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Moving the show also meant altering several contests, including public speaking, where an audience wasn’t allowed in the rooms to listen. The Cattlemen’s Contest and Live- stock Judging Contest were both held online, and the Better Beef Contest, where entries are scanned for carcass merit, didn’t allow extra cattle (those not entered in the contest) to be scanned. “Cutting out a whole day made for a very tight contest schedule,” Kimble says. “Even with the changes, it was still an amazing show, and we were lucky to do the thing we love during these chaotic times.” With the chaos of the location, date and contest changes, the show theme and logo also needed to be updated. “It wasn’t until the show was permanently moved that we realized the Louisiana-themed logo with the alligators wouldn’t suit the new show location,” Kimble says. Playing around in Photoshop, Kimble took the Santa Gertrudis animal head graphic and put the now-infamous medical mask on it. “I made a draft and sent it to Suzanne, who loved the idea,” Kimble says. Fulton hadn’t ordered t-shirts, awards and other items yet, so they had time to switch the 2020 theme to #coronacation. Contest and theme changes weren’t the only alterations to the 2020 NJSGS. Upon arrival at the grounds, every person in each vehicle was required to fill out a health questionnaire before entering the grounds. “You will fill it out and be checked in on your first day,” Fulton explained in a Facebook post dated June 15. “Leave all the forms on your dash and security will verify each day that nothing has changed and mark your form for the day so that you can come and go as needed.”

Anyone who had traveled outside the United States or to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or New Orleans, La., within the two-week period preceding the NJSGS was not allowed to enter the grounds.  Once admitted, exhibitors proceeded normally with stall preparation. But different from past years where show offi- cials were in a permanent location and exhibitors took their cattle to them for check-in, this year the show officials went around to each stall and checked in entries. During the show, indoor capacity in the arena was limited to 50 people. Classes were organized in an outdoor holding area and the arena was adjusted so two classes – one enter- ing and one exiting – had a physical barrier between them. “The Four States Fair asked that we have a plan of action and follow it so no one – us or them – was put in jeopardy,” Fulton explains. “We were considered a take-over event because we used the entire grounds. The grounds manage- ment wasn’t onsite, so they were trusting us to implement the health safety plan.” The junior board, who help with much of the NJSGS legwork, was notified before the public about health safety protocols to ensure that the new plan would work.  “We were included on ways to make the show safer, main- tain safety guidelines and changes to the overall way the show would operate,” Kimble says. Still, none of the changes affected entries or participa- tion. In fact, the 2020 NJSGS received the largest number of cattle entries by the largest number of youth exhibitors on record. Through the entire process, Fulton stresses, “Cancel- ing was never an option – I knew there had to be a way to do this and keep everyone safe and healthy.” Through a proactive approach, Fulton and the YAC accomplished that goal. For the juniors, “although these restrictions were in place, the love from the Gert family was present,” Kimble concludes.

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SANTA GERTRUDIS USA