That's right, I'm talking about Livestock Judging! A contest that I have loved my entire life...well at least since I was 8. Growing up with a Dad who judged livestock his entire life and now coaches, being on a team wasn't a question...it was a matter of how soon can we start. My Dad began instilling in me the principles of "evaluating livestock" since the day I was born...
Growing up on a family farm means the WHOLE family is involved. I guess you could say Dad was ultimately in charge, but Mom and all of us children were the workforce. I will never forget the days waking up at sunrise to a hot breakfast on the table and then packing my little yellow backpack full of toys and books and games and out the door we'd go. I'd take my backpack full of treasures everywhere. What else is a girl to do while riding in the tractor with Mom for hours upon end? (Play with my dolls and animals, and read stories, and sing songs of course!) Well, before too long I quickly outgrew the backpack and officially became an integral part of our operation. I moved up to jobs such as bucket filler, gate opener, cow counter, grease monkey, hay mower, raker, and baler, first-calf heifer all night long watcher, tractor driver, and the list goes on and on.
With livestock a main part of our farm, being able to pick out high quality livestock is an essential part in running our business. I quickly learned a "good" cow from a "bad" cow and the same for pigs and sheep. And this is where livestock judging became my passion. At the age of 8, I was finally old enough to join the Centralia 4-H Club and compete on the county's livestock judging team. A livestock judging team typically consists of 4 members who individually judge classes of livestock and then give an oral presentation called reasons on why they placed the class the way they did. While intimidating at first, it became exhilarating and something I will forever love. I competed on livestock judging teams throughout 4-H and FFA, competing locally, state-wide, nationally, and even over seas at an international contest. With this passion inside of me, the highest level of competition lies in Collegiate Livestock Judging team, where colleges all across the United States compete.
As Junior in college, it is officially my time to give it my all! The University of Missouri's Livestock Judging team began practicing this fall and will compete through the fall of 2012. We are 10 members strong and full of enthusiasm. Our first out of state trip to a practice contest took place this past weekend. All of us team members and our coach piled into a 15-passenger white van and began the trek to Stillwater, Oklahoma. (a new state for this girl!) We spent all of Friday and Saturday evaluating livestock. We got to work-out and practice judging at one of the most elite Angus ranchers in the country, Express Ranches. It was truly amazing to see their operation and all of the years of excellence they have created.
I am more than thrilled for the year ahead of us, both in competing at contests and experiencing livestock operations all across the country! Let the journey begin.
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