Members of 13 central South Carolina Future Farmers of America chapters assembled at the State Fair Grounds today for competitive elimination of entries in the their annual FFA Purebred Livestock show of the area surrounding Columbia.

Sponsored a yearly by the Sears Roebucks Foundation in cooperation with the state department of education, the show is an exhibit of heifers, swine and poultry raised by the various chapters of FFA. Forty-three animal prizes or cash awards will be presented to the winning entries of purebred stock.

This morning a boys’ judging contest was held in line with the agricultural education program to make the shows as informative as possible. In the judging competition, three members from each chapter are selected as a team to choose the best animals and poultry in the showing. The results of the boys’ choices are then matched against the official judging, which was to be held this afternoon.

The judging team most closely approaching the results of the official selections in all fields will be awarded a $10 cash prize. Officials at the show declared that this type of animal study on the part of the members would enable them to recognize the good features of their stock with greater ease, and at the same time notice undesirable characteristics that are better to eliminate in breeding.

Prizes that will be awarded today will be for the ten best gilts, the five best heifers that won in last year’s showing, the three best sows that were shown as gilts in last year’s show, the ree best exhibits of pen poultry and a grand prize of $75 for the best FFA chapter exhibit.

The project is conducted by the vocational agriculture teachers with Sears-Roebuck contributing the awards in an effort to expand and improve livestock breeds on local farms.

Chapters eligible to participate in the show are Batesburg-Leesville, Blaney, Blythewood, Brookland-Cayce, Chapin, Columbia, Dentsville, Fairview, Gilbert, Irmo, Lexington, Swansea, Camden, Lower Richland and Pelion.

Camden, Lower Richland and Pelion were authorized to enter the competition for the first time this year.