Ohio State team to help with livestock judging contest

FINDLAY — There will be special judges at this year's Hancock County livestock judging contest. Members of the Ohio State ATI (Agricultural Technical Institute) Livestock Judging Team will be on hand to help assess 4-H and FFA members who participate in the June 18 event at the Hancock County Fairgrounds. For years, Hancock County 4-H has offered a livestock judging competition early in the summer, prior to judging and the county fair, said Lauren Burner-Kitzler, extension educator, 4-H Youth Development. "We've always had the livestock judging contest in Hancock County," she said. "We've been able to actually go to the University of Findlay and partner with them which is amazing. They've got great livestock there." This year they're taking it a step further. The event will still be held in conjunction with the university, she said, but the community and family members will supply the livestock needed. "This contest is like a revamped version of the previous livestock judging contest," Burner-Kitzler said. They will also receive help from the Ohio State ATI Livestock Judging Team. She said team members will facilitate the contest as a way to get hands-on experience for their own competitions. Ohio State ATI is a branch of the Ohio State University, said Burner-Kitzler. The satellite campus located in Wooster offers associate degrees from the university's College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, according to its website. The livestock judging team is made up of individuals who are college students at the university. "They're coming to lend a helping hand to us to give our youth members a good experience of what a livestock judging contest really looks like," Burner-Kitzler said. The contest is open to anyone in 4-H or FFA in Hancock County as well as in surrounding counties. "We're kind of focusing on the Northwest Ohio area, but if someone is coming from southern Ohio, we're not opposed to that," she said. A competitor can participate individually or with a team of four members. There are categories for seniors (ages 14-18), juniors (ages 9-13) and FFA members. "When most people think of contests, they think of kind of big and scary, and that's not what this is at all," said Burner-Kitzler. She said it's more of a "dumbed down" version that allows members to better understand livestock and the qualities of an animal. Burner-Kitzler said four like animals will be together in a pen. At the University of Findlay, she said, they worked with whatever animals happened to be on the livestock farm at that time. "Some years there were hogs there. Some years there were not hogs there. Some years they had just goats and sheep. Some years it was just cattle. Some years they had everything," she said. The competition will focus on beef cattle, swine, goats and sheep in both breeding and market classes. The participants will walk by each pen of animals, answering a question about the animal, the rating them and explaining why they placed them like they did. Questions were created by the ATI team, Burner-Kitzler said. "We want the members to do it confidently on their own," she said. "But there is going to be help there. That way throughout the contest, ATI members will be able to help, as well as University of Findlay members and local 4-H advisors and volunteers." After completing all eight classes, the judges will explain which ones they picked as the best and why. A point system will determine the winners. An awards ceremony will follow. Every member who participates will receive a 5-gallon bucket donated by Runnings, Burner-Kitzler said. "It is going to be a little bit different than what our county was used to in the past, but I think we're going to have great help there from the University of Findlay and the ATI team as well as our great volunteers and advisors that we have here in the county," she said. The event will be held rain or shine. A livestock judging contest is also held during the week of the county fair, she said. "But then also there are different counties that actually have a judging contest that travel around. And then the Ohio State Fair has a livestock judging contest and that's like the overall big competition that everybody wants to participate in," she said. There are no teams in Hancock County, Burner-Kitzler noted. "But having them understand what a contest is and how it operates, hopefully we can get some teams in the future," she said. They have also been working with Kirsten Kemner, who is the organization director for Hancock, Hardin, Seneca and Wyandot counties — Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. She is also a livestock judging coach in Wood County. Online registration will be taken through June 10 at go.osu.edu/livestockjudgingcontest-hancock. Competitors can also register the day of the event, starting at 9 a.m. The contest is free for anyone related to Hancock County through a club or school. There's a $10 fee for those outside the county. "I think it is a good contest and it gets our members familiar with a different side of livestock. And even if you have no idea about cattle or sheep or goats or swine, still come on out and participate," Burner-Kitzler said. Her goal is to someday include rabbits and chickens in the competition. "We do not have anything for our small animals. We do recognize that. But with this revamp, we're kind of taking it one step at a time and see where we go from there," she said. Participants should wear appropriate shoes. Sherry Brooks, owner of Kloepfer's Kitchen food truck, will be on the grounds with lunch items and refreshments to purchase.