Nueces County Junior Livestock Show Celebrating 90 Years
ROBSTOWN, TEXAS - The Nueces County Junior Livestock Show is celebrating 90 years of showcasing livestock and homemaking projects this January. The show started on January 4, 2025, with the opening of Horse show and will end on January 18th with the parade of champions.
The 1st Junior Livestock show began in 1935 with 14 boys showing beef cattle with the help of Mr. W.M Sellers, County Farm Agent.
Photo courtesy of Nueces County Junior Livestock Show
The Swine division was added to the show in 1938 since they were more affordable than steers.
Photo courtesy of nuecescountyhistoricalsociety.org
This year, over 1,000 youths will be participating in the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show.
According to the Nueces County Historical Society, in 1955 the show entries grew to over 400 and a new arena with seating for 2,000 and adjacent exhibit and stalling barns were added to the north of the original structure. This was also the first indoor rodeo and horse show arena located south of San Antonio.
Photo courtesy of nuecescountyhistoricalsociety.org
In 1948 the County 4-H program worked to involve more females with the “Girls Feed Too” promotion. That year, only 10 of the 72 steers and one of 26 pigs were exhibited by girls.
In 1949 Laura Studer became the first female to exhibit a Grand Champion. Photo courtesy of nuecescountyhistoricalsociety.org
One of the highlights of the Livestock show is the annual Queens contest. The contest started in 1963 and was held in the old show barn. In recent years, the Queens contest had been held at Tuluso-Midway high school auditorium.
Queen number 62, Leighton Lawhon from Bishop, was crowned at Bishop High School on Saturday, January 11, 2025.
Pictured Queen: Leighton Lawhon, 1st Runner Up: Hannah Wright, 2nd Runner Up: Emma Baugh, 3rd Runner Up: Whitley Gaines, and 4th Runner Up: Taylor Dusek. Photo courtesy of Nueces County Junior Livestock Show.