Husfeld at Ft. Worth 2018

[Jive Turkey]

Is he doing any better thus far this year?

 

[Gargan]

(pop)

 

[Tallcool1]

I got a report from a friend that was down there.  He said it was a "shit show from the beginning".  Couldn't believe the number of bucked over cattle he put in sale holes.

It is so hard to tell from watching videos and looking at show ring photos.  We had a steer in Denver, and the photos and videos did those cattle absolutely no justice.

I am sure others that exhibited down there will weigh in soon enough.

 

[Gargan]

http://pulse.sullivansupply.com/fort-worth-stock-show-market-steer-drive/

I would imagine there was several  calves in each division that was better structured and more complete than the ones in the video. The champ and reserve had basically nothing in common except for the young gentlemen on the halter wearing cowboy hats  <cowboy>

 

[Tallcool1]

http://pulse.sullivansupply.com/fort-worth-stock-show-market-steer-drive/

I would imagine there was several  calves in each division that was better structured and more complete than the ones in the video. The champ and reserve had basically nothing in common except for the young gentlemen on the halter wearing cowboy hats  <cowboy>

I saw the same thing you did as far as the top 2 steers not really fitting together.  Again, I wasn't there so it is difficult to really judge a show based on a 2 minute video.  Maybe those were the best 2 and didn't necessarily need to fit together?  Who knows.  It is cattle showing.  Sometimes it just doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[Gargan]

I agree.  I'm sure it's overwhelming too, sorting through that many steers. I don't envy the judge  (thumbsup)

 

[oneepi]

Just a few comments concerning Ft. Worth 2018.  Husfeld may be ok with smaller show when he can take his time and evaluate the cattle.  Husfeld is out of his league when it comes to judging show cattle at a Major.  I spoke with several exhibitors (sale slots and non sale slots).  All said the same thing, Judge looked only at front part of calf (legs, shoulder, neck) to pull cattle on the walk.  I guess he thought he could tell one was sound just by looking at the front end, which explains why the randomness of his classes.  This also explains his 2017 reserve exotic steer, which was good up front but was horrible off his hind legs, and when I say horrible, yes he was horrible, walked stiff legged and both outside of his frame.  Yes, he might get a few good ones out there but most were left leaving the ring.  The Fort Worth selection committee should be embarrassed with his judging technique regardless of what they were trying to do by selecting him as a judge.  It's one thing to go outside of the norm, it's another to get someone that is not adequate.  I only hope this was the last time I will ever have to see Husfeld judge market steers.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Just a few comments concerning Ft. Worth 2018.  Husfeld may be ok with smaller show when he can take his time and evaluate the cattle.  Husfeld is out of his league when it comes to judging show cattle at a Major.  I spoke with several exhibitors (sale slots and non sale slots).  All said the same thing, Judge looked only at front part of calf (legs, shoulder, neck) to pull cattle on the walk.  I guess he thought he could tell one was sound just by looking at the front end, which explains why the randomness of his classes.  This also explains his 2017 reserve exotic steer, which was good up front but was horrible off his hind legs, and when I say horrible, yes he was horrible, walked stiff legged and both outside of his frame.  Yes, he might get a few good ones out there but most were left leaving the ring.  The Fort Worth selection committee should be embarrassed with his judging technique regardless of what they were trying to do by selecting him as a judge.  It's one thing to go outside of the norm, it's another to get someone that is not adequate.  I only hope this was the last time I will ever have to see Husfeld judge market steers.

Did he get the top 2 steers right?

 

[oneepi]

At Fort Worth, I would say that most of the time there are at least 10-20 steers that can win the show, depending on the judge.  The 2 steers Husfeld used were good steers, they were different but good steers.  Husfeld was tuned in too much to the front feature on the cattle to adequately get fat steers into the sale slot.  This may be what Fort Worth wanted with this judge selection, I just hope they don't do it again in the near future.  I would have much rather seen Kevin Jensen, Jarrold Callahan, Mark Hoge, Dan Shike or even Bedwell judge, but that is me.

 

[WT]

I think we're all just happy it's over with and now we can concentrate on San Antonio lol.

