For the Register By WAYNE BECKER
The Cooke County 4-H dairy judging teams participated in the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth on January 17. Three teams competed — two senior division teams (14 and over) and one junior team.
In the Junior Division, the Cooke County team placed second when judging the Brown Swiss classes, fifth when judging Holsteins, and third in giving oral reasons.
High-point individuals were Payton Dill who took third high in Brown Swiss, first in individual reason, and third high individual overall. The team consisted of Laura and Payton Dill, Erin Early, and Alexandria Harrell.
The senior team consisting of Paige Dill, Aaron Fleitman, Molly Pitzinger, and Whitney Taylor placed second on Holsteins and 3rd in oral reasoning as a team. The other senior team consisted of Victoria Blessing, Cade Early, Alicia Hellinger, and Rose Wyrick placed fourth on Holsteins and eighth in the Jersey classes.
The youth learn reasoning and decision-making skills in addition to functional traits for dairy cattle.
In particular, contestants compare cattle based on quality of udder, diary character, feet and legs, and body capacity.
Oral reasons consist of the contestant verbally presenting his or her placment for a class of cattle and then explaining the reasoning for the placing.
Dairy judging requires a significant amount of time, effort, and commitment by the youth involved, the parents and volunteers from the three local dairies, where the students practiced.
Picture 053: Wayne Becker (coach), Payton Dill, Alexandria Harrell, Erin Early, Laura Dill.
Picture 056: Top: Molly Pitzinger, Paige Dill, Victoria Blessing, Cade Early, Whitney Taylor, bottom: Rose Wyrick, Alicia Hellinger, Aaron Fleitman, Wayne Becker, team Coach and Cooke County AgriLIfe Extension Agent.
