2014 Mail-in Tournament Month 1: Judging Basics

Evaluating an animal against a common ideal. One persons opinion on that day!

1. Gather information 2. Observation 3. Comparison 4. Conclusion

What type of class is it? o Is this beef, sheep or swine? What will the class be used for? o Is this class for market, feeder or breeding?

Stand back Look from ALL angles Notice big/most prominent features first Take notes

In the same class: o Find the traits each animal has in common o Find differences between the animals

Decide your placing o Choose your top pair o Choose your bottom pair o Then choose your middle pair Once you have decided your placing, fill out your judging card.

Remember when you fill out your judging card, place a large X in the box next to your final class placing. 4-H Clovers CLASS X

Oral Reasons o Express opinions in clear, concise manner o Be accurate and consistent

What are the first questions you should ask before you begin judging? o What type of class is it? o What will the class be used for?

Class 1: This is a class of 4-H Clovers 4-H Clovers are used to help promote the 4-H program.

4123

43 4 is our top choice because it is a complete and accurate 4-H clover. 1 is a 4-H clover, however it is missing a leaf, but is more acceptable than 2. 2 is still shows some signs of the 4-H clover, but is more a 4-H clover than 3 3 is a nice clover, but it does not meet the criteria of a 4-H clover because it is lacking the four Hs and the 18 USC 707 label to make it an official 4-H clover. Therefore, we choose 4 – 1 – 2 – 3 as our final placing. 12 Final placing: 4 – 1 – 2 – 3

What questions did you ask yourself? o What does a 4-H clover look like? Did other 4-Hers have a different placing? Why and/or When would there be different placings? o Perhaps it is because everyone has a different opinion! Would you rank Class 1 differently if you were judging clovers and not 4-H clovers?

Class 2: This is a class of hats. We are judging a class of hats for working outside.

2 cowboy hat 4 winter hat 1 hardhat 3 football helmet

2 cowboy hat 4 winter hat 1 hardhat 3 football helmet The winter hat is our top choice, because it will hold up to the cold January weather. The cowboy hat is practical for eastern Oregon and it wears well during tough work, it just will not be as warm as the winter hat. The hardhat will not be warm, but it will protect from heavy items falling on our head. It is placed towards the bottom, because we do not expect heavy items to fall on our head when working. The football helmet is last, because it offers the least amount of protection to January weather and it is awkward to wear, but it is a nice color. Therefore, we choose 4 – 2 – 1 – 3 as our final placing. Final placing: 4 – 2 – 1 – 3

What questions did you ask yourself? o What would I like to wear outside? Did other 4-Hers have a different placing? o What were some of the questions they asked themselves? Could you see how other people came up with their final placings? o Why or why not? Could you argue some of the points in our oral reasons?

Class 3: This is a class of hats. We are judging a class of hats for sledding.

2 cowboy hat 4 winter hat 1 hardhat 3 football helmet

2 cowboy hat 4 winter hat 1 hardhat 3 football helmet The winter hat is our top choice, because it offers the most protection from the snow and winter wind. The football helmet is our next choice, because if you sled like us, your head will need protection when sliding down steep, slick hills. However, the football helmet would be very uncomfortable to wear, especially when sledding with multiple people. The hardhat is our third choice, because it will offer protection when sledding into trees, but it may not stay on like the football helmet. The cowboy hat is our bottom choice, because our ears are exposed to winter weather and it will absorb the wetness of the snow, but it will stay on our head! Therefore, we choose 4 – 3 – 1 – 2 as our final placing. Final placing: 4 – 3 – 1 – 2

What questions did you ask yourself? o What would I normally wear when sledding? Did other 4-Hers have a different placing? o What were each 4-Hers reasoning for placing the class as they did? o Did 4-Hers end up with similar or different final placings even if they had the same reasoning? Could you come up with a different final placing? o Why or why not?

Class 4: This is a class of shoes. We are judging a class of shoes for working at fair clean-up.

4 High heels 2 Muck boots 1 Tennis shoes 3 Flip flops

The muck boots are a close first for working fair clean-up. They will be able to protect us from water, sawdust or anything else in the barn. The tennis shoes are ranked below muck boots, because they may not be able to protect from all barn elements (dirt and water), but they are more versatile for working in the exhibit halls, in addition to being more comfortable. Flip flops are next because they offer minimal protection from dirt and water and you can easily stub your toe wearing these. However, you will be able to last longer on your feet than in high heels. High heels may protect your toes, but they are not practical to work fair clean- up and be on your feet all day, especially when climbing ladders to hang exhibit hall decorations. Therefore, we choose 2 – 1 – 3 – 4 as our final placing. Final placing: 2 – 1 – 3 – 4 4 High heels 2 Muck boots 1 Tennis shoes 3 Flip flops

Was this an easy class to place? The type of class was pretty broad, would your placing change if the class was more specific to working in the exhibit hall on fair clean-up? o Why or why not? Did other 4-Hers have a different placing?

Present a logical, informative, exciting set of reasons that explain why you ranked the class the way you did.

Accuracy of your statement Thoroughness of your explanation Ability to emphasize most important differences between two animals (top pair, middle pair, bottom pair) Diverse use of vocabulary (livestock, carcass, animal identification) A logical order Term variation Avoid mixing numbers Correct grammar Proper eye contact Correct posture

Familiarize yourself with judging swine: o Parts of the hog o Favorable characteristics for Market Breeding o Undesirable characteristics for Market Breeding