Management
Does the Show Ring Matter in the Cow Pasture?
By Burt Rutherford
“We’ve become very efficient about making the cow herd
more efficient; building the end product and doing a great
job from that standpoint with some of the EPDs we’ve had.
But like anything, we can go too far. And having a balance
of phenotypic appraisal and a balance of genetic selection
and emphasis is where we need to be as a whole.”
Good advice, that. But would you be surprised knowing
it came from one of the country’s most highly respected
show cattle judges? Maybe. How about hearing it come
from the director of breed improvements from one of the
nation’s largest beef breed registries? Probably not.
But you may be very surprised
knowing that it came from a person
who is both of those. Shane Bedwell,
cattle judge, judging team coach and
director of breed improvement for the
American Hereford Association.
an impact in your herd, those females you want to
create some longevity with at cull and keep time.”
So, from the top of the pin bone coming down into the
stifle joint, again you want to look for that 45-degree angle.
And just as importantly, the 45-degree angle from this
point down into the hock. “We need that extra give, that
extra angle to create that reaching step, that extra flexibility
to reach out and cover their stride and fill that track.”
The last point is a strong topline. “And I’m not just talking about
showring aesthetics where we want to pick a show animal.
I give you this because over the years trying to train teams,
teaching these angles, it’s fine and
dandy to talk about it on the screen,
but to actually see it, it’s hard.”
What you wa nt
to stay away from
is an animal
that’s too straight
up and down.
First, let’s look at some basic judging
fundamentals. Bedwell says as you
look at the top of the shoulder coming
down to the point of the shoulder,
that should be sloped at 45 degrees,
or close to it. “From the point of the
shoulder to the elbow or top of the
knee, that should be at 45 degrees.
Where we find problems is where we
take this middle part at the point of
the shoulder and we move it back closer to the midpoint of the
body and cause a straight line up and down.”
That creates an angle that gets closer to 90 degrees. “Those
animals are too straight in their front end. They lose mobility.
What’s going to happen to the front toes? They’re going
to grind down because they’re not wearing correctly.
And so, we have some issues from a foot standpoint.”
Looking at the hind quarters, it’s the same thing, he says.
“And this one we maybe don’t talk about as much, but I
think it’s just as important as the front end, particularly
as you go out to select those breeding bulls to make
Two things he found are helpful if
you’re just trying to determine if your
animals are correct in their structure
is to look at the topline and the head.
“And I’m not necessarily saying they
have to be perfect in their topline, but
when animals are too straight in their
shoulder, they’re going to roach up
in their back a lot of times. Or there
will be some deviations in their back.”
In addition, an animal will drop its
head if it’s too straight in the front
end because it’s physically hard and a little more painful
to get their neck and head above the top of their shoulder.
“So, as you look at an animal travel and walk, look for a
consistent topline versus one that doesn’t bow up and roach
up. A little bit of dip, a little bit of weakness is OK. I have
seen very few animals that are weak in their topline that are
straight runners. That usually doesn’t go together,” he says.
“The other thing I look at if I’m trying to figure out if this
animal is a little too straight running, are their hocks
not quite right? Look at how they fill their track. So,
the back legs should go where the front foot made an
indention in the soil. So, if their topline is messed up, if
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