One small cow, one big problem

[Sylvia]

"That's the point of a show, isn't it? To pick the animals that have the best phenotypes, with the assumption that they can consistently pass those excellent phenotypes to their offspring?"

I thought the purpose of a show was to have a properly trained judge choose from those animals before him/her which was the closest to the perfect example as outlined in the relevant breed standard and which in addition on that day had that little extra 'star quality'.

Thus a bull with only one testicle would quite rightly be chucked out with a visible deviation from any breed standard but a good looking infertile animal could easily be judged as best animal 'on the day' if it had been well presented.

This is the reason I am not a fan of shows.

[happy hollidays]

Whose job is it to properly train the judge? When I first saw Dexters at country shows I certainly didn't know for the first few years that the breed also had non-short too. Our girls are non short and I resigned myself fairly early on not to bother buying an animal or rear a calf to show as it wasn't going to win if it wasn't short. Seems terribly negative to me, but it seems to be a way of Dexter life.

[Martin]

Hi Estelle,
I think you will find that some judges are begining to find more favour in the non short as long as it is within the breed standard. A good animal is a good animal and I believe non shorts are now being recognised as such. As the chairman of the local Dexter group I will be at the Kent show on Saturday to present prizes for best local heifer and I hope there are some non shorts represented there. If you want to try your hand at showing I am certain you will find it to be a fun experience for yourself and the kids even if you are not placed.

Martin.