Stock Show Confidential: What judges really want to tell you

7/8/2015 33 Comments

Stock Show Confidential: What judges really want to tell you

From the mouths of some of the top judges in the nation.....

1.       Accept your place – getting mad and giving me the dirty look doesn’t do much for you.

2.       Sour looks will only get you rolled sooner next time.

3.       Acting like you didn’t see me pull you will not stop you from getting pulled. Just move into position please.

4.       After you are pulled out don’t make a scene of looking back to make sure I got it right – don’t worry, I got it right.

5.       Know how to show your animal BEFORE you get in there.   The frantic look on your face when you can’t find your coach outside the ring is distracting.

6.       If you are going to try being trendy with new fitting techniques – do it right. Otherwise you look like a fool and I feel like one if I have to use you.

7.       If your animal is small, telling me his birth date or life history isn’t going to help your outcome. I am perfectly capable of recognizing young animals.

8.       Little kids in the ring is good, but be reasonable.

9.       Dress appropriately. My days of chasing high school girls with fat calves are long over and you only make it awkward for me and everyone outside the ring looking at you from behind.

10.   It might be easy to judge from the sidelines but in the middle of the ring it gets intense. Be respectful – your kids will learn more from that.

11.   If you are going to promote an animal that won under me, for the love of God please use a good picture.   Don’t take a bad photo and make me look like an idiot.

12.   Check your animals before the SHOW. You know, the basics. Make sure they have both testicles, both eyes, they aren’t prolapsing in the middle of the show.

13.   Texting me before a show to tell me about your “great ones” makes me uncomfortable. So please, just don’t.

14.   Suddenly adding me on Facebook two weeks before a show is annoying. Especially if I have no idea who you are.

15.   STOP tagging me in your Facebook photos. Even if your animal should win, everyone on the internet now knows you have been advertising to me and it makes me nervous to even consider you.

16.   If you are going to paint animals PLEASE make sure it’s dry when you come in the ring.

17.   If you are going to come shake my hand at the end of the day, do it because you mean it. Don’t come up just because your parents made you and act like a jerk.

18.   I don’t care what other fairs your animal won. On the same note, I don't care how much you paid for him or who said he was good.

19.   I can hear you on the sidelines. Half the time I am accused of using a kid because of who she is, I don't even know her. If she'e been winning all day its probably because her animals are better than yours.

20.   If you feel like smiling – smile. If you are concentrating and don’t smile that is OK too. Don’t plaster a fake smile on your face – it’s distracting and this isn’t a beauty contest (for you). And it’s OK to be serious about it – I am too.

33 Comments

Mike Niese

7/8/2015 05:42:03 am

luv this and so true

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Mary Anne Keck

7/8/2015 06:55:01 am

Don't apply any oily products to any area that have to be handled (ie. body, mouth). The oil stays on my hands for the duration of the class unless you want me to embarrass you and walk over to get a rag right now.

Carl

7/8/2015 07:28:52 am

Don't get upset when you bring a horrible animal to a deep, competitive show and then get buried by consistently good animals.

cowgirl

7/9/2015 08:06:28 am

don't be a but about it ik I don't have the nicest animals but a lot of people think I do and in the last 13 years I won 2 fairs

Denise Mayo

7/8/2015 11:13:33 am

do not pay attention to your jock, who is frantically waving his arms as if he is hailing a taxi. He/she has worked with you ( hopefully) so show the judge that you can show your animal without the jocks influence ringside.

Tracy

7/8/2015 12:30:15 pm

Showing is a very positive, enriching activity. Sad that every comment is spun toward the negative.

Darci

7/8/2015 04:24:54 pm

I agree not every kid has a coach behind them. What happened to this??? It is a who can spend the most to win and be a snot sometimes deal... Makes me sad as it was not set up that way. Judges need judge the situation ie livestock and child bit the rest of the alliterative snake them sound pompous sorry

Kathy

7/8/2015 02:09:34 pm

Don't get to the show last minute and then expect the judge to hold the class while you unload and clean your horse. Do it all early so in the morning, all you have to do is load the horse and go. Load the truck and the trailer the night before and get a good nights sleep. Be polite and congratulate the winners, even if you didn't win. Lots of judges will answer questions, but they get tired of "Why didn't you place me?"

Dee link

7/9/2015 08:42:15 am

That's a good thing about livestock shows(cattle, lambs,hogs, goats). The judge explains over the mic to the entire arena how and why he placed his class .

Margaret Coelho link

7/13/2015 05:12:16 am

Sorry I feel your wrong on the comment "why didn't I place" this is a learning process and if asked this will help them next time.

mike smith link

7/8/2015 02:29:44 pm

im sure those pointers help in sum cases.. but I have seen sum judges do sum bullshit an they no they had it right the first time. prime example is when a fitter or jock goes an stands in front of there animal an its in 4th an the judge all of a sudden changes his mind an moves it to 1st place.. if u pay attention u no when to call bull shit..

John

7/8/2015 03:47:22 pm

I have never seen one go 4th to 1st. That would be absurd, and nobody will stick their name on the line with such a crazy move. No matter how good of friends he is with the fitter.

josef

7/9/2015 04:08:39 am

. . . actually. . . had one start out in 7th one time and eventually ended up winning the class. That was 10-12 years ago, and FYI - - - STILL JUDGING (big time shows) :)

robert

7/8/2015 03:19:05 pm

the judge gets paid for his opinion on that day,if you dont like it load up and go home and dont show under him again !

Gary Mitchell

7/8/2015 11:34:43 pm

This is a 2-way street. How about a 2-shows-in-1-day show where the judge of show #1 rolls the good ones and picks his buddies to win, and it's so obvious that his buddies don't even bring their stock out for show #2? Try explaining that to your kids that bust their ass working with their stock.

