North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) is a livestock show held each November in Louisville, Kentucky and lasts for two weeks. It is billed as the "world's largest all-breed, purebred livestock exposition", with nine major livestock divisions with competitors from the 48 contiguous states. These divisions are beef cattle, Boer goats, dairy cattle, dairy goats, draft horses, quarter horses, llamas & alpacas, sheep, and swine. A PRCA rodeo, the North American Championship Rodeo, is also held.
Visitors from 15 countries attend the Expo. Many of these go to the event to acquire purebred livestock semen and embryos to export from the United States. This makes the event attractive to American "seedstock producers". [1]
The events are held at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The giant expo was established in 1974. It is produced by the Commonwealth of Kentucky under the guidance of the Kentucky State Fair Board.
Rodeo is a competitive sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later Central America, South America, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros in the charreria and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico. Today, it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: tie-down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, bull riding and barrel racing. The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, and pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos.
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of special significance and legend. A subtype, called a wrangler, specifically tends the horses used to work cattle. In addition to ranch work, some cowboys work for or participate in rodeos. Cowgirls, first defined as such in the late 19th century, had a less-well documented historical role, but in the modern world work at identical tasks and have obtained considerable respect for their achievements. Cattle handlers in many other parts of the world, particularly South America and Australia, perform work similar to the cowboy.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is the largest indoor livestock exhibitions and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003. It was previously held in the Astrodome. It is considered to be the city's "signature event", much like New Orleans's Mardi Gras, Dallas's Texas State Fair, San Diego's Comic-Con and New York City's New Year's Eve at Times Square.
The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its slogan is "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." It is the largest state fair in the United States by average daily attendance. It is also the second-largest state fair in the United States by total attendance, trailing only the State Fair of Texas, which generally runs twice as long as the Minnesota State Fair. The state fairgrounds, adjacent the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, are in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, midway between the state's capital city of St. Paul and the adjacent city of Roseville, near the Como Park and Saint Anthony Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul. Residents of the state and region come to the fair to be entertained, exhibit their best livestock, show off their abilities in a variety of fields including art and cooking, learn about new products and services, and eat many different types of food—often on a stick. The fair runs for twelve days from late August into early September, ending on Labor Day. The Minnesota State Fair was named the best state fair in the United States in 2015 by readers of USA Today.
An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show, a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment. The work and practices of farmers, animal fanciers, cowboys, and zoologists may be displayed. The terms agricultural show and livestock show are synonymous with the North American terms county fair and state fair.
Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, serving as the home of the University of Louisville Cardinals It has hosted Motley Crue, Elvis Presley, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Creed, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen and many more. As well as many Weeks events men's team from 1956 to 2010, the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association from 1970 until the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976, and the Louisville Cardinals women's team from its inception in 1975 to 2010. Freedom Hall's last regular tenant was the Kentucky Stickhorses of the North American Lacrosse League, who used it from 2011 until the team folded in 2013. From 2015 to 2019 it has hosted the VEX Robotics Competition World Championships yearly in mid-April.
A livestock show is an event where livestock are exhibited and judged on certain phenotypical breed traits as specified by their respective breed standard. Species of livestock that may be shown include pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses, llamas and alpacas. Poultry such as chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys and pigeons are also shown competitively. A livestock show may be part of an agricultural show.
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, formerly known as State Farm Show Arena, is a large exhibition center and indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is primarily used for concerts, agricultural exhibitions, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and indoor football. The complex also hosts more than 200 other exhibits and trade shows every year. The Farm Show Complex is 60 acres (240,000 m2), houses 24 acres (97,000 m2) under roof, spread throughout 11 buildings including three arenas.
The Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC), is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Originally built in 1956. It is overseen by the Kentucky Venues and is the sixth largest facility of its type in the U.S., with 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m2) of indoor space. KEC has two arenas, almost 700,000 sq. ft of Class A exhibit space, nearly 500 acres of outdoor planning space. A majority of the 1.3 million square feet is contiguous.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is held every January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This event, Pennsylvania's state fair, was first held in 1917. It is the largest indoor agricultural event held in the United States. The Farm Show Complex houses 24 acres (97,000 m2) under its roof, spread throughout eleven halls, including three arenas. The annual event is free to the public and attracts over half a million visitors.
