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Calf Clubs
You’re now well on the way to Calf Club. The event is usually held at the local community grounds, or at school, so you will have plenty of time to plan for the day.
Classes
You need to decide which classes you will be entering – while there are some variations, the classes tend to be :
- Leading
- Rearing
- Dairy type
- Beef type
For example, if you have a beautiful dairy calf which is leading well, you will enter it in leading, rearing and dairy type. However, if your calf is out of a dairy cow but sired by a beef bull, you will enter it in leading, rearing and beef type.
Leading Classes
If you have followed the guidelines in this resource, you’ll be more than ready to compete in the leading classes at your Calf Club. Judge will be watching your calf to see how obedient it is so you will want your calf to be leading well and obeying your ‘instructions’ to turn and stop.
Rearing
The Judge for this class will look at the calf to tell how well it has been reared (fed, groomed and cared for).
You must present the calf in spotless condition:
- coat clean and thoroughly brushed so there are no loose hairs or dust
- feet clean – remember to wipe any earth from its hooves
- clean around the outside of its ears
- clean around its nose and eyes
- clean halter and rope.
The calf, of course, has to be well behaved and stand still to allow the judge to run his/her hands over its body.
The judge may ask you some questions about the calf – its name, when it was born, what its breed is, and what you have been feeding it.
All of the above points on how to present your calf apply. The judge will be looking at your calf to see if it is a good example of its breed, and a great example of a future dairy cow.
- Its mouth will be checked to ensure its teeth are in a line so it can chew grass well
- Its head will be checked to be sure it has alert eyes and its ears are on the same angle
- Its legs will be checked to ensure they are straight and strong
- The judge will run his/her hands over its back and ribs and will check its udder to make sure it has four teats
- The judge will then want to look at the calf from the front and rear to be sure it is balanced and may ask you to walk away from him/her to see how the calf moves.
Beef Type
All the points about ‘rearing type’ apply. The Judge will be looking at your calf to see if it is a good example of a dairy/beef crossbred suitable for rearing. The judge will do the same checks as he/she does for dairy type, but will not check the calf’s udder.
Dairy Type
All of the above points on how to present your calf apply. The judge will be looking at your calf to see if it is a good example of its breed, and a great example of a future dairy cow.
- Its mouth will be checked to ensure its teeth are in a line so it can chew grass well
- Its head will be checked to be sure it has alert eyes and its ears are on the same angle
- Its legs will be checked to ensure they are straight and strong
- The judge will run his/her hands over its back and ribs and will check its udder to make sure it has four teats
- The judge will then want to look at the calf from the front and rear to be sure it is balanced and may ask you to walk away from him/her to see how the calf moves.
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