Carl

7/8/2015 11:43:46 pm

Could also be he's already shown under that judge and they didn't fair well. Or he could have a better paying show that he know he would do better under. Showing is about knowing your judge as well. What he likes/ dislikes from animal type to showmanship.

Pat

7/9/2015 01:49:05 am

Parent don't send a teenager in the ring that has adhd seriously and the judge tell them they're going the wrong way. Then the teenager spends the rest of the time going around the badmouthing the judge and sending daggers with their eyes.

Peg

7/9/2015 02:39:26 am

Would love to see these set of rules modified for county fair kids and their parents so I could blow them up and let every kid but mostly parents read them at our fair! Love the show circuit and love our fair. But they ARE different. I wish everyone realized that!

Kane causemaker

7/9/2015 02:41:22 am

As this article has been shared numerous times, I was very interested in its value. But unfortunately, I see it as condescending, arrogant and plain rude in many scenarios. A handful make great sense, but bottom line is people have every right to act as they wish article a show. It is not a judges position to "role a child sooner" for any reason. This is a disgusting article and i feel it a judge can't handle parents and their ways, then that person has no business offering their paid opinion at any level.

Kate

7/9/2015 02:51:42 am

Hi Kane! Thank you for visiting. The article was written for some humor, which I see it did not provide to you. I'm sorry you couldn't see the fun in it!

Thanks!

KITT58

7/9/2015 09:24:59 am

I totally disagree with your opinion, and yes you are entitled to an opinion. I've been attending livestock shows for 50 years. And I've seen exhibitors act so childish and foolish in the ring when they don't get the placing they feel they should have gotten. Maybe the exhibitor should not get rolled early but as a judge they will not be considered for a high placing regarding showmanship. My son done very well during his 10 years of showing. When he was 12 he stood 6th in a very tuff class of market steer at our state fair. He was upset in the ring and on the way out. We went to the barn, put the steer he was to show next in the stall...(he was fitted) loaded up and went home. He never ever acted like that again. In fact he turned in to a very good showman and learned a lesson. You know how hard it was to not show the other steer. It was a life lesson he never ever forgot

Dru

7/9/2015 05:40:16 am

The same article could be made for judges some point to be made would be look at the animal not the person showing it doesn't matter how much the spent at your sale

I don't care what show they might judge next week or year

Bobby darn one

7/9/2015 06:45:18 am

and for goodness sakes parents, don't beat and abuse the heifer YOU chose to put a little girl on!!! That's no one's fault but yourself!!!

cowgirl

7/9/2015 08:05:19 am

that's all fine and dandy you may not pick them because of the name but all the judges around here sure do I bought a cow from each of the four people that wins every fair and never won a thing after 13+ years I should have won at least once so don't go there

Kate

7/9/2015 10:01:35 am

Cowgirl-

So you are entitled to win simply because you never had before?

Or because you bought cows from the people who "always win".

In your whole statement you never mentioned one thing YOU did better, one way YOU improved in your 13 years.

Those people that were always winning, did you ever ask them what they were doing differently?

Or did you just assume they won because of who they were?

Allison

7/9/2015 10:11:43 am

One of the reasons I stopped sitting in the stands long ago was because I hated to hear other parents and visitors talking about other kids and their animals. It was heart breaking knowing my own son (who shows and has Autism) could be talked about in a negative way about his showing skills and abilities. I am a proud show mom in every way because my son went out there and did the best he could do that day. There is always room for improvements and this hobby is very hard on lil ones 9 and 10 years old. They are just starting and will get better at every show. Just be aware of others when a remark is made because I promise you, I surely know what a good showman looks like after being in the business since 1980, but ...... We all have to start somewhere and getting in the ring sometimes for some kids is half the battle.

Dave E

7/10/2015 07:31:45 am

Allison, if you have been in the business since the 80's then you should know, quality showmanship is not learned in the ring, it is learned outside the ring and displayed in the ring. Disability or not. I showed for several years and it is the amount of time spent practicing and working with your animals prior to show that will prove your worth inside the ring. Instead of parents pointing fingers and kids pouting that they did not win, do your homework and figure out why.

Sue

7/14/2015 02:55:54 am

I am not sure what to make of this article. There is some truth in here but it also has a snarky, condescending overtone to it. I have an older child who is now a judge and I like to remind him that being in the ring is a two way street and he as a judge should set an example and stay away from the post-show Monday morning quarterbacking and snarkiness.

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Okie Show Mom

9/16/2018 10:53:48 am

What about a judge that is from a college and he tells the kids in the ring that he likes the color they are wearing because it’s his school color. When sales order is made only kids with that color are in the sale. I know this for a fact because I am over that show and heard the comment and wrote down the sale order. How do I know the animals were judged on the quality or was it a contest of who was wearing what?

graci

1/21/2020 02:54:53 pm

last year, I got Reserve Senior Showman at my county fair with it only being my first year in that division. With that being said, the judge gave me some pointers on how to sweep it the next year. I had been practicing using my full ring, swinging my outsides and pulling all the way in. And she pointed that out to me as one of my pros. Also, I talk to my animals, telling them "good girl" or "come on", and sometimes I think it helps me more than it helps my animal. She also pointed out that I don't stab at my animal with my show stick, and judges tend to like it if you rub your cows brisket rather than their belly. Always carry a comb, judges in regular classes or showmanship will rub your cow, so then you comb the hair back in place after. But, with that being said, my judge told me to work on my facial expressions. While I have rbf, I never intended to give my judge the looks I did sometimes. But, they were out of focus and nervousness. So, she recognized that and told me that I didn't need to plaster a smile, but to at least look a little relaxed and more "approachable".

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