I think for a long time the judges were using those heifers that were to terminal in a lot of our opinions because of the general train of thought that they will definately produce a competitive steer. And they arent so wrong on that thought, some of the best steer producing cows out there look like steers themselves. I think what has turned us back to a more feminine, broody type of heifer is the fact that while those really terminal appearing cows will produce great steers, they often wont raise them. I think a lot of people saw those cows going to donor pens and thought thats what everybody wanted, what they failed to see was part of the reason so many of those cows ended up in donor pens was people definately wanted steer calves out of them, but couldnt trust the cow to raise it herself. So they had to let the cow be the genetic donor and let another cow do the work.
The reason I see the turn around in the heifer ring, and the reason I have always used the feminine, big middled heifers, that were sound and not over conditioned. Is I think we have to pic the combination heifer that will perform in both producing a good calf and raising that good calf. I think we see a lot of extremes out there in both ends of it and we need to be using heifers that are in the middle to win the shows. I see a lot of heifers in the show ring that I think can produce a great calf, but I have a lot of concern over if they will raise the calf once produced. On the opposite end I also see a lot of heifers that are super feminine and broody, no doubt they will raise the heck out of one, but I have serious doubts on if they can produce something thats worth raising. I think we need the combination cattle. I think with all the extremes we have seen the past several years, a lot of people have forgotten what the term adequate is. I have used a lot of heifers to win shows that definately got outpowered in the ring, people question it, and I dont argue that she was definately not the most powerful. But that doesnt negate the point that she was definately adequate in her power. On the same side I see a lot of judges that pull for the cleanest fronted most feminine thing in the ring, when I dont think she is the combination that should have won it. i dont think a heifer has to be the most fiminine one there to win, but I think she has to be adequate in her feminity.
I like the way Deb Core put it judging class of Jr Shorthorns we were in at Houston this year. She got on the mic and said the class didnt fall anything like she thought it was going to when the heifers first walked in the ring. She said there were a couple that really caught her eye, were super stylish and feminine or were super powerful, that on first look she really thought were going to be at the top of the class, but as she went down the line they just had to many holes so she had to pull them early. On the contrary she said there were a couple of kinda plain looking heifers that she thought were going to be at the bottom of this class of 30+ but as she went up and down the line up pulling the heifers with the most holes first, those kind of plain heifers just never gave her a reason to pull them or get rid of them. One of those heifers worked her way all the way to like 5th in the class I think, just because she was the combination heifer that could do it all and not have many holes in her. Personally I think that is the way all judges should judge.
