BROOKINGS, S.D. — The largest two-day agricultural exposition in the country, Little International, will take place March 31 through April 1 at South Dakota State University in the Animal Science Arena.

Little “I” begins on Friday, March 31, when hundreds of high school students from Minnesota and South Dakota join college students in judging contests on campus.

The event is planned, organized, and implemented by more than 100 SDSU students. Dalen Zuidema, a senior Animal Science major from Wilmar, Minn., is the manager of Little “I” this year, while Kendrah Schafer, an Animal Science and Agricultural Business major from Goodhue, Minn, is serving as assistant manager.

Friday’s fitting competition begins at 7:30 a.m. and continues through the day. A full day of judging contests and fitting competitions follows. At 5 p.m., opening ceremonies begin for the livestock fitting finals.

On Saturday, the showmanship contest picks up again at 8 a.m. and continues the rest of the day. An alumni reception will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Animal Science lobby. Opening ceremonies begin again at 5 p.m. with showmanship finals to follow. Saturday wraps up with a round robin competition and awards ceremony. The public is welcome to attend Friday and Saturday’s competitions, and there’s no charge for admission.

A dance will follow at 10 p.m. with live music from Carolina Reign. The dance is at the Swiftel Center in Brookings. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10.

To learn more and view a complete schedule, visit the Little International website http://www.sdsulittleinternational.com/tentative-schedule-of-events.

— SDSU College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences

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