Among the 50,000-plus dairy enthusiasts that flock to Madison, Wis., every October are teams of dairy judges from across the country. Held during World Dairy Expo, the National 4-H and Intercollegiate contests and the International Post-Secondary Contest are the pinnacle of young people’s dairy judging careers. For many, the contest is also a chance to experience the everything-dairy event for the first time.
Behind the scenes of these contests is another team. This team of volunteers makes the contests happen and determines the winners — they are the judges of the dairy judges who officiate the contests.
Dairy judging 101
Dairy judging is not new. A national contest has been held for college teams since 1916 and for 4-H’ers since 1919. The first post-secondary contest came in 1989. Last year across the three divisions, 51 teams from 26 states, Ontario, and the Netherlands competed in these contests in Madison.
The intercollegiate and post-secondary contests at Expo consist of seven cow and five heifer classes. The 4-H contestants judge five classes of each. In each class, contestants rank four animals from most to least desirable based on the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association’s unified scorecard.
Their placings are compared to the official placings established by the judges of the judges, and the contestants earn a score based on how closely they align with the officials. This is determined by deducting the three numerical “cuts” between the placings from a perfect score of 50.
“If a placing on a pair of animals is close in our opinion, the cut will be one or two points,” explained Aaron Horst of Chambersburg, Pa., who topped the 4-H contest at Expo in 2005 and then judged for Virginia Tech. “If it is an easy placing, the cut might be six points. Deductions increase when a contestant’s placings are more than pair switches.”
Contestants must also present oral reasons explaining their placings to the judges one-on-one. A perfect score in reasons is also 50 points per class.
A contestant’s final score is calculated by totaling all class and reasons scores. The top three individual scores for each team are combined for a team total.
Finding consensus
How does one get the job of officiating? “The number one requirement is to have been a contestant,” said Larry Schirm of Laurelville, Ohio, who competed for The Ohio State University in the national contest in 1975 and now coordinates the team of officials at Expo. Officials are recommended by other judges, coaches, and industry professionals based on reputation and experience. They must be willing to dedicate time to the contest and often fund their travel expenses on their own because the job is entirely voluntary.
Keeping the job is also a matter of skill. “A judge’s scores in reasons are analyzed against others who listened to the same contestants that day to identify patterns and ensure favoritism has not been given. We also consider feedback from contestants and coaches. We want consistent, unbiased, and fair officials,” continued Schirm.
The officials work together to provide a good experience for the contestants, noted Horst. “The official placings are a team effort, not the opinion of just one person,” he said.
“After all the breeds are placed, the judges huddle to evaluate the cuts to ensure consistency across the contest,” Horst continued. “Some placings will be easy and some hard, but we want the overall cuts to be harmonious so no one breed heavily influences the contestant’s overall score.”
“The discussion between the judges to reach consensus often makes for memorable moments,” said Schirm. “There are bound to be differences in this setting, and watching the judges themselves defend their placings just like the contestants is an enjoyable experience and builds relationships.”
Many judges return year after year and consider the assignment an annual highlight. For Schirm, who officiated for the first time in 1992 and has missed just one year due to a job conflict, joy comes from watching contestants develop careers postcompetition and take advantage of opportunities that grow life skills.
Horst, a seasoned Expo official with about 10 years under his belt, agrees. “I leave re-energized about the industry and confident in the future after seeing talented and ambitious young people who compete in the contest,” he described.
What leads to success?
It is nearly impossible for a contestant to win a dairy judging contest without excelling in reasons.
“Reason scores are based on clarity — how the contestant saw and described the class,” noted Horst. “I liken them to the eye chart at the optometrist. A skilled judge can reach the 20/20 row and clearly describe the class and prioritize their reasons in a compelling argument.”
“Honesty is the word I use to describe how competitors are judged,” Schirm remarked. “Whether they agree or disagree with me is not the point of reasons. Even if their opinion differs, a contestant will score well if they can describe the animals and defend why they placed the class as they did.”
Reasons scores are also bolstered by confidence, poise, and a flare for public speaking. But these need to be accompanied by the truth. Officials can quickly identify contestants giving a “canned” set of reasons that do not portray the animals in the class.
“The contestants who love competing stand out and make it fun to officiate,” noted Horst.
He illustrated this point by describing an experience with a Honduran contestant. “Even though she didn’t seem comfortable giving reasons in English, her passion and ability shone,” he said.
A way to give back
For many judges like Schirm and Horst, volunteering is an opportunity to give back to an activity that helped them launch thriving careers in the industry.
“The significance of evaluating show-type conformation has long been debated,” said Schirm. “The value lies not in placing show cows, but in developing individuals — an effort that behooves the entire dairy industry.”
Horst put it this way, “The commercial industry may not always see the value in placing a class of cattle and being able to explain why. However, the skills to do so transfer to all aspects of life. People who succeed here also succeed beyond the judging arena.
“Dairy judging teaches decision making, communication, and organization, among other things,” he continued. “It is a real skill to learn how to systematically and strategically place and take notes on a class in 15 minutes and then explain your thoughts face-to-face to someone critiquing your presentation.”
“Seeing how dairy judging builds character in the contestants is what makes this job truly rewarding,” summed Schirm. “There is nothing better than hearing a contestant speak boldly and confidently, ‘For these reasons, I place this class 2-3-1-4.’”
