After a long hiatus, a popular livestock show is returning to Sampson County.

Registration for the 2015 Sampson Swine Show is underway and the entry deadline Sept. 25. The show, hosted by Sampson County Cooperative Extension is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the Sampson County Livestock Facility, 93 Agriculture Place, Clinton.

Eileen Coite, County Extension Director said the show is open to youth in North Carolina and is part of a regional circuit, which allows participants to travel to different shows. She said it’s a huge responsibility.

“It’s like a lot of livestock shows, it teaches these people responsibility,” Coite said. “They take a lot of time at home working with the animal. You can really tell how much time they spent with the animal. There’s a lot of training that goes into it.”

The Sampson County show is the last circuit and awards will be distributed that night.

“These young people will earn points as they travel around to different circuit shows,” Coite said. “Whoever has the most points in the end is going to win.”

Coite said the swine show has been absent for a few years because of a disease outbreak related to swine, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus.

“A lot of farms were affected by it,” Coite said. “We took a break from the shows to keep the animals healthy and to reduce the risk of bringing it in. Over time we got a better handle on it and we’re going to bring the show back.”

So far around 40 people have signed up. Weigh-in is from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The beginning of the show will follow at 6 p.m.

“We got good numbers and we encourage people to come out and watch the show,” Coite said.

The livestock facility is located on Highway 421 South in Clinton, less than one mile on the right after the four lane ends.

For more information, call the 4-H office at 910-592-7161 or visit the Sampson County’s Cooperative Extension website at http://sampson.ces.ncsu.edu/categories/4-h-youth-development/

Reach Chase Jordan at 910-249-4617. Follow us on Twitter at @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.

By Chase Jordan

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