State 4-H/FFA Livestock Judging Contest

March 20, 2010
UF HTU, Gainesville

The information below (and linked) was for the 2009 event and has not been updated for 2010. However, many of the details are similar year to year, so this may be used as a reference. Check back here as the event draws closer for more current information.

 -State 4-H Livestock Judging Results, 2008 (pdf)

The 2009 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest will be held April 4 at the covered arena of the UF Horse Teaching Unit in Gainesville. Check-in for 4-H is at 8:30 a.m. and everyone should be seated in the stands and ready to begin by 9:15. Awards will be presented at roughly 4:00 p.m. that afternoon after discussion of the classes. The contest will consist of 8 placing classes, plus keep-cull gilts, keep-cull heifers, feeder cattle evaluation, and fed cattle evaluation. Questions will be asked on two of the placings classes, oral reasons will be given on two, and one of the selection (keep-cull) classes will be a team activity.

Each county may enter one senior team (14 and over as of September 1, 2008) of three or four members. Preregistration is required by March 30. The winning team is eligible to compete at the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest in Louisville, KY (November). The second place team may compete at the Western Nationals in Denver, CO (January). Awards will be presented to the top individuals and teams in beef, swine, evaluation/selection, and questions/reasons as well as the highest individuals and teams overall.

An entry fee of $25 per team is required at preregistration. Checks should be written to "Florida 4-H Foundation". Contestants and one coach per team will be provided with a mid-morning snack and lunch. Additional adults may purchase lunch tickets at $5 each. Please indicate on the entry form how many additional adults would like to have lunch and include their $5 with the entry fee. Preregistered counties will be listed here so you can check to confirm that your entry has been received.

Copies of the judging cards can be found here. Hopefully, all of you have seen them by now, but we want to make sure everyone is familiar with how to fill them out correctly. There are repeatedly a surprising number of cards that have the team/individual numbers not darkened in, class placings darkened incorrectly (for example, placed 1-2-3-1), or number choice boxes circled, checked, or marked in another way instead of being darkened within the lines. Please be sure that your team members are familiar with the cards and know how to fill them out correctly. Cards filled out incorrectly may be discarded and zero scores awarded. To help everyone be familiar with the cards, a section of this website gives examples and explanations on filling out each card correctly.

There are plenty of motels in the area. Any of the motels on the Archer Road exit, Williston Road exit, or South 13th Street would be convenient.

Typical classes include:

• 4 market classes (beef, swine, and/or lamb)
• 4 breeding classes (beef, swine, and/or sheep)
• 2 keep/cull classes with performance records (beef and/or swine consisting of 8 animals)
• 2 evaluation classes (feeder cattle, frame/muscle; fed cattle, Quality & Yield grades)

 

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