LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Before the sun rises, that’s where you’ll find hundreds of youth gathered inside Broadbent Arena, doing one thing that has been passed down from generation to generation. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Kentucky State Fair has over 21,000 entries this year

  • Showing cattle runs in the Jones family

  • Hadleigh and her dad, Josh, have not missed a Kentucky State Fair

  • For more information on livestock shows, click here

 

“Since we live in Kentucky, it’s more of like a tradition, honestly, and we really just have a fun time all together,” 11-year-old Hadleigh Jones said.

Jones is one of the 21,000 entries this year at the Kentucky State Fair. She was born into the lifestyle of showing cattle, and that comes as no surprise. Her dad says he’s never missed a Kentucky State Fair.

“This is our vacation sort of, we go to world dairy expo in Wisconsin, we go to North American International Livestock Exposition over fall break, we even spend spring break at a cow show and actually spend our birthdays at cow shows,” Josh Jones, agriculture educator and Hadleigh’s dad, said.

A hard but rewarding process as Hadleigh gets to teach others about her passion.

“Other people with kids and stuff that don’t have cattle, I really like how I get to show them about my cattle,” Hadleigh said. “Sometimes we have kids that come up and we let them pet our little babies here because they’re super sweet, they love lovings.”

But it’s more than just the ribbons and banners at the end of the day, it’s about the future of showing cattle.

“I like the lifestyle that it teaches our young to work hard. It’s not always about money,” Josh said. “Sometimes we get beat in the show ring, we don’t have to always win, we do the best that we can with what we have and I think that translates to a lot of things in life.”

It’s a place where kids just like Hadleigh can be their most genuine self.

“There’s more kids I feel like my age than there are at school because very few people at school show cattle,” Hadleigh said. “You can make a lot of friends from it too. I know a lot of people just from showing cattle.”

A place she considers a second home, the Kentucky State Fair.

“It’s more like a comfortable place, really. When you come here, I get more relaxed with my cattle and it’s just all around a great place to be,” Hadleigh said.

Hadleigh celebrates her birthday every year at the Kentucky State fair. She’ll be turning 12 next week. 

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