Beef Cattle Discovery: Judging Presentations

Presentations

Written Reasons

Angus Heifers - Eric Schafer

My alignment of the Angus heifers is 3-2-4-1. In a close top pair of just more genuine brood cow prospects, I started with the stoutness and power found in 3. She is the bolder, deeper ribbed heifer that is set wider from hooks back and pins down. While still being angular off of both ends of her skeleton and moving about with comfort and flex. Now the look and maternal build is found in 2. She’s the smooth shouldered, flat jointed heifer that has the best profile. But she’s just too flat, narrow and one dimensional to compete with my class winner.

However, in the middle that’s just not the case. Not only does she hold more width and dimension from behind but she’s the heifer that is more maternal in her sweep from flank to forerib. While still being better in her blend from neck back through her shoulder and agile when on the go. Sure 4 does resemble her type and kind, and her structure and build will do just fine in the pasture. But she’s also the narrowest, flattest heifer of the trio that lacks the look or dimension needed to get into the top pair.

Still on bottom she’s just higher quality. Not only is she set leveler from hooks to pins, but she’s easily smoother and neater about her front ⅓ and far better from the profile. While being broodier through her center body and being more flexible up front. Now for what it’s worth, there is some added width and dimension found in one. But she’s just the plain, coarse and straight heifer in class that’s far too hard in her body type, bold in her shoulder and deep in her chest to get off bottom on my card.

Written Reasons

Commercial Heifers - Will Banks

I like the Commercial Heifers 1324.

I'll always buy into cattle that combine structural quality, with a maternal rib and body; from a brood cow basics standpoint the smoke female is here to win. Not only is she the boldest ribbed, stoutest hipped heifer , but throw in her most desirable hip and hind leg and I read her to be built for the long haul. Make no mistake, my class winner isn't perfect. She's a notch heavier conditioned, and that's where I prefer the baldy female. The greener conditioned female is more fresh and juvenile in the shape to her head and neck. Still, her condition works to her disadvantage. The tighter hearted and flanked female's best days are as a heavy bred.

Even so, there's no denying her more practical brood cow look over 3 in the middle. She's by some margin more feminine and attractive, specifically through the front third of her body, but where I truly prefer her over 2 is her structural build. She's much more relaxed in the angle to her shoulder and knee, and the bigger yet more correct footed female hits the surface more secure in her hind leg. Sure, the 2 female is softer through her flank, but rib isn't the only essential thing in making a cow. As I study her at the surface she's the most incorrect in her foot shape, and is rocked too far forward in the angle to her shoulder. Structurally, there's changes that have to be made before I deem this one truly maternal.

Still in a bottom pair of females that need to be modified in different ways to better suit commercial cattle production needs. Although I’m not comfortable with her structure, I still prefer the softer rib shape and natural width found within the 2 female. Yes the brown tinged female is as high performing as any, and reads correct in her front foot shape. But what true value does this hold when she’s the flattest made, narrowest female whose kind isn't what I want in my cow herd.

Written Reasons

Red Angus Heifers – Wyatt Banks

I like the Red Angus Heifers 1423

In my initial decision I opted for the broody, maternal build and genuine cow power that the 1 heifer brings to the table. Her width at the ground translates to her bold center body, working the most arch and curvature to her rib cage, as well as dropping the deepest most productive flank. But as I step behind her is where she truly makes her stand, being the widest from hooks to pins.

Make no mistake, the darker headed and switched heifer has sure got some unique pieces that catch your eye from the profile. That's the biggest boned and more importantly footed option, who ties a sleeker neck higher out the topside of her shoulder.

However, she works herself into second once asked to lead, being the straighter, rounder shouldered heifer that wants to fight the halter, which I think is a direct product of needing more flex to her hock and rear pastern.

Sorting her into my intermediate discussion, where despite these criticisms, I prefer her look and balance from the side over 2. To keep it brief; I believe if you take her added extension and bone work and protect it with a better bodied, freer moving bull she should offer more generating potential.

Sure, the 2 heifer is more angular up front, and while not attractive in the build to her hip and hind leg, she's the more comfortable heifer that works more give at the ground.

In the same breath, she's the narrowest, flattest bodied and hipped heifer that needs more width all the way through.

Bringing me to a contrasting final pair of females, where I still read the 2 heifer as the more practical individual whose deeper and softer center body should require less inputs while in production.

There's no doubt that the stouter featured 3 heifer is bolder ribbed and bigger topped.

Quite frankly, it doesn't compensate for the fact that the short necked heifer is the tightest about her heart and flank, being the harshest made female, that regardless of showman is the plainest in her look.

Written Reasons

Simmental Heifer Calves - Adrian Austin

I liked the Simmental Heifers 2413.

