Splitting Classes Up

[steerkid21]

We have a show coming in the end of March, and we were wondering how everyone splits classes up after check in? Do they normally just do it by hand? Or do they have some software that can do it for you? We were stuck staying up late last year the night before the show and this year we are looking for an easier way to do it.  We also want a faster way so that we can get classes posted as soon as possible! Thanks for any advice!

 

[SRMcrew]

Check out www.showringmanager.com!! This is a system to help improve the efficiency of managing a livestock show. There is an online registration system and we have a database program in the works that helps split classes and then manage the classes throughout the show. Feel free to reply to this post or send me an email at [email protected]. I would love to talk to you about the ShowRingManager system.

 

[OH Breeder]

simply Microsoft Excel will sort numbers. If you sort according to breed then you sort the columns according to age. Crossbreds then sort according to weight. Each column has the ability to be sorted front and back. If someone has a laptop with Microsoft Office on it just use it. That is quick and easy!

 

[DLD]

It would be nice if someone could create a program that would recognize natural breaks. I know it's easy enough to set up something based just on numbers, like so many classes, or so many head per class, or break every X number of pounds or days,  but those methods don't always work, especially in smaller shows.

It would be very useful for like county shows, where everyone is always thinking that someone that was breaking classes favored certain exhibitors.  I think a whole lot of that is just paranoia, but regardless, it'd sure be nice to put it to rest.

 

[RyanChandler]

It would be nice if someone could create a program that would recognize natural breaks.

The problem will be finding a solution for all the single class entries.  In 1 class, you might have 20+ calves and then you might have 5 classes with 1 calf. 

 

[vc]

Our County fair goes with natural breaks, and honestly it kind of a joke. You win your class you go into the auction higher, well if your the only calf in your weight class, you win. Now the calf may have been placed 6 or 7 in the class just before or after. We see it early in the lighter calves and then in the later calves with the heavy calves. We always seem to have a few head in the low 1000's and then there is always a giant that got away from someone, we had a 1600 pounder one year there was 200 pound gap between classes. They all get sorted out in the final drive, they just end up higher in the sale when they are not the same quality as the other top steers (I am referring to carcass not show quality)

XBAR that is what happens at our fair, the 1200-1350 classes are loaded, the low and high end are 1 to 3 calves.

 

[JSchroeder]

I made one that takes a set of weights and your maximum/minimum class size preferences and breaks them down in three different options...

1 - Even Class Sizes
2 - Natural Weight Breaks (it finds the weight breaks that minimize the average standard deviation of weights of each class)
3 - Maximize TJLA points awarded

I just have to port it to a webpage.

 

[RyanChandler]

Those smaller shows should just have an open class.  And then two or three rounds of making the cut.  I feel like I could easily sort the top 50 from a 100. Then 25. Then 10.  At least at our county show, a quarter of the entered calves aren't 'finished' so it should be easy to drop them to the bottom w/ that initial cut. 

 

[RyanChandler]

I made one that takes a set of weights and your maximum/minimum class size preferences and breaks them down in three different options...

1 - Even Class Sizes
2 - Natural Weight Breaks (it finds the weight breaks that minimize the average standard deviation of weights of each class)

I don't see how you could set up a parameter for class size and also a natural weight break.  It seems to me that setting a min for class size defeats the idea of the natural weight break?  The minimum standard deviation is still going to be huge when you group calves in classes that, under a natural break, would have been single entry. 

 

[JSchroeder]

You have to set a minimum class size or sets of 20 animals could theoretically break into 1 – 18 – 1.  By setting a minimum and maximum class size it allows it to fit within the predetermined rules of a show.  Without that, it’s just a mental exercise because it would violate the rules of the show.

In the tool I made, 1 animal is also a minimum class size for situations that would be relevant.  In situations where the classes have to be as close to the same size as possible, the min and max can be set to numbers that accommodate that.

“Huge” standard deviation is relative.  You have the animal weights you have to work with and with a max and minimum (which could be 1 if somebody desired) class size there's a finite amount of ways the class can theoretically be broken.

By breaking it all of those ways and determining which of the numerous possibilities has the lowest standard deviation, you are finding the weight breaks that fit within the rules of the show and have the mathematically lowest level of variation in the classes.

 

[SRMcrew]

The creators of the ShowRingManager program are currently working on creating parameters to assist with splitting classes, based on the desired number of cattle you want in each steer class and then by ages with heifers. It is not perfected yet but it is in the works. If interested in the program check out www.showringmanager.com.

 

[AAOK]

simply Microsoft Excel will sort numbers. If you sort according to breed then you sort the columns according to age. Crossbreds then sort according to weight. Each column has the ability to be sorted front and back. If someone has a laptop with Microsoft Office on it just use it. That is quick and easy!

This is exactly what we do on the SE Okla Beef Expo coming up this weekend. We will set classes on 200 head in 20 minutes.

 

[OH Breeder]

simply Microsoft Excel will sort numbers. If you sort according to breed then you sort the columns according to age. Crossbreds then sort according to weight. Each column has the ability to be sorted front and back. If someone has a laptop with Microsoft Office on it just use it. That is quick and easy!

This is exactly what we do on the SE Okla Beef Expo coming up this weekend. We will set classes on 200 head in 20 minutes.

With excel having the ability to build tabs at the bottom breeds could fall into tabs and then be sorted according to age. They could be broke down visiually by simply looking at the number for each breed. Crossbreds could all be entered and then sorted according to height or weight on another tab with excel. Each tab can be printed or the entire work sheet. If you are on a budget and are not tech savy like myself, excel is something i use for work all the time.

 

[DLD]

I understand using Excel to sort entries, but the actual break is still decided by someone.

Jeff's system sounds very interesting to me.  We're set up for 4 crossbred classes at our county show, once in awhile they'll do 5, but they try really hard not to.  Most of the time there'll be 3 or 4 steers from 1000 to 1200, then 15 or so from 1200 to low 1300's, then sometimes a couple of bigger ones.  We show for sale order, so class breaks don't have as much effect on sale order. 

We write the weight at the top of the cards - It's simple enough to lay the cards out where the exhibitors name and school are hidden (all but the very heaviest one anyway) and just sort by weights.  But somebody's always crying foul.  Having a computer program to do it would just get rid of something to gripe about.

 

[Tallcool1]

I like Jeff's system, and as always......I have to wonder just how fast the wheels spin in that guys head!

If I were put in charge of splitting classes, I would have to go with the Excel method.

Class size would be determined mostly by show ring size first.  How many calves will comfortably fit in the ring at a given time.  I hate an overcrowded show ring, and I hate a division of 16 that get split into 4 classes of 4 calves when the ring will hold 20.

If there are 160 in a breed or classification, and we want a champion drive of 4 + 4, the splits become pretty simple.  The tallest of heaviest 40 are one division, next 40 are a division, and so on through the 4 divisions.  If the ring holds 10, then the divisions get split 4 ways by height or weight.  If the ring holds 20, then the divisions get split in half.

I would just keep it simple, and minimize the number of classes as much as possible.

The biggest reason I would go this way is time.  Like another member stated earlier, I could have the entire show classed in about 5 minutes.