Show and Sales Etiquette

By Tina Russell

BEFORE

Are you and your cattle ready for the show?

Once you receive your entry form from the show society, there are a few points to consider: 1. Make a note of the closing date. 2. In a Beef Shorthorn breed class, animals in the grading register will not be eligible. 3. Help your cattle prepare for the occasion, with plenty of training on the halter and encountering new experiences including nose snips. 4. Wash and trim your cattle, so they look their best. 5. Try your show halters on your cattle at home to ensure they fit, and cattle get used to chain under chin, if appropriate. 6. Have you ordered your Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society tie? 7. Use your show stick on your cattle at home before the show to achieve best results.

Remember you are both in the ring together representing your herd, so make the effort to ensure that you too are looking your best for the task. Clean shirt and society tie done up smartly, white coat, smart trousers and appropriate clean foot wear, not trainers and only wellies if the weather is exceedingly wet. Try to avoid wearing sunglasses in the ring, whether competing or judging, as it helps to make eye contact with everyone in the ring.

It is inappropriate to have your herd’s name or logo on any hats or white coats, this ensures a level playing field. It is important that you are familiar with the timetable for the day, and that you are not late for the start of the class. Someone will have a schedule of classes, if not the steward, then other competitors. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, we are a friendly bunch.

It is poor showmanship if you keep the judge, stewards and other competitors waiting unnecessarily. Having said this, don’t panic, remain calm. The detail is in the preparation before you go into the ring that will ensure a smooth-running day.

All show societies will have had to undertake a risk assessment for the show, and as part of this nose snips or bull rings in cattle should be used. So, make sure that you have pre-trained your animal to them before you arrive at the showground.

The showring is your opportunity to display your cattle to other breeders and spectators around the ring and recognise the best animals. To help achieve this you need to work with your judge, steward and other competitors.

THE JUDGE

Your judge has been invited to attend by the show society and/ or the breed society, because their experience and opinion is valued and respected. When you enter the ring with your animal you are accepting that the judge’s decision is final. Never challenge your judge in the ring. You will only make a spectacle of yourself and embarrass everyone watching.

You will have an opportunity to discuss their reasons when they walk down the lines after judging and at this point you may learn something new! Every day is a school day!

Once the prizes have been awarded, judges may be asked to give their reasons over the loud speaker. Parading the cattle for all to see whilst the judge is commenting on them is wonderful sight and everyone can appreciate the judge’s point of view.

STEWARDS

Acknowledge your steward on entry to the ring, they are there to assist the judge and the smooth running of the class. They too are volunteers and undertake this role out of the goodness of their heart. Without their hard work, the shows would not be able to hold cattle classes.

OTHER COMPETITORS

You are all in this class together, so to help with its smooth running, assist your fellow competitor in front of you, if their animal won’t move. I prefer to ask them if they would like my help before tapping their beast on, just in case they don’t want my help. It’s all about teamwork, a ring full of Beef Shorthorn cattle is a wonderful sight for spectators, lets ensure we do our breed proud and put on a great show.

DURING

Enter the ring and walk clockwise around the edge of the ring, leading from the left-hand side of your animal. Please remember the following whilst in the ring:

Never • have your phone switched on • smoke • chew gum

Focus on your beast, the judge, other competitors and stewards. Avoid having conversations with folk outside the ring. Tempting as it maybe, to start a conversation, just give them a nod of acknowledgement and catch up with them after the class has finished.

There can only be one first place winner, and somebody will have to stand at the bottom end. Without all the participants in the ring you cannot achieve an outcome.

It is usual for the judge to ask each competitor to walk towards them and then stand their animal up for them to have their individual inspection. They may ask you their age, or for females, if they are in calf. Never tell the judge who the animal is, how its bred or where it is from. Save this conversation until later, when judges walk up the lines to meet all the competitors and find out more about the cattle they have had put before them earlier.

Once you have been presented with your rosette, no matter what colour, it is courteous to complete a lap of honour in the order of placings. It looks bad form if lower placed cattle leave the ring before the higher placed cattle, unless instructed to do so by a steward. Why would you not want another opportunity to parade your beast around the ring again for everyone to see, and consider the judges placings? It’s a no brainer!

Remember, you are not only representing you herd, but also the breed society and you should feel very proud of this.

AFTER

Once you have enjoyed a wonderful day in the judging ring, please remember that the public and other breeders are still assessing your cattle once they are back in the lines. Ensure your hard-working cattle have been watered, hayed, straw beds kept up together and your lines kept in tidy order.

Shows all have Main Ring parades, and ask that competitors attend to put on a great display of British livestock for the public to see. Animals that receive rosettes, especially champions, first and seconds should attend. It looks very sad when there is only a smattering of cattle from one breed. So please support them and help promote our wonderful breed of cattle.

Social media is a great way to show your cattle successes and promote breed entries, please do not make any negative remarks on cattle or judging.

We all have good days and bad days in the showring. You must prepare yourself to do your best and win, but you can’t win them all. Take it on the chin, congratulate the winners, with a shake of the hand and look forward to another day. Good luck.

DunsyreBeefShorthorns

Celebrating40yearsofregistrationsinCoatesHerdBook undertheMeadshaw,LochAweandDunsyreprefixes.

WinbrookPamela43rddob16/03/1978

DunsyreGigha38th.12/09/2020

n1982weregisteredourfirstheifersinCoatesHerdBookundertheMeadshawprefix.TheMeadowsweet, Heathermaid,Gigha,Vatersay,andSkjaklinfamiliesarealldescendedfromprogenyoffiveWinbrookcowsbought fromGeorgeDentatKirbyStephen.

In1984weboughtanunnamedShorthorncowinLongtownMart.SheturnedouttobeSharplawDianaClipper whoproducedoneheifercalfatournewhomeonLochAwe-side.WechristenedherLochAweLeila.Wehavesince registered220Leilas,LilysandViolets,undertheLochAweandDunsyreprefixes,alldescendedfromthisonecow. Welookforwardtoregisteringfurtherdescendantsinthe200thvolumeofCoatesHerdBook.

In1989onmovingtoDunsyrewebought16cowsfromBillBruce'sBalmyleherd.Thesewereaddedtothefourwe hadboughtthreeyearspreviouslyandwerethelastcowsbroughtintotheherd.OurMagic,VenusOpal, HoneysuckleOpal,Iona,Nettle,DaisyGretta,FoxgloveandRoseMagicfamiliesarealldescendedfromthese foundationcows.

LochAweLilydob20/11/1987 DunsyreLeila69thdob23/04/2021

Balmyle Nightingale10thdob01/06/1984 DunsyreIona41stdob21/02/2021

CongratulationstoAllanJacksonforhisChampionshipswithDunsyreHoratioattheHighlandandtheGreat YorkshireShowsandtoDavidLeggateforhisReserveChampionshipwithDunsyrePhineasatStirling.

CareyandHilaryCoombs,WestonFarm.Dunsyre.Lanark.ML118NG.Tel07734330087 careycoombs@gmail.comwww.dunsyreshorthorns.co.uk