With the fall majors under our belts and winter jackpots in full swing, we wanted to give you the inside scoop with what’s new with the National Western Stock Show. We sat down with the Erin Dorsey, National Western Stock Show (NWSS) Livestock Operations Coordinator, to learn more.
Dorsey has been with the National Western for the last 10 years and her hard work and dedication to the NWSS does not go unnoticed. Dorsey said the National Western would not happen or be known as the “Best 16 Days in January” if it were not the full-time Livestock Office team of Clancy Anderson and Marshall Ernst, as well as the more than 50 ag-focused interns and seasonal show staff.
Before any work begins on each year’s show, committee meetings are held to discuss what went well, what did not go well, and what they would like to add new or take away. Preparing for the next year’s NWSS in begins in February and continues through May. In May and June, the NWSS begins to get Junior Market Swine Draw ready (swine draw occurs on August 1st and only 500-520 entries are allowed through, due to space restrictions), sell Junior Market DNA Packets, and get market entries ready. Also, the premium book is put together, the schedule is worked on, and work Breed Associations provide their updates. Between Dorsey and National Western Livestock Coordinator, Clancy Anderson, they begin doing judges contracts and hiring judges throughout the rest of the year. They also begin their Media Internship process, which has been a huge success for them the last 6 years.
It takes a village to put on the National Western, so Dorsey and Anderson start the hiring process for employees to work in the livestock office covering both the hill and yards show around September and have a full staff by the middle of November, when livestock entries are due. Once December hits, all that is left is to make final confirmations and arrangements with judges, sponsors and the live webcasting.
To continue to make this one of the best shows in the country, the NWSS team continues to make changes that benefit stock show exhibitors. A new rule that was implemented at the 2018 National Western was the opportunity to double register and show breeds like Maintainers, SimSolutions, Percent Charolais, etc. This allows the exhibitors to get the most out of their trip to the stock show. On the small animal side of things, a new event debuting at this year’s show is the Sullivan Supply Goat Fitting Contest. Dorsey said the goal of this new Sullivan Supply offering is to offer Junior Market Goat Exhibitors a unique learning and networking opportunity. An average of about 220 goats exhibit in Stadium Hall each year.
To many, the National Western is the Super Bowl of Livestock Shows and Dorsey is proud of this honorary title.
“Some would say the National Western is one of the most prestigious livestock shows in the country to win,” Dorsey said. “We’re unique in the fact that we have cattle pen and carload shows in the Yards, as well as highly-competitive shows on the Hill. Our exhibitors have various ways to market their animals/ genetics.”
In order to continue to make the National Western Stock Show one of the most prestigious shows in America, changes are in the works to better accommodate the exhibitors. Beginning in 2020, exhibitors will see firsthand the build out of a 10 – 12-year new facility construction process. Highlights of the new National Western facility will include a new Stock Yards Arena, Livestock Hall and Yards starting with “Calf Alley.” The end product of the yards will be 800 pens. Specifically, the new Livestock Hall will house approximately 1,800-2,000 head of livestock and the junior market animal barn will house approximately 750-850 junior market animals.
We at Sullivan Supply can’t thank the NWSS team enough for their work in making the National Western the show that it is today.