Classifying Angus at Fort Worth Stock Show

This is my first year showing a steer and I'm going to take him to Fort Worth in a couple weeks (junior show). I was reading the rules and it says if they get sifted out of the breed you're out of the show. I really don't want that to happen, it's my senior year, and I really enjoy the showing experience. I took him to the Heart of Texas fair and he classified as an Angus but I'm sure that's no guarantee. I'll post some pictures of him, maybe y'all can help me decide what to do. I can post a back and front views also if it will help. General impressions of him are also appreciated, like I said I'm a newbie :-\.

This is at our county fair about two weeks ago.

When they are classing make him look dirty and make sure his hair is laying down. Ya dont want to go in there all puffed out with a huge butt looking like some crossbred exotic. I like to make them look like range cattle, 60% of the time it works everytime.

We bat .500 on ft worth steers historically (Americans) they will class out some full blood angus calves and class in some exotics(ironically those are generally the winners)

Old world said it well, don't make him look ready to show when you class, but don't make him so scraggly that it's obvious

This is borderline offensive to alot of people (I'm known to do that) but the deal on classing angus is that generally all an angus steer is,is a below average black exotic, So what that entails is you don't want the biggest hair ball in line because they are looking for those exotics that are good, just not good enough to the point where they can compete in a European class

Also get behind one of those fluff balls that looks "too good to be angus" and it will Help your case, don't get behind the kid that's telling you about it being out of grandpas angus herd bragging about him being purebred with papers at the house.... That calf doesn't do you any favors if you follow him in

From a friend, 2895 steers entered in FT. worth,.

I've shown/sold a bunch of Angus steers at Fort Worth.  It's a complete toss up on whether one gets in or not, regardless of whether he's really a purebred or not.  To give you an educated guess, I'd need to see a close up of his whole head.  Head shape has a lot to do with it.

Regardless of any advice you get here, including mine, you have to decide what your priorities are - showing the calf or giving yourself the best chance to get pulled and possibly make the sale. 

The crossbred calves are ridiculously competetive.  Not trying to be mean, but you are a senior and have tough decision to make.  That calf will have a hard time making the sale in the crossbred.  He would have a better chance in the Angus, but I think making the sale there would be 50/50 or less.

If you were my kid and a senior, I'd tell you to show him crossbred and enjoy the experience.  I strongly discourage anyone that is a senior from trying to show Angus at Fort Worth unless you have one good enough to win it. 

Another question, do you not have any plans to show at SA or Houston?  If you do, that should factor into your decision strongly. 

Also get behind one of those fluff balls that looks "too good to be angus" and it will Help your case

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That’s one of those tricks that doesn’t work nearly as well in practice as it does in theory.  I wondered if it did and watched pretty closely one year.  It’s easy to spot the guys that are trying it, their ag teacher/parent/jock hold them there waiting to jump in line like they’re merging onto a freeway.

It obviously has a lot to do with the fact that the people who try it are almost by definition trying to sneak one through they got kicked out more than the overall average the two times I paid attention to it.

Thanks for all the info so far. I'll post pictures of his head when I get home from school. He was castrated a little late so he has largish head (some people have told me anyway). He is mostly Angus. My current and previous ag teacher will help me make the final decision when I get there, they said they knew someone who used to classify as well and would have him look at him for me. I am planning on taking him to San Antonio, San Angelo, and Houston too, like I said I'm enjoying it lol

If this isnt your only chance to show, that minimizes the pain associated with getting sifted.

I don't know if I'd say he was close enough to class Angus.  Rear leg set and bone looks Angus, but hair not so much so.  Standing very up-headed too, which makes me wonder if he'd class.

Do they have a Chi or Maine division where he can class?

If he was pb Angus, I'd say show him as such, but with other stuff in him, he should so exotic,  or other, wherever he truly belongs.

Good luck young man!  Scratch that!!  Good luck young lady!    Bad day for me as a teacher, this is the third mistake I made today.

That's true but I've grown up going to this show to watch and I really want to be able to show there. I don't know about any other classes, he has a touch of Maine and an tiny bit of Brangus in him, but he is primarily an Angus. Btw I'm a young lady lol but thank you. How do you mean his hair doesn't look Angus, too much or too little? And what does up-headed mean? Thanks again guys.
Here are some head shots, a butt, and a side shot. He hates having his picture taken so sorry if they are a little bit blurry. These are from this afternoon.

I corrected my previous message -

Rump looks Angus and not so expressively muscled to look exotic.

Hair looks a little long and wavey. to me.

Some angles on the head look better than others.

I am not that familiar with Texas shows and classing animals according to breed character.   

We rely on registration papers and overall honesty up here in Illinois. ;D

Somewhere you should be able to find out how many animals in each breed showed and/or classed out in previous years.  You can find hopw many make the sale too. 

I recall a thread about that last year.

Good luck young Lady!!!

With the right person on the halter anything can class angus  (pop)

I think your biggest risk is shape of hip on him.  Maybe a little too much mass to consider an Angus.  Head looks good, but may not clipped blocky enough. Hard to explain, but if you can make them look short headed and short necked at classification, it helps a bunch.  I am hoping to get 2 into the Angus division, so we will see how much I know.

I have a friend that has classed out the last two years with reg. Angus.. :-\

Yes but how does the right person act, I'm an amateur lol. Will keeping his hair flat at the classification help with hip shape? BTW his hair stays straight when it is really dry, it only gets a little wavy on his back leg when wet. I want him to have the best chance in his class but I really want to make sure I get to show him here. Does anyone know why Ft. Worth kicks them out if they don't classify to that breed instead of putting them in as AOB or something?

(I added a poll to try and get more opinions)

JessGS said:

Does anyone know why Ft. Worth kicks them out if they don't classify to that breed instead of putting them in as AOB or something?

(I added a poll to try and get more opinions)

Click to expand...

I'm sure because it helps knock the numbers down per class alittle bit, and to try to keep the people more honest by knowing there's no safety net

Show stopper 95 said:

JessGS said:

Does anyone know why Ft. Worth kicks them out if they don't classify to that breed instead of putting them in as AOB or something?

(I added a poll to try and get more opinions)

Click to expand...

I'm sure because it helps knock the numbers down per class alittle bit, and to try to keep the people more honest by knowing there's no safety net

Click to expand...

How does it keep people more honest when purebreds are getting sifted, and crossbreds make it?  ???

That's the theory behind it, I didn't say it's effective or correct but from a management perspective that's the only logical reasoning...

JessGS said:

Does anyone know why Ft. Worth kicks them out if they don't classify to that breed instead of putting them in as AOB or something?

Click to expand...

If they didn't, every polled (and prob'ly some that aren't) black steer in the barn would try to classify Angus, every red one with a little white on their face would try to classify Hereford or Polled Hereford, and every other red or white one would try the Shorthorns - unless they have a little extra sheath, then they'd try for the American division.  Classifying alone would take three days... well, okay, maybe not quite that bad, but you get the idea.

For those of you that don't know -Angus, Hereford, Polled Hereford, Shorthorn, American and cross (some call them European or Continental) are the only breed divisions at Fort Worth.  All but the crosses must be classified.

My best guess is the individual pictured here probably won't classify Angus, but as others have said, there's really no telling.  Just depends on how big a gambler you are.

Did he make Angus?