North Dakota State University’s 2019 Little International showmanship contest will feature more than 200 student livestock showmen, bring almost 500 4-H and FFA youth to campus and honor North Dakota state veterinarian Susan Keller as the Agriculturalist of the Year.

The 93rd annual Little I will be Feb. 8-9, 2019. The 300-member strong NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club leads the event.

Keller will be honored at the Agriculturalist of the Year banquet the evening of Friday, Feb. 8.

After having her own veterinary clinic, then serving as deputy state veterinarian, Keller was named North Dakota state veterinarian in 2004. She and her family run Keller Broken Heart Ranch south of Mandan, N.D.

“We are thrilled to dedicate the 93rd Little International to Dr. Keller,” said Kacey Koester, Little I manager and an NDSU senior in animal sciences from Steele, N.D. “Her years of dedication to the improvement of animal husbandry and health truly epitomizes the purpose of the NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club and the Little International.”

The Agriculturalist of the Year banquet will be at the Avalon Events Center in Fargo. Tickets are $20.

“In addition to the showmanship contest, the Saturday evening festivities include family-friendly entertainment such as fun skits and jokes,” says Samantha Pernsteiner, Saddle and Sirloin club member. “An auction of cured hams, in addition to a silent auction and 50/50 raffle, offer opportunities for the whole crowd to get involved in Little I.”

The showmanship contest begins at 8 a.m. Feb. 9 at NDSU’s Shepperd Arena, with NDSU students showing beef, dairy, sheep and swine. The night show begins at 5:30 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the Agriculturalist of the Year banquet, contact Koester at littlei.management@gmail.com or 701-391-4646. For more information on the NDSU Saddle and Sirloin Club Little International, visit https://www.ndsusaddleandsirloin.com/.