Contest Info

Friday, November 6, 2026

Amplify Horse Racing will be hosting Thoroughbred Discovery at Keeneland (Details and Registration Information will be shared in mid-September)

9:00 am       Management Committee Meeting- South Wing B 108-109

5:00-5:30 pm Pick up Badges and Entry Passes for Contestants and Coaches: Courtyard by Marriott, 819 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209

6:00 pm T-Shirt Sales, Silent Auction- South Wing B 101

6:00 pm College Fair booths - South Wing B in front of 101-102

6:00 pm Registration & General Meeting- South Wing B 101-102

6:30 pm Coaches’ Meetings - Designated Rooms:

• • Judging- South Wing C 109

  • Hippology- South Wing B 103

  • Horse Bowl- South Wing C 105

  • Individual Presentation- 

  • Team Presentation- 

  • Public Speaking- 

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Judging Contest

7:45 am Check in at Covered Arena

8:30 am Contest Begins - Covered Arena

1:00 pm Oral Reasons - South Wing C 106,107,110,111

1:00 pm Holding Room – South Wing C 109

5:00 pm* Review of Classes - South Wing C 109

                           *Approximate time – immediately following reasons

Hippology Contest

7:45 am Check in - South Wing B 103

8:15 am Contest Begins - South Wing B 103,107,110

Communications Contests

8:00 am Individual Presentation - TBD

8:00 am Public Speaking- TBD

8:00 am Team Presentation - TBD

Horse Bowl

7:30 am Check-in - South Wing C 105 & 108

8:00 am Contest Begins - South Wing B 101 & C 112

Lunch for All Contestants - South Wing B Hallway in front of B 108

T-Shirt Sales & Silent Auction - South Wing B 101

College Fair booths - South Wing B in front of 101-102 (Representatives present from 12-5)

Pin & Memorabilia Trading-  Head to South Wing B (outside 101-102) at 5:00 PM to trade state pins or other memorabilia with other delegates. Totally optional, totally fun! 

Sunday, November 8, 2026

8:00 am Doors Open/Ticketed Breakfast (All Attendees must have a breakfast ticket)

9:00 am Awards Ceremony Begins - South Wing B 101-104

Silent Auction Closes (cash or check)

Hotel Rooms

When searching for hotels in the Louisville area, make sure to look near the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center or the Louisville International Airport. The fairgrounds is situated less than a mile north of the airport on Phillips Lane (several hotels on this street). Crittenden Drive and Preston Highway are also in close proximity and have a few hotels.

The North American International Livestock Expo

NAILE is much more than an ordinary showcase of livestock. Throughout the show, visitors will enjoy the Giant Country Store with its nearly 150 commercial vendors selling everything from fine jewelry and food to western clothing and farm supplies. Global industry standards are annually established during the show as breeders merchandise bloodlines and genetics to local and international interests. Altogether, more than 140 shows, sales, breed meetings, entertainment events, and judging contests are held during the 14-day event.

The Giant Country Store is located in the North Wing.

Livestock events that will take place during our contest are the draft horse, dairy cattle, dairy goat, llama and alpaca shows.

Badges, Admission, and Parking Fees

All contestants and 1 coach per event per state will receive a badge/ticket that will allow you to enter the expo grounds at no cost.  Anyone else in your vehicle will need to pay an admission fee. https://livestockexpo.org/tickets 

Badge/Ticket pick-up: Badges/tickets (whichever are supplied by NAILE each year) should be picked up at a designated off-site location between 5:00-5:30 pm on Friday, before the coaches meeting. Pick-up will be at one of the hotel lobbies just outside of the Main Gate of the Expo Center. Look at the detailed contest email sent to coaches for the exact location. 

Awards - Sunday

An awards breakfast will be held Sunday morning at 8:00, followed by the awards presentation at 9:00. Tickets to the breakfast are $20 and can be bought on Friday evening at the coaches' meeting and during the day on Saturday.  Contestants and their coach do not need to purchase a ticket, as this is included in their registration fee. 

Pictures of award winners will be taken during and after the awards program.

Places to Eat/Things to Do

The best website to find this type of information is www.gotolouisville.com. If you want to stay close, we recommend a visit to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum (located on Central Ave.). A great place to eat is the Cardinal Hall of Fame Cafe located on Crittenden Drive.

See Contest Contacts if you have questions.

Thank you to all of our sponsors. To see a full list, click here.

Sponsors and partners of the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup Contest and have provided funding, goods, or services in support of 4-H.

Acceptance of these sponsorships/donations does not imply endorsement by 4-H of any firm, product, or service.