38 METHODS IN JUDGING AND SELECTION 



A judge should have a clear, concise idea of each standard 

 with which he is expected to compare and place competing 

 animals. Unless he is thoroughly acquainted with these 

 standards it is impossible to determine which of the animals 

 in the class should be taken for the ideal or standard. One 

 of the frequent troubles encountered at the smaller live 

 stock shows and fairs throughout the country is the lack of 

 an adequate classification providing for the separation of 

 each distinct type and breed. Wherever such a condition 

 exists there can be no true standard, and consequently no 

 justification in the methods of judging pursued or the 

 decisions made. Ideals are the foundation of equity and 

 justice in live stock shows. Unless the judge has an adequate 

 classification whereby he may establish an ideal and place 

 the animals according to their degree of conformity, his work 

 will necessarily be faulty. It is impossible to judge a Stand- 

 ardbred and a Percheron in the same class, because an ideal 

 must be selected or a definite purpose adhered to in a written 

 or mental standard of excellence. Where two distinct 

 breeds of such varying conformation compete against each 

 other this is manifestly impossible, as no two animals with 

 extreme breed types can have an equal or even a close 

 relationship with any single standard of excellence. 



Type and Breed Standards. — Live stock judging as ordinarily 

 practised in the show ring or by prospective buyers is not 

 accomplished by the aid of the score card. However, most 

 colleges have adopted a system of score card judging, 

 especially for beginners in the subject. This is done to 

 familiarize the student with the various structural parts of 

 the animal and to fix in the mind the relative importance 

 of them. For college work score cards are usually arranged 

 to cover the types of animals and not individual breeds. 

 This enables the student to become familiar with the various 

 types of horses, cattle, sheep, and swine. After these basic 

 principles of type have been mastered a fuller and better 

 understanding of the various breed characteristics may be 

 obtained by consulting breed standards of excellence adopted 

 by the registry associations or by reading descriptive litera- 

 ture on the subject. 



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