How to Become a Dairy Show Judge

Dairy show judges typically observe groups of 4 cows at a time and rank them based on their appearance and dairy conformation. Dairy judging can also help you develop your decision-making, observation, and public speaking skills. If you want to start judging dairy cows, start by learning the important anatomy that gets judged in competitions. Start attending contests and join a judging team so you can get practice and advice on how to get better. With a lot of hard work and commitment, you may get asked or nominated to judge competitions professionally!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Learning the Cow's Anatomy

Judging a dairy cow means looking at the cow’s body to determine how “ideal” they are for dairy production. Judging a cow is broken up into 4 main parts of its anatomy: the udder, the dairy strength, the rear feet and legs, and the cow’s frame. Familiarize yourself with the basic anatomy of a cow so you can look at them from a distance and judge them.^{[1]XResearch source}
Tip: Each breed of cow also has their own characteristics to look for while you’re judging them. Look in a judging handbook to see how different cows are judged and evaluated.
2
Focus on the shape and look of the cow’s udder. The udder is the most important aspect when judging a dairy cow and accounts for 40% of judging scores. When you look at a cow’s udder, keep in mind how low the udder hangs, how wide it is in the front and rear, the shape of the teats, and how the teats are placed on the udder. Observe the udder closely and at a distance so you can easily compare it to other cows in the group.^{[2]XResearch source}
- The bottom of the udder should stop just before the hocks, which are the middles of the rear legs.
- The back of the udder should be wide and high and have a uniform width.
- The teats should be cylindrical in shape, between 2 ¹⁄₄–3 ¹⁄₄ inches (5.7–8.3 cm) long, and hang straight down.
- The udder cleft is the line that runs vertically on the back of the udder and shouldn’t be too shallow or deep.
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3
Pay attention to the “dairy strength” of the cattle. The dairy strength of the cow refers to its body shape, such as the width of the chest, the angularity of its body, and the distance between its ribs. Dairy strength accounts for about 25% of the final judging score in competitions. Check the animal’s body from a distance to get an initial look before observing its body close up.^{[3]XResearch source}
- The cow’s ribs should be wide apart with flat, deep bones slanted toward the rear.
- The chest should be deep and wide so it has room for healthy organs.
- Look at the leanness of the thighs and neck to see if they smoothly transition to the rest of the body.
- Check that the cow’s skin is thin and pliable.
4
Evaluate the rear feet and legs of the cow. The rear feet and legs determine the cow’s stature and are important for judging the movement. Rear feet and legs make up 20% of the final judging score, so they aren’t as important as the udder or dairy strength. Pay attention to the cow’s back legs when you look at it from the side and rear, the foot shape, and the way the cow walks around to determine the score.^{[4]XResearch source}
- The cow should have a long and fluid stride so when it walks.
- Make sure the rear legs are straight and wide-set so its feet are squarely placed on the ground.
- Check the angle of the cow’s feet, since they should be steep with well-rounded toes.
- Pay attention to the cow’s flexibility when it’s moving around since this can also affect the final score.
5
Check the traits of the cow’s frame. The cow’s frame refers to its skeletal structure, minus the rear feet and legs. When you examine the cow’s frame, pay attention to its rump, front end, back, and stature. The frame makes up 15% of the final score while you’re judging the cow, so it is the least impactful aspect of judging dairy cattle.^{[5]XResearch source}
- The cow’s rump should be long and wide throughout with the pointed pin bones slightly lower than the hips.
- Look for straight front legs that are wide apart and squarely placed on the cow’s body. Make sure the shoulder blades and elbows are firmly placed against its chest.
- Check that the cow’s back is straight and strong.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Involved in Judging

