DAIRY JUDGING CONTEST
State 4-H Contact: Bruce Lloyd
PURPOSE: This event is designed to give the participants an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of decision-making and to recognize quality dairy cattle.
WHO: WV 4-H and FFA Members
WHEN: Sunday, August 15, 2021
WHERE: WVU Jackson’s Mill
PROGRAM: All participants must register in the office by 8:30 a.m. The contest will start at 9:00 am. Participants will judge six to eight classes of animals from the five major breeds (if available). Contestants will be allowed 15 minutes to place each class. Senior contestants will be required to give oral reasons in 2 classes. Junior contestants will be required to give one set of oral reasons. Five additional minutes will be allowed on reasons classes for taking notes.
A class of animals will consist of four animals numbered one through four, of similar age. The ring procedure will be as follows: Animals will be paraded around the ring for three minutes, positioned head to tail in a row for four minutes, positioned side by side for four minutes. At this time, contestants will be allowed to move to ringside for close inspection. The judging of each class will conclude with animals being paraded around the ring four times. During judging, contestants may not talk to each other, or to the coaches, or use any electronic devices.
AWARDS:
1. Appropriate awards will be presented by both 4-H and FFA.
2. The winning senior 4-H and FFA teams in the contest will be expected to participate in training and participate in their designated national contest.
GENERAL RULES: STATE 4-H JUDGING CONTESTS
A. Age Division: There will be a junior and senior division in each contest. 4-H members in the junior division must not have passed their 14th birthday on or before January 1 of the current 4-H year. 4-H members in the senior division must have passed their 14th birthday on or before January 1 of the current 4-H year and not have passed their 19th birthday as of this date.
B. Team Composition/Entries/State Eligibility/National Eligibility
(b1) To be eligible for participation in a national event, 4-H’er must compete in the state contest.
(b2) Team Composition: Counties who have organized multi-county (2 counties or more) programming groups with the purpose to provide specific educational subject-matter judging (i.e. land, homesite, forestry, horse, dairy cattle, poultry, livestock, and horticulture) knowledge for 4-H members can have teams and/or individuals representing the multi-county group. This may only be done if a Letter of Intent is requested and submitted from the program director and received in the State Office (30) thirty days prior to the event stating the approval of the specific programming area and the coach or Extension agent of record. Any changes in this programming approach must be made in a letter 10 days prior to the event from the program director. 4-H members must be members in only one county and must be approved by the specific agents involved in the multi-county group endeavor. A county or multi-county group can enter as many teams as it wishes in either the junior or senior division; however, if designated as a multi-county group, no separate county entries will be accepted.
(b3) Entries: If, at the time of a state 4-H judging contest, an individual has already been awarded an out-of-state trip for the calendar year, that person would be eligible to compete only as an individual and ineligible to win an out-of-state trip. Members who competed in a previous national contest are not eligible for the same contest again. Junior team winners are eligible to compete in the division as long as age eligibility is current.
(b4) State Eligibility: A state winner who for whatever reason, unless extreme extenuating circumstances exist, declines the national event, may not enter the same state event the following year. Extenuating circumstances will be determined by the Extension agent, subject-matter specialist, and the state 4-H office
representative.
A county or multi-county group may enter as many teams as it wishes in either the junior or senior division. The teams will be designated A, B, C, etc. The persons for each team must be designated on or before the day of the contest. Teams may consist of four members with the three high scores making up the team score. The contestant with the lowest score on the team will be designated as the alternate. The alternate and any individual contestants will be eligible for individual awards. Counties not having a fourth team member may enter a team with three members. If a county has entered only one team consisting of three members and this team wins the state contest, the next highest individual in the state contest (at the discretion of the Extension Agent in consultation with the Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Agriculture) may be added to the team to participate in the national contest. If a winning county team has an original team member-elect not to participate in the national event, leaving the team with three members, the following procedures will be instituted in consultation with and approval of the Extension Agent, subject matter specialist, and state 4-H office representative to replace that team member: 1) A letter from the 4-H team member declining the trip must be submitted to the Extension Agent with copies to the Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Agriculture, and coach of record; 2) The letter must be signed by the 4-H member and his/her parent or guardian; 3) This letter must be submitted and postmarked at least 60 days prior to the national registration deadline; and 4) Upon receipt of the letter, the Extension Agent, subject matter specialist, and state 4-H representative will consult on the final team composition prior to national team registration. To replace a winning team member who is unable to compete nationally, the county must have had additional 4-H members who competed in the same state contest as the original team members. The vacant position would be offered to the winning county 4-H member with the highest score and descending until a four-member team is selected.