2 reads as the maternal, easy keeping option with the most cow power. Here’s the good bodied, stout hipped female that is heavy boned and big footed, while still being the surest at the ground and the most correct in her structure. She’s a smooth shouldered, clean jointed heifer that’s the most comfortable in the set to her pastern. I admit, 4 is an attractive, feminine heifer that’s refined in the shape to her neck and she stays more collected in her topline on the go. Still, the heavier naveled heifer that’s frailer and smaller footed is lighter dimensioned. She’s flatter ribbed and narrower made.

Even so, her added female quality and balance keep her over 1 in my middle decision. She’s more striking in her presence. On the profile, the more up headed, neater necked heifer is more relaxed in the angle to her shoulder and attractive in her hind leg set. I realize, 1 has more mass and power. The stouter boned heifer has more natural dimension up high and is stouter pinned. Nonetheless, that power comes at the sacrifice of look. This is the plainer headed, deeper chested heifer that’s rounder hipped.

Yet, in a final decision of heifers that both strike me as lower quality, I’ll side with 1’s maternal volume. Simply put, this is the easier fleshing, better bodied heifer that has more true power. Now sure, 3 may give an impression of being more feminine- she is more refined in the shape to her head and neck. But this doesn’t change the fact that she’s still a straight shouldered, tight hearted heifer that’s the flattest and frailest.

Written Reasons

Limousin Bulls - Will Banks

I like the Limousin Bulls 4132.

There's a bull up top who's got the right kind of build in tandem with a unique power to work on a multitude of cow bases, and it’s where I find the 4 bull to start. He's not only the boldest and most powerful through his center body, but throw in his structurally correct build and I think he becomes the most exciting source for producing quality seed-stock that can capture the attention of buyers. There's no denying that the 1 bull is longer and more extended from forerib back to flank, and I’m comfortable saying he's more attractive yet still masculine up front. Still the shallower flanked, tighter hearted bull needs more rib and body to rival my class winner.

But it's truly in the middle where I find the most room for discussion, still its 1 over 3. More specifically the cleaner jointed bull is more relaxed and attractive in his build through his shoulder and knee, and it's even more impressive that the biggest yet most corrected footed bull hits the surface comfortable and collected when set into motion. Now there's something to be said for the cleaner sheathed 3 bull, as his powerful and robust kind should give him the opportunity to produce heavier muscled, bigger topped calves that accelerate in the feedlot. However, I read his power to also work to his disadvantage; the plainer, open shouldered bull tends to drop his head and roll his pins when in motion, which could be a product of the build to his hind leg.

Even so I like his added power and substance over 2 on the bottom. In simple terms he reads more masculine and rugged in his design. Make no mistake, the 2 bull is more attractive and functional in the build to his hind leg. But if were weighing out the positives, he studies as the flattest made, narrowest constructed bull, and his kind isn't what I’d like to replicate in my offspring.

Written Reasons

Market Steers - Renee Stohlmann

3124 is my alignment of the Market Steers.

In my initial decision of product driven steers I decided to start with the calf who best combines the fundamentals of a market animal. 3 was the higher performing option who should have the best tandem of finish and muscle. He offered more natural width up top and as a bonus he was more correct in his visual indicators of finish, thus I believe that he should have the advantage of tapping into both sides of the grid.

Now I’ll admit that the short switched steer was more uniform about his depth from forerib to flank.

However, he was the short and compact steer that I’d like to see take a longer stride.

Moving onto my intermediate decision between two contrasting types from a terminal standpoint, I sided with the leaner designed option who was truer and more natural in his overall shape. Thus, leading me to believe that he would hang a carcass with a higher red meat yield.

I understand that 2 was heavier structured and bigger footed.

But he was coarser jointed, causing him to be more restricted when pulled to lead, and he is stale about his finish.

Coming down to my final pair of white face steers who both raise red flags from a composition standpoint, I still easily side with 2 as he is more advanced in his finish allowing him to have a better chance at grading choice which also gave him that easier feeding look. He has more overall shape and dimension with more depth to his flank and he stands to the ground with more natural width.

Sure, when viewed from the profile 4 does offer more extension.

But still I keep him in fourth as he is unbalanced being tighter in his forerib, and what is more concerning is he offers the least amount of terminal value.

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Beef Cattle Discovery: Judging Presentations

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Beef Cattle Discovery Navigation

College Resources

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Scott Radcliffe
Department Chair

College Resources

Contact Information

Scott RadcliffeDepartment Chair

Search the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Beef Cattle Discovery: Judging Presentations

Beef Cattle Discovery: Judging Presentations

Beef Cattle Discovery: Judging Presentations

Presentations

Quick Links

Beef Cattle Discovery Navigation

College Resources

Contact Information

Scott RadcliffeDepartment Chair

Scott Radcliffe
Department Chair

Scott Radcliffe
Department Chair