Each year during the fair, one thing every exhibitor’s wondering is what the judge will be looking for in the ring. That’s why we went right to the source and talked with Livestock Judge Karlene Krueger.
She said the toughest part about being a judge is sorting through all of the animals in the ring and finding the top-quality livestock. Krueger mentioned that one of her priorities while at a show is helping the kids understand why they placed where they did compared to the others at the show so they can use that information in the future. It’s a huge learning opportunity if they’re willing to listen, which can significantly make them better for the next year.
She broke down what she typically looks for in livestock because as she said, “a lot of it is the same.” The most important aspect of the animal is structural correctness because a structurally correct animal will get up, grow, and be efficient. She explained that when a structurally correct animal walks, they’ll be able to place their back hoof in the same exact spot their front hoof was. There can be multiple factors that play into an animal being like this, some parts of it are genetic, but others are the type of bedding the animal’s on, are they housed on dirt or concrete, how much exercise do they get, and things like that.
Beef Cattle: “I’m looking over their loin and the rib area and feeling their ribs. You’re looking at their rump and making sure they have good muscle shape. As far as fat cover…your best weight range is anywhere between 1,250 and 1,400 pounds.”
Hogs: “We’re looking for muscle shape over their back, over their loin, and into their ham. You want to have roughly between 7/10 to 9/10 of an inch of backfat. You’re going to look at their jowl, you’re going to look over their loin and their flank, things like that. For hogs, you want to be weighing between 250 and 280”
Sheep: “Because they have wool, they can kind of hide some of their fat, so you’re going to be feeling over their loin and in their legs to find their muscle shape…you’re going to feel more than you are going to actually see. For sheep, I would say, I like my lambs to be between 150. Right around 150 or 145.”
Krueger also got into the training process before the fair. She suggests kids walk their animals at least the same amount of time you can expect to have them in the ring on show day. For example, her daughters started out by walking their pigs for about 10 to 15 minutes and gradually increased to 30 to 45 minutes twice per day. Obviously, not everyone has the time to walk their animals for that long, but it is a good idea to get them moving and training every day.
As far as showmanship goes, Krueger wants exhibitors to realize that the judge is constantly watching throughout the whole day. “I want to see you work that animal all day long. Most of the time showmanship is at the end of the day. I watch all day long for showmanship. So, if you come in the ring and you do just a lah-de-dah job during class, doesn’t mean you’re going to get very far up in showmanship if you bring the heat then,” she said. “You need to bring the heat every time you’re in the ring with that animal.”
One piece of advice she has for those showing hogs this year is to make sure you and your pig don’t get too close to the judge. “They need to stay between six to eight feet from me. If you’re right underneath me all of the time, you’re too close because then I’m not getting a good view of that animal,” Krueger said. “If the whole group is going one way, then you want to be going the opposite direction so that way you stick out.
For beef, her tip was to make sure to practice walking them right into place. She said first of all if the animal learns to automatically set up when stopped, it makes things way easier on the showman while in the ring and then you don’t need to use the show stick as much. “I don’t like to see a lot of show stick. If you’re scratching on your steer, that’s one thing, but if you’re poking those feet all of the time, all you’re doing is agitating them,” she said.
Then when it comes to sheep the first thing Krueger said was that it’s all about bracing. She suggests that those showing sheep start to practice bracing their lamb at an early age.
Krueger also busted the myth that you always need to smile in the ring. “Smiling or no smiling, neither one matters to me. Of course, you want to see a kid smile, hopefully, they’re having a good time. But I understand there are some kids that don’t smile because of the drive and the intensity that they need to have to get the job done.
Lastly, she said if nothing else, she hopes the kids learn something from their projects every year. “If you’re not learning anything, then your definitely not having fun.”
Happy fair season 2021! You can hear the full interview on our podcast page.
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