OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

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Ohio State Fair 4-H Livestock Judging Contest - Junior Overview

This document contains examples of materials that will be provided to junior participants the day of the Ohio State Fair 4-H Livestock Judging Contest as well as tips to help prepare for the contest.

Overview • When you arrive at the Voinovich Livestock Center Show Arena for registration, you will receive a paper clipped

stack of materials to complete your judging including: a white, adhesive label containing your contestant number; 4 scantron sheets; and placing cards. See page 3 for an example stack.

• Your contestant number label must be worn visibly on your shirt at all times.• The junior contest consists of two mandatory components (class placings and questions) and an optional component

(oral reasons). Please read the sections below for more information about each component.• Review the rules for additional information.

Items to Bring • Pencils – you will need at least 2 sharpened #2 pencils for the scantron sheets• Pens – must be blue or black ink; can be used to mark placing cards• Notebook – a CLEAN notebook may be used for reasons writing or to keep track of class placings. No additional

resources or materials are allowed during the contest.• Clipboard – very helpful for filling out scantron sheets

Unacceptable Items: • Study materials & resources• Cell phones or any other electronic devices• Apparel (shirts, jackets, belt buckles, etc.) that distinguishes in any manner who you are or where you are from (i.e.

individuals name, 4-H club, county, etc.)

Contest Instructions: • Do not start judging a class, rotate to a class, or continue on to another class until instructed by an official.• No talking or cheating. Violators may be removed from the contest. If you have a question, ask your group leader.

Avoid standing or sitting next to teammates during the contest.• Cards must be turned into your group leader as soon as you finish the class. Late cards will not be accepted. It is not

the group leader’s responsibility to make sure your card is filled out correctly. If it is not, then you will receive a zerofor the class score.

Placing a Class • You will receive 8 class placing cards on a perforated sheet - one for

each of the following classes: market lambs, breeding sheep, market beef, breeding beef, market hogs, breeding hogs, market goats, and breeding goats. You may want to write which species corresponds with the class number on your card. See pages 4 and 5 for an example of the cards.

• Use the appropriate card for the class being judged. For example,class 1 may correspond with the market lambs. Turn in only ONE card at a time as soon as you finish.

• The white label on each card is your contestant number. Be surethe number matches your contestant number label.

• The two columns containing letters A through X are your placingoptions. Four animals in each pen will be numbered 1 through 4. Once you have placed the animals in order from top to bottom, clearly mark the matching placing with an X. Make sure only ONE placing is marked. If multiple answers are marked, it will be scored as a zero. See an example at right.

Contestant Number

Class Number

Placing choice marked with X

Ohio  4-­‐H    

2  

Questions (Juniors Only) • Each participant will receive 4 scantrons to answer species-specific

questions about each of the four species: beef, sheep, swine, and goats.

• Use the correct scantron! Check the color (blue, red, hot pink, or green) of your scantron and match it with the color for the species you are judging, which will be announced during the event. See pages 6 and 7 for examples.

• You will answer 5 questions about each species (beef, sheep, swine, and goats). NOTE – you will not have to answer 5 questions for each class (market and breeding), just 5 questions for each species.

• Questions will be written the day of the event about the animals present in the arena.

• You will answer the questions while you are judging the class. • Use a #2 PENCIL ONLY and fill in ONE circle per line

corresponding to each question on the scantron. • If you change your answer, fully erase your original choice. Not fully

erasing your choice can lead to errors in scoring. Questions with multiple answers will be scored as incorrect.

Oral Reasons (Optional for Juniors)  • There are no reasons cards in the packet, so be sure to write your placings in your notebook for each class. The

Reasons Official does not have that information and once you turn your placing card in you are the only person who knows how you placed the class.

• Reasons officials will have a score sheet with your contestant number on it. They only know who you are by that number/letter combination. Wear your number on your shirt throughout the contest.

Additional Resources: Visit the Livestock Judging Contest webpage for additional information and preparation resources. Have a question? Contact Dustin Homan, Program Director, at homan.64@osu.edu or 614.247.8305.

Correctly filled-in

Color-coded Class Number (Blue, Red,

Green, or Hot Pink)

Listen to hear which class number will be Questions

Class Red, Class Blue, Class Green, and Class

Hot Pink.

Junior Contestant Materials

3

Placing Cards

4

Placing Cards

5

6

Scantrons for Questions

7