JUDGES.....

[farmerboy317]

we just sent are papers in a week ago for Michigan state winter beef show  and the steer judge is Jim Bloomberg and the heifer judge is Blake Bloomberg and what do they look for in a steer and heifer

 

[knabe]

without naming names, and not inferring that judges look at who's on the halter, what are the diversity that people are looking for?

what are some differences between judges?

are there some don't like deep bodied cattle or any other trait?

for instance in comparing females of different breeds,  does a judge take into consideration the fact that some breeds are different and that the goal may not be to make all cattle look the same?

if the trend is to make cattle "efficient" by making them smaller, and a breeder says, "hey, that's stupid", and for all intents and purposes, his animal is simply bigger, should there be a tie, even though realistically that will never happen as all animals have faults and one will have to simply weigh their merits.

the reason i went into this much specificity, is this question about judges keeps coming up and all that happens is that everyone says, "they like complete cattle deep bodied, or they suck cause all they do is look at who's on the halter, or that guy has no clue about heifers, even though blah blah blah."

 

[farmerboy317]

thank you

 

[farmboy]

didnt one of those guys do the OBE in march? i think he got it right

 

[LN]

without naming names, and not inferring that judges look at who's on the halter, what are the diversity that people are looking for?

what are some differences between judges?

are there some don't like deep bodied cattle or any other trait?

for instance in comparing females of different breeds,  does a judge take into consideration the fact that some breeds are different and that the goal may not be to make all cattle look the same?

if the trend is to make cattle "efficient" by making them smaller, and a breeder says, "hey, that's stupid", and for all intents and purposes, his animal is simply bigger, should there be a tie, even though realistically that will never happen as all animals have faults and one will have to simply weigh their merits.

the reason i went into this much specificity, is this question about judges keeps coming up and all that happens is that everyone says, "they like complete cattle deep bodied, or they suck cause all they do is look at who's on the halter, or that guy has no clue about heifers, even though blah blah blah."

WORD!

 

[simtal]

they'll like em really cowy and sound and plainer.  And they'll use somebody they know too.

 

[OH Breeder]

without naming names, and not inferring that judges look at who's on the halter, what are the diversity that people are looking for?

what are some differences between judges?

are there some don't like deep bodied cattle or any other trait?

for instance in comparing females of different breeds,  does a judge take into consideration the fact that some breeds are different and that the goal may not be to make all cattle look the same?

if the trend is to make cattle "efficient" by making them smaller, and a breeder says, "hey, that's stupid", and for all intents and purposes, his animal is simply bigger, should there be a tie, even though realistically that will never happen as all animals have faults and one will have to simply weigh their merits.

the reason i went into this much specificity, is this question about judges keeps coming up and all that happens is that everyone says, "they like complete cattle deep bodied, or they suck cause all they do is look at who's on the halter, or that guy has no clue about heifers, even though blah blah blah."

I also think it is hard when alot of these judges were on judging teams and they have built realationships with folks that happen to be in the show industry. rarely do you ever see a no name win a show. usually it is a name brand person. Just my opinion. Ear tags with the breeders name on them as well. That is one thing I noticed one year at a show. A specific ear tag with the breeders name was at the top of the class consitently. Not saying they didn't all belong there and the quality was lacking, but in some cases there were better cattle below them.  :-\

 

[farmerboy317]

I dont think cattle should be judge on where they come from or who is on the other end of the rope, i think cattle should be judge on the cattle themself.

 

[OH Breeder]

That is the way it is suppose to be. And I agree it should be the cattle.
We showed at the OBE last year.
Bloomberg did judge.

