Lincoln is ready for Fair!

[fernandez0924]

This is our first year raising a steer. My son has done a great job with him, he sets up every time he stops and is extremely friendly. Tomorrow is the big day, when he leaves our home for fair. I am a little sad, but also proud of my son's work and ready to show him off. Please give me opinions on how he looks. Since we are beginners I'm not exactly sure what the judges are looking for, other than what I've researched online. Also, he was shaved, but I don't have a picture after shaving him. Thank you for any feedback or criticism.

[Nesikep]

He looks good... good luck at the fair, and most importantly, have fun

[Son of Butch]

Handsome young man on the halter. I believe the steer will be criticized for rear hocks being too close.
Wide stance = width throughout. But he looks delicious. Have fun.

[A.J.]

Well done by the young man. That will be a great experience and memories he will always have. I hope y'all have fun and they do well.

[fernandez0924]

I know it's not a great picture Son of Butch, but do his hocks look to close in this picture? I'm trying to find a better shot of his rear.

[Son of Butch]

No they don't, but it's what the judge does or doesn't see in the ring that counts.

[Boot Jack Bulls]

Well done! At this point, the main thing you can do is work on how he sets the steer up. Try it with legs tucked under him a bit more and work his belly with a show stick to see if you can pull up that top line. Make sure someone else takes the halter a couple times so your son can see how he should look from the judges view both on the move and set up. The ability to set one up and walk at the right speed to hide weakness and amplify strengths in show animals is almost as important as how you feed one! A good showman can put a marginal steer in the purple in a hurry!

[Bright Raven]

Great looking team. Good luck and have fun.

[fernandez0924]

Thank you for all the input! Lincoln did excellent at our county fair, he was 3rd overall steer out of 26. The judge really liked him and said the only reason he wasn't 1st in his market class was that he needed 5 more pounds of fat. My son and Lincoln also took first place in Showmanship together. This was our first steer project and I couldn't be more proud. However, I definitely got too attached and had an extremely hard time saying goodbye to him. We go next Sunday to pick out next years steer, which I will not be getting as close to, hopefully.

[Boot Jack Bulls]

Thank you for all the input! Lincoln did excellent at our county fair, he was 3rd overall steer out of 26. The judge really liked him and said the only reason he wasn't 1st in his market class was that he needed 5 more pounds of fat. My son and Lincoln also took first place in Showmanship together. This was our first steer project and I couldn't be more proud. However, I definitely got too attached and had an extremely hard time saying goodbye to him. We go next Sunday to pick out next years steer, which I will not be getting as close to, hopefully.

Congrats! That is a very respectable placing for a first year project! Picking out the next project is always a good way to boost spirits. I would look for a calf that has a touch more natural width this time. It will make it easier to get him to a good finish. One that has some hair to work with is a plus too, but obviously you and your son have a good handle on getting one to where it needs to be. Start with a calf with good structure and width and feed it well. Again, congrats on a job well done!

[VCC]

Great job on the steer, feeding one and getting it as close to 12:00 on show day is the hardest part, your son did very well for his first year.

A trick we use to get a nice smooth layer of cover on one is feeding Stabilized Rice Bran the last 90 days, It puts fat on the right way, smooth layer over the ribs and easy on their gut.

Like it was stated earlier, look for a calf with some width, depth and balance, always start at their feet and work your way up, if they have a hitch in the way they move or any other structure issues as a calf it is only going to get worse as they mature. Pick the calf that is both balanced and sound and you are ahead of the game.

Good luck with the next project.

[A.J.]

Great job. Glad he did so well. Hoping for more success with your next one.