Young Judges
Are you the future of judging?
The Young Judges competitions are designed to develop judging talent and help young people connect with and learn from industry professionals.
You’ll have the opportunity to develop and showcase your skills in evaluating meat, sheep, fleece, beef cattle, dairy cattle, grains and poultry.
The state finals of the young judges competitions are also held at the Show each year. Competitions are open to any interested youth and SA Country Show finalists who are over 15 years and under 25 years on 1 May in the year of the state competition and are residents of SA. The winner of the state final competitions will then be invited to participate in the National Young Judges Final which is rotated around each state in Australia, and New Zealand.
Come compete and hone your craft.
PLEASE NOTE: Opening and closing dates will vary depending on the competition, please check the competition schedule for these dates.
2026 Young Judges timeable
Competition | Entries closing date | Competition date & time | Location |
Young Farmers Challenge State Final (invitation only) | N/A | Saturday, 5 September, 6:00pm | Main Arena |
Poultry Young Judges | Friday, 4 September | Sunday, 6 September, 2:00pm | Poultry & Pigeon Pavilion |
Meat Breeds Sheep Young Judges Championships | Friday, 4 September | Monday, 7 September, 12:30pm | Sheep Pavilion |
Dairy Cattle Young Handlers Championship | Monday, 7 September | Monday, 7 September, 2:00pm | Dairy Cattle Judging Lawn |
Dairy Cattle Young Judges Championship | Monday, 7 September | Wednesday, 9 September, 9:00am | Dairy Cattle Judging Lawn |
Grain Young Judges Championships | Friday, 4 September | Wednesday, 9 September, 11:00am | Golden Grains |
Merino Fleece Young Judges Championship | Tuesday, 8 September | Thursday, 10 September, 10:30am | Sheep Pavilion |
Merino Sheep Young Judges Championships | Tuesday, 8 September | Thursday, 10 September, 1:30pm | Sheep Pavilion |
Beef Cattle Young Paraders Championships | Friday, 11 September | Sunday, 13 September, 9:00am | TFI Beef Cattle Judging Lawn |
Beef Cattle Young Judges Championships | Friday, 11 September | Sunday, 13 September, 11:00am | TFI Beef Cattle Judging Lawn |
Closing: 11th of September 2026