1
Search for a mentor at a young age to develop your judging skills. Start your search for dairy judging mentors while you’re young since many competitions are geared toward youth and college levels. Look for someone who has worked in judging before or has been in dairy show competitions before and ask them to mentor you. Tell them that you would like to judge dairy competitions so they can help you look for the important characteristics in a dairy cow. ^{[6]XResearch source}
- If you don’t know anybody that is involved with dairy cows or competitions, you may be able to find mentors at a local Future Farmers of America (FFA) or 4-H branch.
- You can still look for mentors and try judging if you’re an adult or out of school.
2
Try judging cows using example worksheets. Even if you aren’t able to judge cows in person, you can still find ways to practice your skills at home. Look online for practice worksheets that let you look at pictures of cows so you can rank them on your own. Carefully look at the pictures on the worksheet and start ranking the cows based on their appearance. Check your rankings with the answer key for the worksheet to see how well you placed each cow.^{[7]XResearch source}
- You can find worksheets for judging and scoring dairy cows here: http://extension.usu.edu/cache/files/Dairy_Judging_Workbook.pdf.
- If you have a chance, try visiting a dairy farm or someone that owns dairy cows so you can observe them in person and gain real-life experience.
3
Practice giving oral reasoning on how you ranked the cows. A main component of judging dairy shows is explaining why you ranked cows in a certain order. Start by stating the age and breed of the cow, what rank you gave it compared to other cows, comparisons to other cows you ranked, and end with the placing. Keep your oral reasoning between 90-120 seconds without referring to any notes you took on the cow. Make sure you use a pleasant and conversational tone while presenting.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Use comparative terms to differentiate the cows from one another rather than using descriptive language. You can find lists of comparative terms and an example oral reasoning here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/emergingissues/compensation/downloads/judgingdairycattle.pdf.
- Avoid using phrases like “I think” or “I feel” since it makes you seem unsure about your choices.
- Practice maintaining good eye contact while you’re presenting so you seem more confident.
Tip: Start by giving very short and concise reasons when you first start so you don’t forget what you need to say. As you get more comfortable, start including more reasoning into your oral presentation.
4
Visit dairy show competitions to observe how other judges work. Look for dairy show competitions near you and attend them if you can. Watch the entire show so you can see how the judges act around the cows and inspect them for their critique. As you watch the judges, practice judging them on your own to see if your ranking matches with the professional judges.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Reach out to some of the dairy judges or farmers while you’re at the show to express your interest in judging since they may be able to guide you toward how to get started.
Many colleges and youth 4-H programs have dairy judging teams that you can join to get real experience. Check your local branches of the FFA and 4-H to see if there are any teams you can join so you can go to competitions. Work with your team so you can practice and become better judges together and succeed at judging competitions.^{[10]XResearch source}
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Networking with Judges

1
Continue competing in competitions to become more prominent in your field. Keep practicing judging in and out of competitions to increase your skills and to get a better understanding of the field. As you keep competing in competitions, your name will get more recognizable to professionals in the judging community. Attend as many competitions as you can so you can keep networking and meeting other people that have similar goals as you.
- If you can’t compete anymore due to age restrictions or other factors, try coaching a team so you can still get involved.
2
Talk to competition officials and other teams at shows to meet more people. When you’re at competitions, reach out to the organizers and professionals that score you. Let them know that you hope to keep judging dairy cows and that you want to excel in your career. They may be able to help you take the next steps or they may keep you in consideration for judging future competitions. If you meet other judging teams, reach out to them and see if they know of any other opportunities you can take.
- For example, you may say something like, “I’m hoping to be a judge for a dairy show. Do you know of any opportunities coming up that I could volunteer for?”
- Be professional when you introduce yourself and when communicating with the officials or else they may not take you seriously.
3
Fill out an application to get added to an approved judges list. If you want to be considered to judge dairy shows on a larger scale, you may need to be added to an approved judge list. Read through the application for becoming an approved judge to see if you qualify and to learn any additional requirements you need. Fill the application out with your personal information and any judging competitions you’ve been in. Submit the application when you’re finished and wait for a response.^{[11]XResearch source}
- You can find a judge list application here: http://www.holsteinusa.com/pdf/Show_Judges_List_Application.pdf.
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Tips

Even if you don’t start judging dairy shows professionally, competing and attending can help boost your confidence and public speaking skills.
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