The Spanish goat, also called the brush goat or scrub goat, came originally from Spain via Mexico to the USA. It is now a meat and brush-clearing type found widely in the United States. In the Southeast and elsewhere, they are often referred to as "wood" (Florida), "brush" or "briar", "hill" (Virginia), and "scrub" goats. Until recently, these goats were kept mainly for clearing brush and other undesirable plant species from pasture lands. The boer goats have overtaken Spanish goats for meat in the 1980s.
The Portland Expo Center is a convention center located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in the early 1920s as a livestock exhibition and auction facility, the center now hosts over 100 events a year, including green consumer shows, trade shows, conventions, meetings and other special events. Located on the north side of Portland near Vancouver, Washington, it includes the northern terminus for the Yellow Line of Portland's light-rail transit system and has connections to TriMet Bus Line 11-Rivergate/Marine Dr.
Polled livestock are livestock without horns in species which are normally horned. The term refers both to breeds or strains that are naturally polled through selective breeding and also to naturally horned animals that have been disbudded. Natural polling occurs in cattle, yaks, water buffalo, and goats, and in these animals it affects both sexes equally; in sheep, by contrast, both sexes may be horned, both polled, or only the females polled. The history of breeding polled livestock starts about 6000 years BC.
The Grand National Rodeo, Horse, and Stock Show is one of the largest rodeo events in the United States. Held annually in the Cow Palace in Daly City, the annual Grand National brings rodeo to an urban audience. The Grand National is also a county agricultural fair, run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The usual 4-H club / Future Farmers of America events of an agricultural fair are held. Sheep, cattle, goats, rabbits, and pigs are judged. The horse and stock barns are open to the public and there are full English and Western horse shows.
The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "heritage breeds" of livestock. Founded in 1977, through the efforts of livestock breed enthusiasts concerned about the disappearance of many of the US's heritage livestock breeds, the Conservancy was the pioneer livestock preservation organization in the United States, and remains a leading organization in that field. It has initiated programs that have saved multiple breeds from extinction, and works closely with similar organizations in other countries, including Rare Breeds Canada. With 3,000 members, a staff of nine and a 19-member board of directors, the organization has an operating budget of almost half a million dollars.
The Heart of Illinois Fair is an annual fair featuring livestock competitions, rides, concessions, motor contests, and concerts. It has been held in Peoria, Illinois every year since 1949, at Exposition Gardens in northwest Peoria. Exposition Gardens is a non-profit organization whose goals involve providing opportunities for educational and recreational events. A full hook up camping area is also featured on the grounds.
The American Dairy Goat Association or ADGA is a United States not-for-profit corporation dedicated to dairy goats. Its purpose is to promote the dairy goat industry, by providing and circulating sound information about goats and goats' milk; maintaining and publishing herd books and production records of milk goats; and issuing certificates of registration and recordation; improving and developing the milk goat breeds; and providing publicity and service for the goat dairying industry. The principal operation of the corporation is in Columbia, Missouri, and its headquarters are in Spindale, North Carolina.
The Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, known commonly as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo. It has been held annually in Fort Worth, Texas since 1896, traditionally in mid-January through early February. A non-profit organization, the Stock Show has provided millions of dollars in grants and scholarships in its tenure and continues to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to assist the future leaders of agriculture and livestock management.
Robert Chester Tway, Sr., known as R. C. Tway, was a business, agricultural and political icon in the Louisville, Kentucky area. His activities provided a long-lasting footprint in Kentucky as his farm evolved into a large subdivision and business center located off Hurstbourne Lane, and his former Kentucky Trailer Company continues to manufacture trailers in Jefferson Riverport International. He is the namesake of Tway, Kentucky, where he owned a coal mining company for over forty years.
Northern International Livestock Exposition (NILE) originated as an idea from the livestock committee of the Billings Chamber of Commerce in 1966. In 1967 the Public Auction Yards hosted an event to showcase the region’s vast livestock industry. By the fall of 1968, a full-fledged livestock show with 250 exhibitors and 600 entries was underway. The first NILE consisted of livestock shows, horse shows, and rodeo and today those traditions continue as the NILE Stock Show and ProRodeo has become one of the largest agricultural events of the Northwest.
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