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Illinois State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest

This event has been postponed.
Event Date(s)
Location
Urbana
County
Champaign

The Illinois 4-H livestock judging program teaches youth to identify breeds of livestock and helps them make decisions which improve their local herds. The annual contest is held in June each year on the University of Illinois campus.

Each county may enter a total of three teams, with no more than two junior teams or two senior teams. Counties may also enter three individuals. Teams are made up of four people, and the top three scores will be combined for the final team score.

There will be three classes of beef, three classes of swine and two classes of sheep. There may also be a class of meat goats substituted for one class of the other species. There will also be a class of 15 questions (5 from a beef class, 5 from a swine class and 5 from a sheep class).

There will be a $10 entry fee for all senior participants this year to cover lunch for them. Registration 8:30 a.m., Contest Starts at 10 a.m. Participants must be checked in by 9:30 a.m. There is limited street parking in front of the Stock Pavilion and it is all metered parking so if you wish to park close please bring quarters!'

General Rules

  1. All contestants must be 4-H members and a record of their enrollment must be on file in the respective University of Illinois Extension Office. 
  2. Contestants need not be enrolled in a project pertaining to the field in which they participate; however, state judging events should be used to support the county/club 4-H livestock curriculum.
  3. Registration is to be made on the day of the contest at the site of the contest.  Fill out completely a registration card for each team in each contest.  Turn in the card at the contest. 
  4. Members of past county 4-H judging teams who have represented Illinois at the American Royal Invitational Livestock Judging Contest are eligible for the State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest and are in addition to the team of four members.
  5. Individuals who have completed a year of college are not eligible to judge at the American Royal contest.  If you have a contestant that has completed a year of college, please enter that person as an individual in addition to your senior team.
  6. Contestants and coaches will not be allowed near the classes to be judged before the 10:00 am starting time.
  7. Each contestant must have a pencil and eraser.
  8. Senior contestants will give 3 sets of oral reasons (1 swine, 1 beef, 1 sheep or goat).
  9. Junior participants will answer 1 set of 15 questions (5 per specie).
  10. Ten (10) minutes will be allowed for each class when no reasons are required, and fifteen (15) minutes will be allowed on the reasons classes.  Two (2) minutes will be allowed to give oral reasons to the judge.
  11. Errors in calculation of results, which are reported, will be corrected up to July 8th. 

Participation

Each county may enter a total of three four-member teams and a unlimited number of  individuals in the junior and senior contests.  Those three teams can be two junior and one senior teams OR one junior and two senior teams. The scores from the three highest scoring individuals will be totaled for the team score. All individuals will be eligible for individual honors.

Classes

There will be three classes of beef, three classes of swine and two classes of sheep. In addition, a class of meat goats (market or breeding class) may be substituted for any one class of the other three species.

Production Information

Production information will be provided on one class of heifers, gilts and ewes. The production information will be similar to those outlined in the Beef Improvement Federation Fact Sheet: Utilizing Performance Data in Judging Classes (Publication 400-028, August 1985) and the National Swine Improvement Federation's Utilizing Performance Data in Judging Classes (NSIF-5) on using beef and swine performance data in judging contests.

Questions

Contestants will have one class of fifteen (15) questions, which will be worth fifty points. Contestants will answer (5) questions on one beef class, five (5) questions on one swine class, and five (5) questions on one sheep class. The questions will emphasize carcass and production characteristics. Officials will inform contestants which classes will be used for questions prior to the contest. Contestants may take notes but notes may not be used to answer questions.  All contestants will answer the questions at the same time.

Results and Awards

The summary results in the contests will be emailed within five (5) working days of the contest to the County 4-H Contact. Detailed results and ribbons will be mailed within 2 weeks of the contest. Contestants will be ranked in three groups with blue, red and white ribbons awarded.  Ribbons will not be awarded to county teams.

National Contests

Contestants in national 4-H competition events must not have participated in official post secondary (university, college, junior college or technical school) competitive events of a similar nature in the same subject area to be eligible for participation in national 4-H competitive events. Also, they cannot be a member of a post secondary team undergoing training in preparation for an event. A 4-H member may participate in each national event one time. Therefore, a 4-H member will not be eligible a second time for the same national event and for the qualifying invitational workout.

Eligibility

Juniors are 4-H members who were 13 years of age and younger as of January 1, 2019. Seniors were 14-18 years of age on January 1, 2019. Any 4-H member that has completed a year of college should be entered as an extra individual and not part of a team, but the college student may not have undergone training for post-secondary livestock judging. Any 4 H member who has competed at the American Royal 4-H Livestock Judging Contest as a member of the county team representing Illinois must participate as an extra individual in the June contest and not as a part of a team.

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