Grand Champion - whatchya'll think?

[milkmaid]

I was offered the position of photographer for the livestock at the county fair this year, took the pics this morning, and since I have all the pics on my camera... , thought I'd see what the general consensus from ya'll was on the Grand Champion steer. Judge is a feedlot fellow. Steer finished at 1370-something pounds.

 

[ollie']

How was the quality of the show? How many head?

 

[ollie']

The reason I ask is the steer has quite a bit of work and polish but isn't a very good steer to start with phenotypically.

 

[milkmaid]

Somewhere between 15 and 20, I don't recall off hand. The fellow's been judging this show for several years and I remember when he first started he handed out mostly reds -- said the steers weren't finished. Afterwards, some buyers at the sale insisted their purchases be fed out for another 30 days. :shock: That was about 3 years ago. The quality's been improving every year but he still sent about 5 out with reds. I barely made it in time yesterday to watch the Quality class.

Here's the Reserve... my apologies, not all pictures are created equal. :lol: Grand Champ in Quality does not equal Grand Champ in Showmanship. Both steers were owned by the same family - brother and sister. Reserve was 1310-something?

 

[ollie']

Do you remember the reasons he gave MM? In my opinion he missed it between these two steers. Pictures don't always tell the whole story though.

 

[milkmaid]

He felt they were finished the best of the steers there -- spent more time talking this year than he did last year. Showed where he was looking for fat deposits - cod, brisket, tailhead, etc - I picked out the red quality ones at the start (glad I guessed right on something; the top 5 I couldn't make up my mind which I thought was best, LOL.)

Here was one of the first ones out -- he just wasn't finished.

And he didn't like the roan's conformation or finish quite as well as the black's. Roan here was about #6 from the top.

(And I promise I have better pictures -- I'm just trying to use the ones that I can crop the kids out of. I'm keeping people and county fair name out of these pics.)

What would you change about the two black steers, ollie? I get the impression you'd change them conformationally -- where?

 

[milkmaid]

Oh -- and I ought to add -- I didn't have a steer in the fair this year, and obviously you cannot hurt MY feelings with your comments, so feel free to fire at will, folks! :lol:

 

[ollie']

The champion steer needs more thickness. He is short rumped (from front to back) and has a short quarter (from top to bottom) The thing I dislike about him most is his tight flank. He's weak in the loin and week in the chime bone area. His neck attaches too low in the shoulder , he has too much brisket, and he's too strait shouldered (not enough slope). He's also not too good legged or he might just be real uncomfortable in the front and the tight loin and flank makes him set his legs in the back way too far back naturally.

The reserve steers rump slopes too much from front to back. He has more style though. His neck attaches higher and he's upheaded with a longer , nicer neck and head. He's more comfortable in the shoulder . He's not as fat but shows plenty of doability to me and is finished I think or at least close. He could be more level topped and overall have more mass but he's decent. At least I like his expansion through the flank area.
Both of them could be fitted better but for juniors you can see they tried. The roan steer is too pony hipped for me and he's dull looking. The light steer just didn't get enough feed to tell much about him.

 

[ollie']

The kid showing the light steer has a mother that sure knows how to starch a pair of britches.

 

[Aero]

seems like the only award for a finished steer should be a carcass contest.

the top steer looks pretty bad to me.

 

[Ryan]

Do you remember the reasons he gave MM? In my opinion he missed it between these two steers. Pictures don't always tell the whole story though.

Just from the pictures i thought the same thing.

 

[Pooog1]

There isn't much competition here. I would say this is a nice show for 4-H kids without the steer jockeys. They really need more conditioning and fitting. These kids would do well to have someone come and help them out. I can't believe you can see ribs on a show steer! I really do like that the kids can show their steers and not be totally outclassed by one another. It gives them all a chance which is nice, but they should get some help.

 

[MikeC]

I think they had the show about 60 days too early. :lol:

 

[*Cowgirl*]

I think they had the show about 60 days too early.

Agreed
I would have picked the Res. over the Grand, but I don't really like either of them.
The grand needs more muscle and has a really short rump that looks out of proportion I think he's also a bit on the shallow side. He's just not real nice to look at.

 

[jaydill]

I think they had the show about 60 days too early.

Agreed
I would have picked the Res. over the Grand, but I don't really like either of them.
The grand needs more muscle and has a really short rump that looks out of proportion I think he's also a bit on the shallow side. He's just not real nice to look at.

Agreed, with both of ya. I also would've picked the reserve over the grand. Had those three been in my county this year, they would not have been able to compete. Then again, neither was I. :lol:

 

[milkmaid]

Very interesting comments, ya'll! Keep 'em coming. Like I said, can't hurt my feelings and I'm learning a lot from the posts. Interesting comment on having the show 60 days too early... judge said most of these steers could have used at least another 45 days on feed. (That's on the thought that they'd be getting 3% of their body weight per day.) I'd just swap that sentence around -- the kids should have put their steers on feed 60 days earlier.

And you're right, Pooog, it is just a little county 4H show and there sure aren't any professional anybodies here. :lol:

 

[Brandonm2]

"-- the kids should have put their steers on feed 60 days earlier."

I don't know anything about Idaho steer shows and I never had kids so really am not current about what they do around here any more; but "BACK IN THE DAY" the goal was too win the state steer show. All the calves would be not finished enough in the first shows of the season, they would be a little bit better by the county shows, and they would be almost right for the regional shows, hoping to be JUST RIGHT by the state steer show. Maybe the 4H and FFA coaches have em all a little green for your show hoping that the calves that advance on to September and October shows will be just right and not over fat toads. I also don't know how your weather has been; but this summer I would think getting project steers to gain 3+ lbs a day would have been extra difficult.

 

[Wewild]

How is that?

 

[bufordall]

I thought the grand and res. photos were mixed up. Yes I would have picked the res. over the grand.

 

[Brandonm2]

How is that?

We both know that ADG goes down in unusually HOT weather. A 4H coach plans for that normal year, NOT 98-99 degrees day after day. Unless you are one of those show jock freaks who can tie the calf off in a barn all day while misters and 48" fans blow on him continuously and his caregiver is standing there adding ice to his drinks, you are going to expect to lose a little ADG versus a normal summer and the calves are going to be a little behind where they normally are. Heck I had another logger pass out in the woods last week (and our total haul was sucky too). Maybe Georgia has been all 82 degree afternoons followed by cooling showers, a gentle breeze, and a gallon of lemonade; but ALabama has been ROUGH!! If I was still in the hog biz in NC, our finishing floor death losses would be sky rocketing in this mess.