Livestock team generating results
Sean Comstock, posted March 1, 2007
The 2007 MU Livestock Judging Team recently traveled to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the Sioux Falls Empire Farm Show. The team finished third with Nick Minton and Adam Kautsch placing in the Top Ten.
“This is a phenomenal experience for these students to hone their verbal communication and decision-making skills,” said Chip Kemp, MU Livestock Judging Team coach.
Sioux Falls was one of the 10 to 12 shows that the team will compete at this year. Members also have traveled to Houston and a show in Denver where they competed against 23 universities.
Members are scored on their critique of livestock, according to various criteria such as genetics, environment, growth, nutrition and production.
“We have to give oral reasons, why we placed the class the way we did,” said Brent Versemann, junior animal science major. “We try to paint a picture for the judges about how the cattle look and what each individual animal looks like.”
A student must complete Animal Science 2115 to be eligible to become a member of the Mizzou Livestock Judging Team. It is available to undergraduates who are willing to endure countless hours of training, Kemp explained.
Members are permitted to judge for one year at the collegiate level, beginning in spring with the National Western Junior Collegiate Livestock Judging Contest in Denver and concluding the fall semester at the North American International Livestock Exposition Junior Collegiate Judging Contest in Louisville, Ky.
Judging is more than just marking cards at a contest. “It has, more so, helped my evaluation skills, and made me a better stockman,” said Travis Arp, junior animal science major. “I can apply that to my cattle operation.”
Kemp explained that this has a tremendous impact on future careers and is a tremendous opportunity for the students to interact with people in the field.
The students seem to agree. “Several bosses look for judging on applications because it makes you stand out from the next person and shows what you have done for extracurricular activities,” Versemann said. “Livestock judging is more than just judging; it makes you a better person.”
Yet, the benefits only come after the work has been put in. “It is a lot of work and can be quite time consuming,” Arp said. “However, I’ve made some of my closest friends on the judging team, and have had some great experiences being able to travel around the country to contests, and spending time with my teammates.”
