The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is less than a week away, but some families who thought they would be competing will not be able to do so.
Siblings Cash, 10, and Taylor Grubbs, 12, have been raising their steers for most of last year with one goal: competing in the Fort Worth Stock Show.
“It’s almost like the Super Bowl of Stock Shows in this area,” their mother, Becka Grubbs, told NBC 5.
Both siblings showed steers at last year’s stock show. However, despite all their preparations this year, they will not be allowed to participate.
The Grubbs did everything by the book. They said they submitted their entries and fees through Denton County’s 4-H Program well before the stock show’s November 15 deadline.
“On November 16, we got a call from our extension office saying hey, by the way, we missed the deadline, and my husband’s like surely you’re joking and unfortunately they weren’t,” said Becka Grubbs.
Denton County’s 4-H Extension Agent Steven Baringer said the culprit was an office error. In an email, he said the mistake negatively affected five families.
“We have expressed our apologies to the youth and families for the error,” said Baringer. “We attempted to submit the entries to the Fort Worth Stock Show, but the entries were past their stated deadline and were not accepted.”
Becka Grubbs said her family drove to the Fort Worth Stock Show to submit her children’s entries when she learned of the error.
“They said sorry, we just can’t accept your entries,” she explained.
The Grubbs will now have to spend more time and money traveling to different states to attend other stock shows to auction the steers they planned to sell in their backyard.
“We followed every step of the process only to find out that we, for real, can’t enter. After all the thousands of hours of work, thousands of dollars, it’s all for naught,” said Becka Grubbs.
In a statement, Matt Brockman, communications director for the Fort Worth Stock Show, said:
“In order to facilitate and operate a fair and equitable Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, rules for livestock shows are clearly outlined in our official rulebook known as the ‘Premium List’ which is made available to all exhibitors on September 15 each year. In addition, the Stock Show’s staff participate in numerous programs and meetings each summer informing county AgriLife Extension Agents and high school Agricultural Science Teachers that are responsible for submitting entries on the rules and entry deadlines. The rules and entry forms clearly state when entries can be accepted (September 15) and the deadline (November 15), giving all exhibitors 60 days to submit entries.
To conduct a fair competition for the roughly 30,000 entries in all the various shows and competitive events, dozens of rules ranging from entry, animal arrival, animal health regulations, fitting and grooming, exhibition, stalling and auction must be applied equitably. Creating an exception to any rule sets a precedent that makes enforcement and compliance of all other rules untenable.”
I wish the article could have been more specific as to what the error was and who made it.
The article stated very specifically that Denton County 4H did not turn in the registration. It also pointed out that the student did not follow up on making sure the registration had been completed. (Well if you read between the lines as the article failed to specifically mention who in the end is responsible). It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to make sure the animal is registered, makes it to the show, and makes it to the arena the moment they are supposed to be. The other 30,000 made it. They could have sent in the paper work themselves. I’m betting the next show they will. FFA and 4H teach responsibility. As a rancher or farmer if you miss the markets operating hours, they won’t stay open for you and you lost out on selling. Which means you miss out on money you may have needed to pay for your home or vehicle. This show has Millions paid out. You can’t just bend the rules. This happens every year. In the end not everybody gets a trophy.
I hardly think them admitting that an error was made that it is “bending” the rules to correct it. So those kids have to take their time to make sure their registration went through? So typical nowadays, you have to do people’s jobs for them. Didn’t they have to pay a fee? Was that fee deposited? When was it deposited? Gross incompetence. This is unbelievably unfair to those families. The Denton 4H needs to be held responsible for their goof and some form of punishment needs to be made. Too bad we aren’t as strict with criminals.
I think that IF the Stock Show sets up representatives that are to accept the entrees, that the Stock Show the MOMENT the entries arrive to those representatives the entry has been made legally.
If the stock show requires that a 4H or similar group is responsible to relay the entries, they are de facto agents of the Stock Show.
Based upon AGENCY, the Stock Show now has LIABILITY if its agents fail to perform their duties in accordance with the rules.
If every entry had to be made ONLY to the Stock Show, then that would resolve the issue altogether. This is NOT about a stock show, this is about the KIDS and the work they do. While I agree it is about rules, there are LEGAL implications involved as well. RULES of society when there is agency.
I say that all these kids need to file suit against the agents and the Stock Show. DO it.
The 4H is not a representative of the Stock Show. Every entry must be sent to the Stock Show. The family just chose to let the 4H handle it. It is and will always be the responsibility of the animal owner to make sure the entry is on time. Obviously, you are not or have not ever been in 4H or FFA. Funny the other 30,000 entries made it. I can bet my bottom dollar they did not all send in through a 3rd party.
“Denton County’s 4-H Extension Agent Steven Baringer said the culprit was an office error. In an email, he said the mistake negatively affected five families.”
How can a family be denied because of an Extension Agent error? If they know it was their error and they know the application actually arrived on time, why the denial? This just appears wrong!!!!!!