What ever happened to honest judges

[DTW]

Yesterday i find out that the judge judging our county fair today called a person this week to ask who he needed to put up at our county fair.  Then talking to another guy a county fair east of here the judge put up for grand and reserve two calfs he had sold.  Maybe those were the best two calfs there i dont know.

It is getting pretty bad when some of these young or some of the older ones just look at the halter.  I know this has gone on for years but i actually think it is getting worse than it ever was.  I have to blame the parents of these judges as well for not teaching their children ethics and doing things for the right reason but that is a huge issue in every business anymore. 

I know the judge that judges are show today i will never attend or purchase anything from their club calf sale or production sale.

But the judges that judge the cattle and not the halters the big time people in the business make sure they dont get hired or if they do they compain enough so the show doesnt get them back the following year. 

I never mind getting beat if you get beat by a better calf and the judge can justify he reasons.  Saw a county fair last saturday and the judge placed the cattle exactly the way i would have and gave great reasons for his placements. 

I dont even have anything at this county fair today but will watch and see how he does. 

 

[iowabeef]

I guess the best way to improve this is to start a list of quality judges who do their job well.  Having travelled all over the state showing, I have found few better than Jara Settles from Hoskins, Neb.  She is young but outstanding in every detail.  Her reasonings are presice and to the point.  She can see through showing tricks and isn't afraid to comment on that in the ring.  She knows and picks good cattle......hire this young judge often, you won't be disappointed.

 

[olsun]

It is not my intent to start a fight, but I believe the other thread was pulled not because someone was critical of a judge, but because there were names mentioned. This is a great board, and there is little reason to get nasty or personal. That said, the point of a show is to get that judges opinion. If you don't like the judge, or respect his opinion, stay home. It is after all only his opinion on that day. You are welcome  to disagree, as I often do, but if they aren't paying for my opinion, I should not dis the judge. An old friend and showman once told me that if you haul an animal often enough, it will get rolled. Move on, there are other judges. JMO

 

[aj]

Wouldn't an honest judge who cared about the beef industry.....start by throwing out all genetic defect carrier animals?

 

[advocate]

@aj really on visual inspection erroneous on all accounts

 

[advocate]

And more than likely they win because they are stouter hairier and cooler to look at at least the th cattle

 

[The Show]

I've only had that happen to me one time, and it was at a points show years ago. Our cattle had too much power, were too deep, and too long. We went to eat after the show and the kid who won was eating lunch with the judge. That's the honest to God truth!

My favorite judge of all times is Jim Williams from V8. He doesn't hold anything back, and you better be able to show because it will effect your placing.

 

[BGF]

What about just listing those judges names so the rest of the world will maybe quit hiring them.  However, you better have evidence, like have the person they actually called verify, and document the calf sale type things.  Just have evidence and facts, not hear say is all I ask.

 

[ranch4profit]

Yesterday i find out that the judge judging our county fair today called a person this week to ask who he needed to put up at our county fair.  Then talking to another guy a county fair east of here the judge put up for grand and reserve two calfs he had sold.  Maybe those were the best two calfs there i dont know.

It is getting pretty bad when some of these young or some of the older ones just look at the halter.  I know this has gone on for years but i actually think it is getting worse than it ever was.  I have to blame the parents of these judges as well for not teaching their children ethics and doing things for the right reason but that is a huge issue in every business anymore. 

I know the judge that judges are show today i will never attend or purchase anything from their club calf sale or production sale.

But the judges that judge the cattle and not the halters the big time people in the business make sure they dont get hired or if they do they compain enough so the show doesnt get them back the following year. 

I never mind getting beat if you get beat by a better calf and the judge can justify he reasons.  Saw a county fair last saturday and the judge placed the cattle exactly the way i would have and gave great reasons for his placements. 

I dont even have anything at this county fair today but will watch and see how he does. 

  you must be new to junior livestock shows.  what ever happened to honest judges?  welcome to politics.  It has been this way for ever.  Maybe your post on this website can fix the problem.

 

[LostFarmer]

I had an interesting thing happen this last year.  A girl in a neighboring county, actually neighboring state as well, had finished way down the pack for years in the pigs.  Last year her pig missed the weight limit and didn't make the sale.  This spring I was talking to her mom and she asked what we did for pigs.  I told her a little and offered to help the girl.  This is her last year and she wanted to be competitive.  I set up a time to go to the breeders and look for a her a pig.  In the end because of weather and she being involved in student government and the like she was unavailable that day.  I brought her the 2 best $150 pigs I could get that would make her weight without a lot of holding or pushing.  I went up to her place a couple of times to coach and helped her a little with feed.  Come to find out the judge was the breeder.  She had never met him.  He never knew where the pigs were headed.  He ended up using her pig for grand.  Today a day after the show I told her that the judge was the breeder and introduced them.  Both parties were surprised and laughed about it but the others in the barn were not laughing.  There are rumors that the show was fixed... and all that.  She never has done well and this year she wins when she buys from the judge.  Reality is she changed it up, got some help, and worked her butt off. 

