I guess it depends on the situation you are talking about? Are you talking about in a supreme drive situation or within the breed. Yes it is characteristic for American cattle to have some leather, but there is still a point when they are to wastey even for an American. Some breeds characteristically have more brisket, but there is a point where its to much even for those breeds. Some breeds are more refined in their make up, but there is a point where they are to fine boned even for those breeds. Some breeds are naturally more powerful and less feminine, but there is a point where females are to coarse and masculine even in those breeds. Cattle are cattle and what we look for should be the same in every breed because the ultimate endpoint is the same for all breeds of beef cattle and that is the feedlot. Now I am not saying they all need to look the exact same. We have to keep breed characterstic for many reasons. Americans for instance need the leather and ear to help expel heat and that is needed for the climate where most of them are raised, but to much leather actually makes it worse, can lead to some bulls being unable to breed, and is wasty in the packing plant. Some of your exotic breeds dont need to be made more feminine and refined because they are meant to add the power and meat in a terminal cross. Some of your more refined, less powerful breeds dont need to be more powerful because they are meant to bring the maternal ability, growth and finish. So we dont need to change the breeds, but how we evaluate cattle is the same across breeds and always has been. When we get to the Supreme drives we cant expect the Brahman to be as clean fronted and underlined as the Angus just like we cant expect the Angus to be as powerful as most continental breeds. Thats when it gets important not to compare them to each other but pic based on which is the best representation of their breed.
As far as size there is a point where they are simply to big for what the industry wants. We were in Ft Worth for the Jr Heifer show last weekend and heard it on the mic several times and I agreed, there were a lot of heifers there that were just to big for the class they were in. When a 7 or 8 month old heifer comes in the ring the same size as heifers in classes 6 months or more older than her can you imagine how huge she will be at that age and even more so mature. Her calves get that big and they are way to big before they finish and go to the kill floor.
I think the problem is that there are a lot of judges that are to single tracked with their judging. Some worry only about style on the profile, some are more intersted in power, etc, etc. When we should be looking for the most fault free or in other words most complete calf in the ring. Ryan Cotten made a good example of that in a class at ft worth last weekend. I forget what class it was in but there was a big stout,, broody heifer walk in the ring and everyone just new she had it won, he stood her 5th. On the mic he said she was probably his favorite in the class for a lot of reasons, but when you started analizing the heifers she had a lot more faults than the 4 ahead of her. They werent major faults which would let some judges use her higher, mabe even to when. But they were faults none the less and he just couldnt use the heifer higher knowing she had more faults than those he placed over her. And thats the way it should be. But honestly the exhibitors have made it that way. I always here them and the spectators saying how a judge was lost or they couldnt follow them all day and they are mad. When really its pretty easy to follow them if you know what you are looking at because they are picking the most complete cattle, but so many of the people only know how to evaluate femininity and power. And they want to be able to pic the winner as it walks in so they want the judge to pic either the most feminine or most powerful so that they can follow. And lets face it a lot of judges try to please the masses so they get called for more shows. It takes a judge with integrity to reach out there and pic the rightful winner that isnt the crowd favorite based on what they can tell from the stands, because that judge is destined for a toungue lashing after the show from somebody.
