2026 Letters - Letters will be updated for the current year as made available from the respective areas.  

Key Dates One Pager - living document updated as dates are added. 

Visit the Brown Co. 4-H Calendar for Key Dates http://go.osu.edu/brown4hcalendar

2026 FairEntry Help Sheet

Shooting Sports

• Shooting Sports Safety required meetings for 2026: April 27th at 6:30pm and May 14th at 6:30pm both held in Rhonemus Hall  
  • Projects:  #750-Rifle, #751-Archery, #752-Shotgun, #753-Pistol, #754-Hunting/Wildlife, #755-Muzzleloader, #756-Living History, #757-Crossbow , #758-Western Heritage
  • Shooting Sports Safety Meeting Letter 
    • Permission to Handle and/or Fire a Handgun Form (need 2 copies)
    • Code of Conduct
    • Permission to Transport 
    • Health Form

Beef

• Beef

  Steer Market Heifer Tag in (December 12th, 2025 - 5:30-7:30pm)

• 2026 Large Market Beef Letter- includes Code of Conduct, Brown Co. Born & Raised Steer (Market Heifer) Certificate & Rules, Brown County Cattlemen's Association Membership Application

• 2026 Feeder Calf and Beef Breeding Exhibitor Letter
  • Tag in July 18th 2026
• Feeder Calf, Market Heifer and Heifer Tag-in Pre-registration Sheet
• Code of Conduct
• Brown County Cattlemen Born & Raised

Leasing of breeding animals will be allowed, following the Ohio Department of AgrIculture and the Brown County Fair guidelines.  
See the Breeding Animal Lease Information for all details by clicking on the following link(s):

• Lease Agreement INFORMATION
• Animal Lease - BREEDING ANIMAL 

Reference your exhibitor letter for other specific project related information.

Dairy Cattle

• Dairy Heifer / Dairy Cow Exhibitor Letter
• Lease Agreement Information
• Dairy Lease

Canine

• 2026 Dog Exhibitor Letter 

• Dog Project Registration Form 

• Dog Permission to Participate

• Dog ID/Vaccination Certificate 

• Dog Achievement Program (DAP) - 2026

• Dog 4-H Clinics - 2026 

• 2026 Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Dog Show Information

• Rising Star Award Application

• 2026 Brown County Fun Match

• 2026 Brown County Agility Fun Match 

• 2026 Brown County Jr Fair Dog Show

Pet PALS 

• 2026 Dog Pet PALS Exhibitor Letter
• 2026 OH ID Form Vaccination Certificate 
• 2026 Pet PALS Informed Consent 

ALL Canine Paperwork, registration form and picture of YOU with YOUR Dog, must be submitted to the OSU Extension Brown County office by June 1, 2026, 4:00 p.m. You may submit your vaccine certificate later (prior to fair) but it must be current through the fair. 

2026 Brown County Junior Fair Dog Show information including Skill-a-thon information

Cloverbud Dog Showmanship Questions

Goats

• Goat Exhibitor Letter
• Market Goat Entry Form & Brown County Born & Raised Market Goat Information Sheet
• Boer/Boer Cross Entry Form & Brown County Born & Raised Boer Doe
• Dairy Doe Entry Form & Brown County Born & Raised Dairy Doe
• Pygmy Doe or Wether and Fiber Entry Form & Brown County Born & Raised Pygmy Doe

2026 Tag-in is on Saturday, June 6, from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at the Brown County Fairground

Leasing of breeding animals will be allowed, following the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Brown County Fair guidelines.  
See the 2026 Breeding Animal Lease Information for all details by clicking on the following link(s):

• Lease Agreement INFORMATION
• Animal Lease - DAIRY 
• Animal Lease - BREEDING ANIMAL 

Reference your exhibitor letter for other specific project related information.

Horses

• Horse Exhibitor Letter
• Horse Project Information/Registration Form 
• Permission to Participate
• Horse's Identification Form 
• Brown County PAS Show 2026 - Youth wishing to qualify for the Ohio State Fair will need to attend a PAS show. You can find PAS show dates and all other information on the state website here: https://ohio4h.org/animalsciences/horse/pas-qualifying-shows.
  
  If you wish to participate in a PAS Show that falls before the June 1st paperwork deadline, ALL of your horse paperwork must be submitted prior to participating. 
  • PAS Qualifying Scores 2026 
  • PAS Form for Exhibitors going to other Counties to Qualify
• State 4-H Horse Calendar of Events
• 4-H Leasing Guidelines (A lease is required only if you are leasing your horse; this is just a guide) - the full lease must be included. The lease must start no later than June 1st and end no later than the last day of the Brown County Fair. 
• Shared Horse Agreement
• Body Condition Score
• EquiStep - Required for all horse exhibitors. This is an online course, and you must have a passing score to be eligible to exhibit. EquiStep must be completed by July 1st. 

Sheep

• Sheep Exhibitor Letter
• Sheep Information Sheets (Information Sheet & Brown County Born and Raised Sheep Information)
• Sheep Department Rules

2026 Tag-in is on Saturday, June 6, from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. at the Brown County Fairground

Leasing of breeding animals will be allowed, following the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Brown County Fair guidelines.  
See the Breeding Animal Lease Information for all details by clicking on the following link(s):

• Lease Agreement INFORMATION
• Animal Lease - BREEDING ANIMAL 

Reference your exhibitor letter for other specific project related information

Poultry 

• Poultry Exhibitor Letter
• 2026 Meat Chicken On-Line ordering link - http://go.osu.edu/chicken26- Orders Due June 10th by 4:00pm.
• Traveling Home with chicks
  Reference your exhibitor letter for other specific information - there are big changes for 2026.
• FANCY/WILDLIFE ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS - Due August 15th

Rabbit 

• Rabbit Exhibitor Letter
• FANCY/BREEDING ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS - Due August 15th

Reference your exhibitor letter for other specific information - there are big changes for 2026.

Small Animal Questions? You can contact the Extension Office or email the department at: bcjfsmallanimaldepartment@gmail.com

2026 Project Guides 

Each project or project area has a guide with helpful completion information. https://brown.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/project-completion-and-fair-requirements                                        

Special Interest Projects - Judged Pre-Fair unless otherwise noted

Schedule your Saturday, September 12th project judging appointment visit: http://go.osu.edu/projectappointment 

Schedule your appointment by September 4th. If appointment slots are full for your project, we will reach out to discuss options.

Clothing

• Clothing Exhibitor Letter

Food & Nutrition

• Food & Nutrition Exhibitor Letter
  •        'What's on your plate?' information sheet
  •        Place Setting Suggestion
  •        Sample Menu

Family Consumer Science & Related Projects

• FCS & Related Projects Letter

Companion Animals  

• Companion Animal Letter

Self-Determined

• Self-Determined letter 

4-H Conservation, Engineering, Leadership, Natural Resources, Shooting Sports... (Dept. 18)

• Department 18 letter

Field Crops and Gardening & Plant Science (Dept. 16) - Judged Wednesday of Fair

• Department 16 letter