The fact is we all like a little different type of cattle.  Most people tend to breed the type of animals they like.  Then when asked to judge they will use the type of cattle they like.  As a breeder they sell what they like.  Is it that big of surprise when they same type of cattle that a breeder sell wins when he judges?  Maybe it is politics but it is often as not it is above board. 

I watched the beef show today.  The same judge.  Knowing what he likes I picked the top 2 in each class.  He liked them smooth soft, finished and mobile.  On particular class there was a calf I liked as it came into the ring.  It looked a little stiff on the rear wheels but not too bad.  Then the lined them up on the profile and I loved the calf.  The rear view and I noticed a twisted leg.  The kid was working hard and had shown him out of it but by then it was late in the show and the calf was getting sore.  The judge placed the calf 4th of 7 in the class.  There was a gasp as he pulled the calf and lined him up.  I had the calf in second but noticed the calf take a couple of gimpy steps to the line up.  On the way out of the ring he was visibly lame.  After the show, I heard the father and older brother telling the judge that he was a no good dirty rotten that that calf had never been unsound, that calf won at jackpots and was just fine, they paid $4,500 for the calf a XYZ sale.  I think the calf as it filled out the leg got worse and it became unsound.  The judge stayed consistent and moved hard moving and unsound cattle down.  In the end he used not the most powerful but a right good calf that was finished and sound as his winner.  The girl that won is laid back and just happy to be here.  She did well but winning was not as important as having fun. 

Maybe a different perspective.  LF

 

[forbes family farms]

We don't show to win we go and to our best and be proud, while others think its all about winning and spending the big bucks. Well on Thursday i showed my crossbred steer, we got 3rd out of 9 calves in the class a very competitive class,  also but everyone liked him and i have the cow and the bull it makes me proud that i can do well with something i raised instead of buying someone else's.

The heifer judge no one i talked to could agree with him he said my heifer was to smooth through the shoulder and you want them smooth, don't understand that, she was a very nice feminine heifer.

 

[Ms Ray]

I know that when I showed not beef but sheep and swine there were some honest judges, I had called about getting animals and they would ask where they were going and refused to sell because they were the judge.  I was also talking to a judge at one fair after the show a few years ago after having been out for a few years (about fitting) part way threw our discussion it came up where the fair was he said I m the judge and we ended the conversation.  There are some good honest judges,

 

[tama]

I know sometimes people just need to vent.And normally I dont even read after post gets to that negative approach but this post sent me to thinking.We just finished County fai.For our county huge increase in mumbers horses had to double up on space swine barn full, beef spilled into dairy barn,dairy numbers highest in 20 years,cow/calf and pen of 3 completly full just a great time!I watched/helped kids at beef show and heard no complaints on judge at all.That in itsself is rare but I was of same opinion judge did a great job!Showmanship classes he talked to every exhibtor before they left ring.Not makiing this personal so no names etc but I appreaciate his effort!Also have other county fairs had the same resurgance?
   

 

[knabe]

what ever happened to honest people?  it doesn't matter what the profession, the ratio seems about the same.

it is foolish to think that raising people to a profession somehow changes them.

 

[Jacob B]

I always thought that if I worked hard enough and my cattle looked that much better than the one in front of me, then it wouldn't dissapoint me.  Because I always thought it would be just plain embaresing to the judge that tried to justify picking one that was just plain not good enough to beat mine anywhere else on any other day.  Haven't had that happen too many times.  Just make sure yours is just that much better than the next guys, you'll get yours when people come back to you asking to buy next years calf crop and not the other guys.

 

[afhm]

You mean at one point in time there were honest judges?

 

[aj]

What about referee's. After a junior college basketball game I saw a coach and the refs at the same table. I overheard the order and it was "long island ice teas" all the way around. ;D

 

[aj]

And I forgot to mention that they had teed him up earlier with a technical. I think they all lived in the same town.

 

[mark tenenbaum]

The same thing that happened to honest politicians, used car salesmen ,and certain so-called sale mgr-consultants O0

 

[SouthWest]

I believe many beef judges are out of touch with the beef industry.  They do not represent it anymore.  If I was incharge of selecting a judge for a show, I would start by asking when is the last time the visited a packing house.  When was the last time you seen cattle on the rail?  Have you seen a current cattle contract or a grid?  If the have, I believe they would select cattle that represent what packers and consumers are asking for.  Too many times I see judges pick animals that represent the show industry instead.  The pick cattle that would sell good as calves or within the show industry.  This is not the true Beef Industry.