Knic Overpeck left 400 acres of waterlogged hay fields to judge beef cattle at the Calgary Stampede.
The longtime judge from Clinton, Indiana had to scrutinize six breeds of beef animals.
And he liked what he saw.
“The Canadian cattle are not as highly conditioned, which I prefer,” he said between the Pinzgauer and Maine Anjou shows.
“It takes a lot of work to melt that fat off a bull.”
He likes functional cattle that are ready to go to work in a commercial herd.
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When judging an event, Overpeck looks for typical breed characteristics.
He also looks for well-rounded, fit animals that walk well, and look fertile with a good udder or testicle development.
He also sees some trends he does not like.
Solid black cattle show up everywhere, regardless of breed.
Selecting for color is a trend that started in the United States under the influence of a few influential breeders, said Overpeck, who raises Angus, Simmentals and commercial cattle.
“If you select for color alone, you will get into trouble,” he said.
Overpeck says some breeders sacrifice other qualities in an animal in an effort to bring out color.
And, when the hide comes off, there is a difference in carcass quality, he said.
For Lloydminster judge Brian
Jurke, the color issue exists, but he is not so adamantly opposed.
He had just finished working the Limousin show where more than half the entrants were solid black rather than the traditional copper brown.
A judge for about eight years, Jurke believes in first impressions.
“I look at the cattle that catch your eye right off the bat,” he said after judging the Limousin show.
He likes a complete animal with a balanced frame and good muscling.
Unlike Overpeck who judges national shows, state fairs and high-profile events like the Calgary Stampede, Jurke does four to five shows a year ranging from 4-H events to Agribition in Regina.
Being a judge is never easy.
“It’s like being a referee in hockey,” said Jurke, who raises Black Angus and Limousin cattle.
“You’ll only have two, maybe four friends at the end of the show.”
