The Arkansas Beef Leadership Event (ABLE) mission is to provide youth in Arkansas and surrounding states with an opportunity to share their passion for the beef cattle industry and gain knowledge and skills to better prepare them for future careers.
Eligibility
- The competitions will be divided into three age divisions:
- Junior Division: Ages 5-9 as of January 1, 2026
- Intermediate Division: Ages 10-13 as of January 1, 2026
- Senior Division: Ages 14-19 as of January 1, 2026
- Youth must be 4-H, FFA, or Arkansas Junior Cattlemen’s Association (AJCA) members to participate.
- Youth outside of the state of Arkansas may participate in all events, except the Pen Heifer Show and Southern Regional Beef Quiz Bowl Contest. Youth from states will not be eligible for the High Point awards.
- All events are individual contests. Teams are not required to be able to enter.
- Registration for the four primary contests (Cattle Judging, Beef Skill-a-thon, Sales Talk, and Public Speaking) will take place on the Four States Fair website.
- Registration is due February 1st.
- Cost per contest is $15 or $50 for all four contests (Cattle Judging, Beef Skill-a-thon, Sales Talk, and Public Speaking).
- Registration for the Pen Heifer Show will be facilitated by Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) separate from ABLE registration. This contest is only available for Arkansas youth.
- Registration for the Southern Regional Beef Quiz Bowl will be facilitated by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture (UADA) separate from ABLE registration. This contest is only available for Arkansas youth.