• Topics: 4-H Youth Development  | 4-H Dairy  |  Jordan, Joy Cantrell 

Training and Showing Your 4-H Dairy Animal¹

Training and Showing Your 4-H Dairy Animal (4H DAM 10) is an animal sciences manual that gives youth of all ages tips on how to lead, pose, show the animal in the ring, orient the youth on the various classes at a dairy show, and the scorecard for judging showmanship.

In EDIS this publication is DLN 4H 124.

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LEADING

You must spend a lot of time with your project animal for it to become properly trained. When the calf is young you should feed and pet her regulary so she will become accustomed to you and other people around her.

Acquaint your calf to a halter by leaving her tied for short periods of time. You should remain near so that she will not fight the rope and hurt herself. A good method for training the animal is to lead her to water every morning and evening. The calf may be stubborn at first. You may need an assistant to coax the calf or you may have to move the animal's side before it will walk forward. As you can imagine, it is important to start training the calf when it is young and manageable. After your calf is walking naturally, lead her as if you were showing in a show. Hold the lead strap near her head, walk backwards and walk slowly with her head held high.

Figure 1. 

4H'er leading cow properly.

It is often necessary to back your animal in the ring and this may be required in a showmanship class. To teach your animal to back properly, exert pressure on the lead near the head with your left hand and push backwards on the point of the shoulder with your right hand.

It is very important not to lose your temper and fight with your animal. She will not know what you are doing or the reason for your anger and will only become afraid and harder to handle. This is not to imply that you shouldn't be stern and determined in your goals, but kindness and gentleness go much further with dairy animals that normally become very tame.

POSING

After your animal is leading fairly well, you should teach her to lead slowly and make frequent efforts at posing her properly. Place the front feet together and the right rear leg a bit behind the left rear leg. For fresh cows the right rear leg should be in front of the left rear leg to permit viewing of the rear udder. The legs should be spaced, front to rear, so that the back is straight and the rump nearly level. It is also good to have the front feet on the ground a bit higher than the rear feet. When teaching your animal to pose you can exert forward or backward pressure on the lead and also use your right hand on the point of the shoulder to move her feet.

Figure 2. 

Proper pose for heifer and cow.

The most desirable pose will depend on the conformation of your particular animal. When teaching her to pose, have someone else hold her while you step back to observe the position where she shows to her best advantage. Recognize this pose when you are leading and teach her to stop in this position.

It is sometimes necessary to touch your animal to change her pose. For example, if your animal is low in the rump and a bit high across her back you can pinch her in the loin area to lower her back and raise her rump. It is all right to touch your animal and you should when necessary; however, most of the showing should be done with the halter lead strap. You should be natural without undue maneuvering and activity which is possible only after proper training.

IN THE SHOW RING

Be present and ready to lead into the ring at the proper time. Enter the ring moving in a clockwise manner. Walk backward and slowly. Leave room between yourself and the animal in front of you to allow room for posing your animal and for the judge to move around each animal. Make the circle large enough for all the animals to enter. Do not move your animal between the judge and an animal he is observing. Watch your animal, the judge and the position of other animals. Do not talk with people outside the ring or with other contestants.

When the judge directs you to stop, move or line up, respond quickly. When lining up, leave some room between animals but not enough for another animal. Do not stand between your animal and the judge while he views your animal. Move the animal's head slightly toward the judge. Be ready to give your animal's birth date, freshening date, and due date, if the judge asks.

Figure 3. 

Diagram of showring indicating direction of movement.

Show your animal at its best at all times. Don't lose interest and lean on your animal. Be courteous to others, a good loser and a gracious winner. Leave the ring in order as the judge or ringmaster directs, usually as reasons are given.

WHAT ARE THE CLASSES AT A DAIRY SHOW?

Animals are divided into different classes for show according to standard age classifications. July 1 and January 1 are the division dates.

Figure 4. 

