits and is scored against the official placings. Every item is marked out of 100 in every division.
Awards follow the Danish system, in which each exhibit is measured against a standard instead of against the other entries. A purple ribbon means the entry met and exceeded the standards, blue is above average, red is average and white is below the standards. The same standard can give several purple ribbons in one class. The template then adds two top awards, Champion and Reserve Champion, and in this pattern only purple-ribbon entries are considered for them, so the ribbon is the first stage and the champion award is the second.
Three things are left to the organiser because the source material does not fix them: the time allowed for speeches and demonstrations, how many members make up a judging team, and which classes the team contest uses. Animal welfare arrangements for the showmanship ring are also yours to set. Install the template, then record those details in the rules you publish and set an entry fee per item if you charge one; fees start at zero.
Where this event comes from
The structure follows the youth-fair rules published for the Nebraska state fair and its county fairs, which use the Danish system of purple, blue, red and white ribbons and keep the youngest division non-competitive.
Where this event is run
It suits county fairs, state fairs and youth shows in the United States that judge projects, speaking and livestock handling against a standard and award ribbons first, champions second. Age divisions differ from state to state, so an organiser elsewhere should adjust the age ranges before opening entries. The same layout also works for any agricultural or hobby show for young people that wants ribbon grades instead of a single winner.
- United States (Nebraska pattern)
Key facts
- Four divisions: Clover Kids 5 to 7 (non-competitive), Junior 8 to 10, Intermediate 11 to 13, Senior 14 to 18.
- Four items: Public Speaking / Demonstration, Project / Static Exhibit, Livestock Showmanship and the Judging Team Contest.
- The Judging Team Contest is the only team item; the other three are individual.
- Every item is marked out of 100; the ribbons describe quality against a standard, not rank.
- Purple, blue, red and white ribbons, then Champion and Reserve Champion for purple-ribbon entries.
- Time limits, team size and contest classes are not fixed by the template; the organiser sets them. Entry fees start at zero.
- Age groups
- 4
- Competition items
- 4
- Competitions
- 16
- Grade bands
- 0
- Rank awards
- 6
Age groups
Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.
Clover Kids NC
Candidates aged 5 to 7 compete in this group
Junior (8-10)
Candidates aged 8 to 10 compete in this group
Intermediate
Candidates aged 11 to 13 compete in this group
Senior (14-18)
Candidates aged 14 to 18 compete in this group
Competition items
The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.
Competitions by group
The full schedule matrix, sectioned by age group then category — which item runs for whom, and for how long.
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clover Kids NC | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Public Speaking / Demonstration | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Livestock Showmanship | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Project / Static Exhibit | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| 4-H Judging Team Contest | Team | — | English | 100 | — |
| Junior (8-10) | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Public Speaking / Demonstration | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Livestock Showmanship | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Project / Static Exhibit | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| 4-H Judging Team Contest | Team | — | English | 100 | — |
| Intermediate | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Public Speaking / Demonstration | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Livestock Showmanship | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Project / Static Exhibit | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| 4-H Judging Team Contest | Team | — | English | 100 | — |
| Senior (14-18) | |||||
| On Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Public Speaking / Demonstration | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Livestock Showmanship | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Off Stage | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Project / Static Exhibit | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| 4-H Judging Team Contest | Team | — | English | 100 | — |
Grades and ranks
How scores turn into grade bands, and how many points each placing is worth.
| Rank | For | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | 12 | |
| Reserve Champion | 9 | |
| Purple Ribbon | 6 | |
| Blue Ribbon | 4 | |
| Red Ribbon | 2 | |
| White Ribbon | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I change this template after installing it?
Yes — installing it creates a fully configured, live event, not a locked package. Every age group, competition item, rule and scoring setting can be edited afterwards to match exactly what your event actually needs.
Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?
No. Installing a template does the setup work for you; you only need to review the details (dates, unit or house names) and open registration.
Want the fuller picture first? See our guide to judge scoring and tabulation software.
Install this template in eTalenter
Everything above is installed as a live, editable event in one step — age groups, items, rules and scoring. Start your own below.
Start a 4-H County & State Fair (Nebraska, Danish System) event