 

[klintdog]

without naming names, and not inferring that judges look at who's on the halter, what are the diversity that people are looking for?

what are some differences between judges?

are there some don't like deep bodied cattle or any other trait?

for instance in comparing females of different breeds,  does a judge take into consideration the fact that some breeds are different and that the goal may not be to make all cattle look the same?

if the trend is to make cattle "efficient" by making them smaller, and a breeder says, "hey, that's stupid", and for all intents and purposes, his animal is simply bigger, should there be a tie, even though realistically that will never happen as all animals have faults and one will have to simply weigh their merits.

the reason i went into this much specificity, is this question about judges keeps coming up and all that happens is that everyone says, "they like complete cattle deep bodied, or they suck cause all they do is look at who's on the halter, or that guy has no clue about heifers, even though blah blah blah."

Personally, I like to have an idea of what a judge is looking for before I pull into the show ring. If I know that a bull calf or a heifer calf I'm pulling out is going to be the opposite of what the judge is looking for, and I'm nearly guaranteed to be at the bottom of the class, I want to know before I pay the $50 to enter her. If I can do some swapping of animals on my end to give me some kind of competitive advantage, I think that works in my favor.

Granted, in a perfect world I should be able to pull my show string and use showing as a method of marketing my cattle, regardless of how they do in the show ring. The fact of the matter though is that there are enough people who will take a judges word over their own breeding program and make their breeding decisions based upon that. If I can capitalize on that ignorance, more power to me. I know this probably doesn't sound good, but I've all but given up on trying to educate my customers and have instead focused on trying to provide them with what they think they need that day.

My $.02.

 

[Jill]

rarely do you ever see a no name win a show

I think this is really an unfair statement, rarely do you see a no name win a basketball game, a baseball game, a track event, a boxing match etc.
Has anyone ever stopped to think that maybe the kids "with the name" are winning because they have put in the time and hours and work at home to be at the top just like in any other field, this isn't a game of change or luck, it is the person that has done the preparation prior to the show and have the best animal that day.  At most shows the top 10% of the animals can be put in any order and you could justify your selection with your reasons, whether it is right or wrong the kids with the most exposure will probably end up on top, that's how life works.
I've seen the both judge several times and they do a nice job.

 

[amss101]

I'll go with both sides of the fence, I think at those "BIG" shows you do see a lot of name people but to Jill's credit they have put in a lot of time/work.  Some people think its all in the money and maybe it is to some extent but you can't turn those $$cows out and get them up the day before and still win...well maybe at some shows you could but not all.  I just hope to have NAME someday...I'll admit the green monster chases me to the barn to keep trying.

 

[OH Breeder]

rarely do you ever see a no name win a show

I think this is really an unfair statement, rarely do you see a no name win a basketball game, a baseball game, a track event, a boxing match etc.
Has anyone ever stopped to think that maybe the kids "with the name" are winning because they have put in the time and hours and work at home to be at the top just like in any other field, this isn't a game of change or luck, it is the person that has done the preparation prior to the show and have the best animal that day.  At most shows the top 10% of the animals can be put in any order and you could justify your selection with your reasons, whether it is right or wrong the kids with the most exposure will probably end up on top, that's how life works.
I've seen the both judge several times and they do a nice job.

Fair or not that is life. I am not saying they put the work in or don't not the intent of my statement. But, there is an advantage at times to having a "name".You are missing my point Jill.  Some folks make there life in cattle. We do it as a hobby.We know going in that yes we work hard but we aren't out there every weekend at the shows. Take it for what it is.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

I have been in the purebred business for 20+ years and have shown at most of the majors for myself and others for closer to 30. When you get to the big shows - politics are a large part of the judging. That is a fact of life in at least the "breeding cattle" shows and has been for longer than I have been showing. I'm not saying that it is right or that I like it, but it is the way it is. Some shows/judges are worse than others, I seriously doubt that there is a reputation judge ( some one that judges more than a county fair a year) that has not been influenced on his/her placings by politics. RW

 

[simtal]

Well, the fact that they have  played politics better than anyone I ever seen re-enforces my prior statement.

 

[bcosu]

i don't think that either one is a bad judge. i have seen blake change his type real quick (i.e. use two different calves that were very different one showy and they other the chunkier kind) jim does a pretty good job i thought but i can't remember any tendencies at all.