I was only able to watch a handful of classes (maybe 10 total?) so I can't really comment on the Herfs or the first couple of AOB. Just like last year, he was consistently inconsistent and a lot of good cattle were either overlooked or just flat out not even seen. Two examples I can think of were when he was cleaning crap off his boot with a paper towel in Class 9 AOB and four steers walked in without getting so much as a glance. The other was when he was busy talking to one of the ring stewards and had his back turned to the entry gate. One steer walked past and never slowed down and the next young lady was actually paying attention and stopped dead in her tracks until he turned back around. I saw a couple of the members here down in Moncrief so I'm sure they'll have more input. I'll agree that he chose cattle on the front view as they were coming in but most that I saw were pulled on the profile. Either way, he didn't get an honest view of them traveling even though he was a self declared "stickler for structural integrity".

I've seen Mr. Husfeld sort cattle before and he's pretty well respected in a couple of breeds but I think a show of this magnitude is better suited for someone with more experience on the market side of the industry.

 

[WT]

[/quote]
Did he get the top 2 steers right?
[/quote]

That's always debatable. There are always a solid two dozen that are in the hunt but at the end of the day he picked two that were very good. I've seen the Reserve steer a time or two and it fits the bill as a "typical" Bonham steer. Good fronted, good feet, and plenty of rib shape. The Champ was right in front of us in the make up ring and was no doubt a solid steer.

 

[Mainevent]

My two cents, if he is such a stickler on structure and all he chose off was their front end he is a moron. I would say a good 2/3s of the cattle pulled were structurally wrecks on their front ends. The guy from the word GO was a goose lost in a pond of ducks. He continually struggled to find good ones consistently, struggled to accurately describe cattle and almost sounded like he had one set of reasons and used identifiers for the cattle he used. A guy that hasn't judged many steers or at all shouldn't be even a consideration for one the largest most competitive steer shows in the country. He felt of show steers like they were the pillsbury doughboy and consistently talked of carcass traits you would have not an idea about until they are hangin on the rail. FWSSR should be appalled that their show has turned into the joke it has become this year but sadly they do not care.

 

[Bradenh]

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/the-big-show/2017-ft-worth-steer-judge/

I can read your fortunes for 5 dollars I believe show stopper called this

 

[chambero]

I have a few distinct thoughts on this one with specific examples:

The overall impression we have of him would have been a lot better if they took his microphone away and just let him talk to himself.  He made himself sound like an idiot with his reasons:

• He pulled many calves over the last two years that were completely locked up on the backend.  He invariably talked about how sound those individuals were. He went out of his way to find one in his lt wt angus class this year and actually moved the animal up to 2nd.  The reserve exotic last year was easily the most crippled up calf on the backend I've ever seen place at a major.  I'm convinced he doesn't know how a steer is supposed to walk.  I'm actually ok with a judge that doesn't care if a steer can walk good - I think we tend to overemphasize it.  But don't call one of those sound.
• I think he massacred the Herefords and polleds again this year.  But overall, he did a better job this year than last.  I think I figured out what his primary triggers for pulling a calf were:  had to be very pretty necked, put a lot of emphasis on length (last year to the detriment of depth, not as bad this year), and generally had to be a show steer.  For whatever reason, "tree trunk legs" scared him off.  I saw many a good calf hit the gate in exotics if their legs were overdone.  You had to clip those legs down tight.
• I've never seen a judge poke at calves with his fingertips when feeling of them.  But I'm 99% sure when he talked about correct finish he meant not too fat.  I branded a Class 9 last year that would never have been fat enough for most judges.  In fact I pulled the calf out of the sale and showed him in Houston because I didn't consider him "done".
• Most of the calves he pulled were really good calves, it's BS to say otherwise.  But there would always be one or two in each class that made you scratch your head.  Most of the "good ones" that hit the gate, especially this year, were ones the fitters didn't adapt to the judge and clip them a little tighter.  Or they were just flat out too fat.  If you ever actually butcher and eat one of these things yourself it's hard to say he's wrong about that.  Most judges want steers way too fat nowadays.
• It's always fun to listen to folks raise hell about the Ft Worth judge.  We like every other judge.  We hated Mark Johnson.  Before that we hated the guy from Colorado that judged before Jensen.  In between, we liked Jensen and Shike.  Reality is its a hell of a touch show and good ones are always going to get missed.  I just hated listening to this one talk

I don't know what this says about me, but this is the first judge that I branded every calf (3)my boys showed in front of them.  I had two 6ths last year (Class 8 & 9) and 3rd in Class 5 this year.  All three calves did well enough everywhere else we went with them all year.

And I'm extremely pissed at the Class 5 winner this year that weighed out by 126 lbs.  Chickenshits...