Livestock judging can be one of the most amazing things you’ll do… or one of the most terrifying things you’ll do. Maybe both! It will also give you critical skills to succeed in your future.
In my career as a sales rep in the animal health industry, I’ve always encouraged my managers to seek out kids who have judged livestock….it’s an added bonus if they’ve shown! Hopefully, I’ve convinced you by the end of this article of the reasons you should join a judging team.
I’m just as big of a proponent of judging as I am of showing. Frank and I are so passionate about it that we’ve worked with Clay Carlson from Chico State to develop The Cattle Contest. This year will be Vol. IV. Wow!
We designed it as a cattle only contest, with a focus on high-quality cattle, food, and awards. The support of breeders, who all judged, and now raise nationally competitive cattle have allowed us to reach this goal. We’ve focused on getting classes that are as good as you’ll see at any contest in the country. It couldn’t happen without them.
Every year, we all sit down to hash out the results. In the end, the hard work is worth it…We are all so pleased with the opportunity we have to make a positive difference in the lives of ag kids. Many of us were afforded amazing opportunities. It’s an honor to continue that for generations to come. we were all afforded many opportunities. We are honored to continue that for generations to come.
Learn To Evaluate Livestock
If you are reading this blog, odds are good that you show livestock. I went almost my whole sheep showing career thinking I had a shot at a purple ribbon every year. Only I was let down most times because I really didn’t know how to evaluate them…neither did my family. Ignorance is not the bliss that it’s cracked up to be!
Luckily I had savvy cattle people to help me be successful in that endeavor. It wasn’t until I got into junior college and started judging that I realized what a good one ought to look like. My younger brother was the beneficiary of the connections I made while judging, as is often the case with families. And, like many of those situations, I was happy to be right in the middle of it, trying to apply what I’d learned. If only I’d learned while I was still showing my own market animals.
Get involved as young as possible so you can learn as much as possible. Learning to evaluate is a life long skill you’ll be glad to have. Your future show success is directly correlated to selection. It’s important not only to be able to see the structure of the stock you show but also composition. When you are untrained, it’s common to mistake fat for muscle.
Make and Defend a Decision
Our lives consist of a series of choices and decisions. There will be many times you’ll need to defend your positions or decisions in life. Livestock judging prepares you to have an intelligent conversation with your teacher, boss or spouse about any number of decisions you make.
More importantly, you’ll spend much of your life trying to influence others to come around to your way of thinking. At the heart of any good set of reasons is intelligent positioning of a viewpoint. The skills you put to work in the reasons room will pay dividends in your future.
Build Confidence
So we’ve discussed the fact that you will learn to evaluate and speak intelligently. What we haven’t discussed is the fact that you will gain the confidence you didn’t know you were capable of having.
There is something magical and terrifying about speaking one on one with a breeder who you’ve idolized your whole show career and telling him or her your opinion of the stock you’ve judged.
Oh sure, you may want to die while doing it…but you’ll head out of the reasons room with the confidence in knowing you gave that set of reasons and it didn’t kill you.
That, in turn, will give you the confidence to talk to the next person. Pretty soon, you are able to talk with some of the most admired and influential people in the industry because you have a proven track record of getting out of the conversation alive!
Better yet, you had an intelligent conversation and possibly impressed that person whom you admire.
You’ll be glad you listened to the reasons you should join a judging team.
Get a College Scholarship
What? Didn’t know that was a thing? Frank is constantly reminding kids that the odds of receiving an athletic scholarship are not high, while a judging scholarship can set them up for future success.
Seriously, of all of the kids we’ve known over the years, I can only think of only one who went to college on an athletic scholarship. Conversely, I can name many kids who went to a specific college to judge livestock. My brother and I were both recipients of the benefits of a commitment to judging.
Explore the Livestock Industry
Judging affords you the ability to learn about the many facets of the livestock industries. You’ll learn the difference between commercial livestock and seed stock, metrics like EPDs will be demystified for you.
Not only that, but you’ll see different ways people set up working facilities, show barns, and pastures. I almost always come home from a trip to look at livestock with an idea of something poor Frank has to build. We both collected great ideas from others over the years.
See The Country
I developed my love of BBQ while judging. I learned the difference between Texas and Kansas City style BBQ. That could be a whole other blog post and is probably as controversial as anything I’ve ever written.
If you are in 4-H or FFA, you’ll be able to see all of the ag colleges that host field days in your areas. You may also get to see major livestock shows you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.
In college, you’ll definitely see the major livestock shows. Not only that, but you’ll be able to work out (practice) at the farms and ranches of some of the best breeders in the country. There is nothing like getting out of your home town to gain perspective. More reasons you should join a judging team!
You’ll learn very quickly that your county fair is not the only important livestock show in the world.
Better yet, you’ll meet people that you may do business with in the future but at this point, it’s just nice to hang out with them.
So, have I convinced you of the many reasons you should join a judging team? If not, I guess my persuasion skills aren’t as strong as I’d hoped! Seriously, the skills and talent you’ll develop will serve you in your future. Seek out coaches and teams that are competitive. Good luck and have fun!
Want to know more about our story judging livestock or why we’d host one in the first place? Check out:
Why Would You Host a Judging Contest?