(b5) National 4-H Competitive Events Effective January 1, 2002: 1) Contestant must not have reached his or her 19th birthday as of January 1 of the year in which the National 4-H Competitive Event is held, with the exception of the Land & Homesite Judging Contest (See Section A). 2) All contestants must be members of 4-H in the state they are representing during the year in which the National 4-H Competitive event is held. 3) The contestant(s) or team(s) of contestants must be certified as the official state entry by the State 4-H Leader or by a person designated by the State 4-H Leader. The individual(s) or team(s) may be selected by any procedure the State 4-H leader believes is appropriate. 4) The contestant, his or her county 4-H staff member, and the State 4-H Leader must certify as follows on the application form: “This contestant has not participated in post-secondary coursework in the subject area of the national 4-H competition, nor has he or she participated in training for post-secondary competition in the subject area of the national 4-H competition.” Violation of the above will result in forfeiture of any awards or recognition that have been won in the National 4-H Competitive Event.
Competing in both 4-H and FFA National Events: The National offices of 4-H and FFA have agreed on the following national policy, in the interest of consistency between events and between organizations in eligibility for national competition.
“Participation by the same individual in both a National 4-H and a National FFA competitive event in the same year may occur only when the following is accomplished:
One for 4-H:
Participation in a National 4-H competitive event will require that all youth participating be a “bona fide” current 4-H participant and must qualify for the national event through an approved state competition or selection process conducted or sanctioned by the representative organization.
One for FFA:
Participation in a National FFA Career Development event will require that all youth participating be a “bona fide” member of an FFA chapter and must qualify for the national event through an approved state competition conducted or sanctioned by the representative organization. 4-H and FFA determined to establish a consistent policy for all their National 4-H Competitive Events, and National FFA Career Development Events. Criteria for the policy included:
1) Assure that participants in national event are genuine representatives of their state and organization.
2) Assure that each individual is given all the opportunities he or she has legitimately earned.
3) Assure that the policy is easy for participants and states to understand.
4) Assure that the policy does not require extra efforts from the Management Committee to enforce.
5) Assure that the national offices of 4-H and FFA are supportive of each other and consistent in their interpretation of eligibility.
C. Pre-registration forms will be required and will be submitted by the date requested to the State 4-H Office.
D. Contest results as announced are final. The county teams winning any state contest are eligible to represent West Virginia in the out-of-state event. Example: Hardy County might enter three teams in the senior division for the Livestock Judging. The teams would be designated team A, B, and C. If team B were the state winning team, then it would be eligible to represent West Virginia in the out-of-state event. This includes the alternate if there were four members entered. The coach of the winning county team would be designated as the coach for the out-of-state trip.
E. After the winning team is selected, it will be the responsibility of the county coach to work with the appropriate state specialist to provide training for the team to participate in the out-of-state event.
F. Any individual who has competed in the National Land and/or Homesite Judging Contest in either the FFA or 4-H Division will not be eligible to compete in succeeding State 4-H Land & Homesite Judging Contests.
G. Determination of Ratings for Livestock, Poultry, Horse and Dairy.
1. Fifty points shall constitute a perfect mark on placings, and fifty points a perfect mark on reasons.
2. Species/Breed Ties
a. If tied for a species/breed award, the contestant or team having the highest reason score In the division will be listed first.
b. If still tied for a species/breed award, the contestant or team having the highest score for all species/breed will be listed first.
3. Overall Ties
a. If tied for individual or team overall award, the contestant or team having overall reasons score will be listed first.
b. If still tied from either of the above, the contestant or team having the highest score in placing reason classes will be listed first.
c. If teams are still tied from a and b, the team with the highest scoring alternate will be listed first.
4. Alternates will be eligible for individual awards.
H. Judges for Livestock, Horse, and Dairy Contests.
1. The official judges will work each class and shall place the classes while the contestants are working the ring of animals. The judges will enter their placings on a placing card, indicate the cuts to be made and file that card with the superintendent.
2. Contestants may be handed their card as they appear before a judge to give oral reasons. When the contestant has finished, the judge will place the official reason grade upon the contestant’s placing card or designated official sheet.
I. Contestant Conduct
1. All contestants will remain with assigned group throughout the contest.
2. Contestants are discouraged from wearing any clothing, pins, or badges that will in any way reveal his/her identity or the county represented.
3. While the contest is in progress, there shall be no conferring between a contestant and anyone else unless directed by the superintendent or his/her representative.
J. All judging contests will be conducted as nearly as possible under the conditions of a national contest.
K. Use of Technology in State 4-H Judging Contests and Events: The use of all electronic devices; including but not limited to cell phones, BlackBerries, PDAs, MP3 players, programmable calculators; are prohibited during all State 4-H Judging Contests and Events. If an event requires the use of calculators, the event coordinator will provide exact specifications on the type(s) of devices (including functions) that will be permitted. Failure to comply with this regulation will result in the elimination of the entire team from competition. A letter will be sent to the Extension Agent and State 4-H Leader by the state staff detailing the reasons for the dismissal.