Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-09-14
4 We
STOCK.
The Expert Judge.

At this time of the year, when man.
ayers of fairs are looking about them
for capable judges of live stock, GER
tain men make bids for appointment
as stock jurors and as a rule find such
employment at a few fairs and for
wages and expenses. Others seek APP
pointment for notoriety and advertis.
Ing, and find even more work than the
men who ask for pay. In both In
stances the self-advertised judges are
likely to give poor satisfaction in the
Judging ring, and If they have been
at this sort of work for, few years
1t may be expected that they will not
always be perfectly impartial in their
decisions. At the great state fairs
judges are nowadays selected with
great deal of care and discrimination,
and in most instances the men select
ed are real experts, experienced, fair
and expeditions in their weak. In
few cases the men chosen are not
worthy of the confidence placed in
them, and they do an injustice to all
concerned.
This is most apt to be the case
where the judge is picked up at the
ring side, and even more so when, as
is too often the case, the manager of
the department or ring is not expert
enced and posted in his work. The
real expert rarely seeks appointment,
but the work seeks him and he does
1t well and honestly, more as a duty
than as a money-making matter, and
In so doing stands the chance of being
severely criticised by those whose an.
imals fail to receive the prizes they
covet. The work is not pleasant for
this reason, and, no matter how hon
est and capable a judge may be, he
Will be certain to make enemies. The
more expert man is, however, and
the longer he has served in the capa-
city of an expert Judge, the less will
his decisions be criticised, or, If they
are objected to, it is in gentlemanly
way and without any great amount OF
friction.
AS the expert will be criticised for
doing what is most probably right,
what will be the case with the non
expert judge who allows himself to be
appointed and does the work badly,
although honestly? We have heard
such men Kissed publicly, have seen
men withdraw their exhibits, have
heard disgraceful talk and much pro-
family, all as the result of the mex
perienced and unfair decisions of the
ignorant man who has allowed him
self to be appointed Judge, knowing
full well that he was not entitled to
the honor. OF recent years breed as
sociations have had something to say
as to the men who should be consid-
cred fit to judge the show animals of
their favorite breed. This is a good
plan. The associations have elected
certain number of theiy members
and submitted their names to the man
ayers of fairs as suitable men to do
the judging, and from these lists the
managers have largely formed their
| adjudicating committees. Where such
a plan is followed it is impossible for
| a self-assertive, would-be expert to get
a job by cultivating the management
or exhibitors. II he is an expert he
ton to which he belongs as a member
or apart from such membership will
be recognized as a competent expert
judge of certain breeds OF animals,
and as such may be set down upon the
lists Of several associations, and es-
pecially so if he is a judge of fat ami
mails or draft breeds of horses.
hot
well stocked with expert judges, there
| is no longer the slightest excuse for
| the management of any fair having a
| non-eflicient judge in any department.
| Where bad judging is done the man
| agement is more to be blamed than
| the man who does the poor work. Elk.
! hibitors should also see to it that they
will not have to expose their animals
to the insults of judges who do not
| properly understand their work or
who know nothing of the breed type
| of the class of animals they are asked
| to pass upon. Then, when the right
| judges have been appointed, the ex-
| hibitors should do the fair thing by
| the judge or committee. To this end
1 IHe owner vi the sloch On eAHlDlllOn
| should absent himself from the ring
while his men in attendance upon the
| stock should not wear caps or sweat
| ers inscribed with the breeders name
| or the name of his farm, etc. The
| Judge should have clear ring to work
| in and his work should be untram-
J meIed by spectators or interested per-
sons.-A. S. Alexander, in Farmers
| Review.