A Look Inside LBCC's Livestock Judging Team-Second Commuter Article

Alyse Armstrong | Contributing Writer

Contest Day Time-line

• 5:30 a.m. Wake up and get ready
• 6:30 a.m. Leave hotel
• 7:00 a.m. Arrive at Fairgrounds, receive pep-talk from coach
• 7:30 a.m. Get seated in arena, get cards and contestant number
• 7:45 a.m. Get organized into groups
• 8:00 a.m. Begin judging first rotation (6 classes)
• 9:00 a.m. End of first rotation
• 9:30 am Begin judging second rotation (6 classes)
• 10:30 a.m. End of second rotation, be transported to hotel for reasons
• 11:00 a.m. Lunch and begin preparing reasons
• 12:00- 5:30 p.m. Reasons rotation (6 sets)
• 5:45 p.m. Find coach and discuss classes
• 6:30 p.m. Listen to critique and figure out points dropped
• 7:45 p.m. Leave Fairgrounds go to dinner
• 9:15 p.m. Return to hotel, post contest team meeting
• 10:30 p.m. Bed time

    For the past year and a half myself and five other students who participated on LBCC’s Livestock Judging Team have endured many days like the time-line above.

For those of you whom have never heard of livestock judging, it is a competition in which students from schools across the country individually evaluate classes of livestock, that have been judged by a committee of professionals who decide the official placing and decide how many points students should be docked for not placing the class as the officials did.

    There are four animals in each class and contestants rank the animals from best to worst. Species that are evaluated in livestock judging include beef cattle, sheep, swine, and occasionally goats. Certain classes at each contest are designated as ‘reasons classes;’ this means that students must create and give an oral presentation to one of the officials that describes the animals in the class and then explains why they were placed in the class the way they did.

     An entire livestock judging contest normally takes about eight hours and is mentally grueling. Awards are given both to individuals and teams who excel in individual species, and oral reasons.

Students begin training as freshman, and work diligently to improve their skills for a full year before they begin to compete in contests as sophomores. To prepare for livestock judging contests, teams must practice evaluating livestock and giving oral reasons several times a week and must sacrifice several weekends to improving their skills.

    Most competitions are held thousands of miles away from Oregon and require the team to spend quite a bit of time missing school in order to travel and compete. With a significant amount of practice and traveling across the country to several different competitions, team members are extremely busy and have little time for homework.

    The Linn-Benton Livestock Judging Team began their season this year before Fall term began by attending a competition in Wichita, Kansas; where they won the beef cattle division and placed fourth overall.

    Excited about their success and wanting to maintain their competitive edge the team practiced relentlessly and pushed one another to be the better. One of the larger competitions LBCC’s team participates in is the North American International Livestock Exposition which is hosted in Louisville, Kentucky.

    At the Louisville contest, the team was ninth in oral reasons, and sheep, and were tenth in beef and overall. Pleased with their success LBCC’s team spent two weeks over winter break practicing, and worked harder than ever to perfect their skills. During the first week of winter term, Linn-Benton’s Livestock Judging Team traveled to Denver, Colorado for the National Western Stock Show their final and toughest competition.

    The team had a great day in Denver, they were 9^th overall, 4^th in sheep and goats, and Cody Lacy was fifth in the car load contest.

    Over the course of the season, the team bonded and gained a sense of comradery both in and outside of practice. Drawn together by their busy schedules, competitive nature, sleep deprivation, and most importantly their love of the livestock industry the LBCC Livestock Judging Team began to view each other as family.

    While many of you may not know much about livestock judging, you should know this, it is an activity that challenges critical thinking skills, improves public speaking, teaches life skills, draws teams together, and has a practical application to real life in the agricultural industry.

I show

My roommate introduced me to this poem and I instantly fell in love with it. It perfectly describes what it means to have a passion for showing livestock, and I thought it might be useful for those of you who are not familiar with the livestock industry. I was not able to find the author of this poem.


I show.....
...and I am the definition of dedication.
...I have felt the despair of "the gate" and I know that I don't want that feeling again, and
...I have experienced the gratification of the handshake and I know that I want that feeling again, again, and again!
...I believe that fitters are actually artists in Wranglers and Rockports.
...I have been to the first pen and I am going back for more!
...I can see the beauty in a rock-solid "brace" and the grace in a "good drive."
...And my favorite color is PURPLE!
...If I have to, I'll sort through 1,000 head and drive as many miles unil I find "The One."
...There is magic in my step, skill in my hands, and electricity in my step.
...And while my classmates are watching TV and playing video games, I am feeding and weighing and exercising and planning and practicing.
...and if Mom's got the video camera and Dad's got a worried look it must be SHOWTIME!
...I know that if it's to be, it's up to me.
...I know the REAL value of groovy tops, jacked fronts, crisp loin edges, and sexy curves.
...I know the best place to watch Grand Drive from is in the Ring!
...I will avoid corners and "low spots" at all costs.
...I can talk the talk and walk the walk and I'm not stopping until I grab the banner!
...After God, my family, and my country, my stock comes next.
...And if you need to find me ... I will be in the barn!!!

I SHOW..... Therefore I AM!!!!

LBCC's Equestrain Club- First Commuter Article

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LBCC’s Equestrian Club

Published on January 23, 2012

By Alyse Armstrong/Contributing Writer

                Jenny Strooband has been the Equestrian Team Coach at Linn-Benton Community College, for the last ten years. For the last six of those ten she has coached students all the way to the national competition!  This year’s Equestrian Team Captain is Levi Comerford.

                LBCC’s Equestrian team competes through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Assocaition (IHSA). IHSA is comprised of several different regions that host shows for other teams in their region to attend. Linn-Benton is the only community college in the region, so they mostly compete against universities. The teams in their region are from Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. LBCC hosted a contest on November 21^st of this year; the competition is also the team’s fundraiser. Most of the shows are formatted exactly the same and Jenny said each show they attend is a lot of fun.

There are two kinds of equestrian teams; the first is Hunt Seat Equitation, which has eight levels based on experience. The most basic level is beginner for riders with little experience, and the most advanced level is open hunt seat.  LBCC has a smaller Hunt Seat Equitation Team this year with a total of six members .They have competed in a few shows and are looking forward to their two remaining competitions.

                The second team is Western Horsemanship, there are six levels the beginning level is walk/jog and the most advanced is open reigning. The Western Horsemanship Team competes in the fall, and is already done for the year. They were awarded third place out of the nine teams in the region.

                Being a member of the LBCC Equestrian Team is advantageous to students in several ways. First of all, it is a co-curricular team that encourages sportsmanship and teamwork. Team members also get a good amount of  free riding time, professional instruction, and access to well trained horses which is difficult for many college students due to lack of funds.

                Strooband informed me that while being on the Equestrian Team is an amazing opportunity, it can be difficult at times. Most shows are held on back to back weekends, each show generally means a sixteen hour day for contestants. Not only can this be very tiring but it also gives students little time to complete homework.

                For those of you who are interested in getting involved with Linn-Benton’s Equestrian Team try outs for the next competitive year will be the second week of classes for fall term 2012. Anyone is welcome to try out regardless of experience, in fact beginners are encouraged!