4H'ers in ring showing animals.

Class 1: Junior Heifer Calf

Class 2: Senior Heifer Calf

Class 3: Junior Yearling Heifer

Class 4: Senior Yearling Heifer

Class 5: Junior Champion Female -The first place blue ribbon winners from classes 1, 2, 3 and 4. When a reserve champion is selected, the second place blue ribbon winners are also shown.

Class 6: Cow—2 years old

Class 7: Cow—3 years old

Class 8: Cow—4 years old

Class 9: Cow—5 years old

Class 10: Senior Champion Female—The first place blue ribbon winners from classes 6, 7, 8 and 9. When a reserve champion is selected, the second place blue ribbon winners are also shown.

Class 11: Grand Champion Female—The better of the junior and senior champions. When a reserve Grand Champion is selected the reserve junior and senior champions or second place blue ribbon winners are shown.

Class 12: Best fitted animal

Class 13: Showmanship

SCORECARD FOR JUDGING SHOWMANSHIP

A. Showing animal in the ring—84 points

1. Leading—26 points

• Enter leading the animal at the normal walk around the ring in a clockwise direction, walking opposite her head on the left side, holding a lead strap (or rope) with the right hand quite close to the halter with the strap neatly, but naturally (not necessarily coiled), gathered in one or both hands. Holding close to the halter ensures a more secure control of an animal.

• The animal should lead readily and respond quickly.

• Halters should be of the right type, fitting properly and correctly placed on animal. A leather halter with leather strap is best.

• As the judge studies your animal the preferred method of leading is walking slowly backward facing the animal and holding the lead rope in the left hand with the remainder of it neatly, but naturally gathered in one or both hands.

• Lead slowly with the animal's head held high enough for impressive style, attractive carriage, and graceful walk.

2. Posing—26 points

• When posing and showing an animal stay on the animal's left side and stand faced at an angle to her in a position far enough away to see the stance of her feet and her topline.

• Pose animal with feet placed squarely under her with the hind leg nearest to the judge slightly behind the other. (Cows should have the leg nearest the judge slightly in front of the other leg.)

• Face animal up-grade, if possible, with her front feet on a slight incline.

• Neither crowd the exhibitor next to you nor leave enough space for another animal when you lead into a side by side position.

• An animal may be backed out of line when judge requests that her placing be changed. Many prefer to lead their animals forward and around the end of the line or back through the line. Do not lead an animal between the judge and an animal he is observing.

• Do most of the showing with the halter lead strap and avoid stepping on the animal's hind feet to move them.

• Step animal ahead by a slight pull on the lead strap.

• Move animal back by exerting pressure on the shoulder point with the thumb and finger of the right hand as you push back with the halter.

• When judge is observing the animal, let her stand when posed reasonably well.

• Be natural. Overshowing, undue fussing and maneuvering are objectionable.

3. Show animal to best advantage —16 points

• Quickly recognize the conformation faults of the animal you are leading and show her to overcome them. You may be asked to exchange with another and show her or his heifer for a while.

4. Poise, alterness and attitude—16 points

• Keep an eye on your animal and be aware of the position of the judge at all times. Do not be distracted by people and thing outside the ring.

• Show your animal at all times and not yourself.

• Respond rapidly to requests from the judge and officials.

• Be courteous and sportsman like at all times.

• Keep showing until the entire class has been placed and the judge has given his reasons.

B. Appearance of Exibitor—16 points

1. Clothes and person neat and clean; white costume or colors of organization preferred.

SUMMARY OF MAIN POINTS

Showing Animal

Leading.............................................26

Posing...............................................26

Showing animal to best advantage 16

Poise, alterness, attitude...................16

Appearance of Exibitor..........................16

100

Adapted from the Unified Scorecard for Judging Junior fitting and Showmanship contest, Purebred Dairy Cattle Association, P.O. Box 126. Peterborough, New Hampshire

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

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