The Oregon State team always ranked first among the West Coast universities, but this is the first time that they've really broken into the national scene. Livestock judging contests require students to evaluate the relative economic merits of cattle, sheep, swine and sometimes horses by comparing differences in body type, composition, and performance. In addition to judging the livestock for conformity to a breed standard, competitors also must rank particular entrants according to their suitability for market. Team members are judged according to their ability to demonstrate their knowledge, accuracy and poise in a public forum. The team, which fields a new set of students each year, is financed by OSU student body funds, the OSU Department of Animal Sciences and the E.R. Jackman Foundation.
Students pay for their own meals and incidental expenses.
My opinion is that the livestock judging competition should be called The Thinking Game. The connections I made on the judging team and the people I met through competing in the different livestock shows focused me on what kind of person I wanted to be when I got older. Ayers still supports the team, hosting them when they are in his area. They recently placed third overall in their first showing.