Let the Chips Fall
By: Denton Dowell
We have all been at
shows where we don’t agree with the judge who sorts the livestock. Am I a
guilty party of being mad and talking trash about the judge? Yes, I am guilty. Nobody
can prove if a show is “rigged” or not. With
that said, I feel like this is something that everybody in the livestock
showing industry needs to be told. So here are my suggestions on how to go to
the show and feel good about what you are doing.
First thing to do is to
buy the best animal you can afford. If you can afford a thirty-thousand-dollar
steer and you think he is the best, then pull the trigger. If you can only
afford a five-hundred-dollar sheep, go and find the best five-hundred-dollar
sheep you can find. Within this part of the livestock season, we must also
remember that the most expensive isn’t always the best one.
Second thing to do is
to be sure to do your homework. You will never win a show by not working at the
barn. In my opinion, the banner is not won at the stock show, but it is won at
home. The person who is out there working hair, walking pigs, setting up show
lambs before day light during the school year and on every Saturday night in
the summer is the one who has the best chance to win. Also, you must feed to
the best of your ability. I don’t care if you feed HighNoon, ShowTec, or Jimmy
Joe’s finisher ration from the local feed mill. Here is the trick to feeding
folks: Get on a program, stay on a program, understand your program. Just
because the person who wins a major stock show is feeding a different brand of
feed than you are don’t run out and buy that feed thinking you will win just by
feeding it.
Third, at the stock
show, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I know people see the show jocks as
cocky and stuck up. But here is a little secret, they are they to help kids and
win at the end of the day. If you go up and ask someone for help my bet is that
almost all of them will do what they can do to help you. With that said, think
about when to ask. If you go over and
ask someone for help and you see they have seven head of sheep in the next
class don’t be surprised if they tell you no. However, the night before the
show is a good time to say, “Hey I need some help showing, can you help me for
just a minute?” I bet you nine times out
of ten, you’ll get a yes from anyone you ask in that barn.
Fourth, show the animal
to show off the best qualities and hide the worst. If you know your steer isn’t
quite fat enough turn his head to you a little to make it feel like he is. If
your pig is super wide chested and wide going away, then be sure you take that
truck and drive it right at the judge. These little tricks are not cheating;
they are knowing what you have and knowing how to show off your animal that you
have spent countless hours with.
Lastly, be
realistic. We all get barn blind. It
just happens. We have to be smart enough to look out at the animals in the
class and say, “Hey we just got beat.” And you know what? There is nothing wrong with that. Every
single person will get beat. Whether you are in the show ring or in life. It is
part of it. This is one thing all our youth needs to learn and lean fast.
I really feel if you do
these five things, you will be ok in the show ring. Don’t get caught up about
what certain judges want. Just haul a good one to them and let the chips fall.
If you win be happy. If you get beat, then learn from it. And at the end of the
day remember this is one person’s opinion on one day. This industry doesn’t need nasty articles
printed in agriculture publications or nasty text sent to judges.
Should we
be happy when we get beat? No! In the words of General George S. Patton “I
wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughs.” But, what we can
do is learn from it figure out what we need to do differently. And let's remember, we're here to raise good kids, that's what really matters.
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