Q&A With National Fluffy Cows Judge, Matt Leo Of California
By Amanda Radke | Contributing Editor Beef Magazine, Agriculture Speaker, Tri-State Livestock News, Farmers’ Advance
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Meet The People Behind The Fluffy Cows Part 2: The Judge
In this series, we meet the many individuals who help to support the youth showmen who work hard to get their fluffy cows ready for the show ring. Today, we meet the cattle judge. You’ll find the judge in the center of the show ring at county, state and national fairs and shows across the country. The judge has the great responsibility of sorting through the cattle that come into the ring, ranking these animals from top to bottom.
A judge looks for several things — overall presentation (the look and style that makes those fluffy cows stick out), muscling, structural soundness, depth of body, marbling (fat) ability, and in heifers, milking and maternal traits. What a judge decides in the ring often helps shape the state of the industry, and overall, it’s the hope that his decisions at a show will help ranchers back home make better breeding and management decisions to help create a better beef product.
Meet, Matt Leo, a cattle judge from Snelling, CA, who also raises fluffy cows of his own. Here is a quick Q&A session with Leo about fluffy cows, from the point of view of a judge.
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Q: Why are youth cattle shows so important?
A: Showing cattle (fluffy cows) is a great project for youth. It’s a huge responsibility to take care of those heifers and steers. They get up before school to wash and feed those animals. They work hard year-round to make sure the calves look the best that they can before the show. They learn the value of hard work, responsibility, and showmanship. It teaches kids how to be professional with their cattle in the show ring and hopefully that translates to their careers in their adult lives, as well. I think showing cattle is a great stepping stone for kids today like it was for me and my brother. I don’t think I would be doing what I’m doing today, if I hadn’t learned the lessons through showing cattle as a kid.
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Q: What are you looking for when you evaluate the cattle in the ring?
A: Cattle shows are teaching us how to make a better product in terms of beef. We are breeding these cattle that are stout and heavy-muscled. When I’m judging a steer show, I’m trying to find the calf that is going to have more body, more bone, are fast gainers and have lots of muscle — and that’s what we’re looking for in a great beef product for the consumer, as well. These shows are highlighting the best of the best.
Editor’s note: Folks who are interested in seeing fluffy cows in person need only to head to their nearest county or state fair, where they can also meet folks like Leo, who are longtime cattlemen in the business, as well as kids, who are just learning the ropes when it comes to raising a beef animal. Get to know the people behind the steaks you love. The county and state fair is the place to do it!
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Q: Do you think the term “fluffy cow” is a positive thing for beef producers and consumers?
A: Fluffy cow is a win-win for the cattle business. I hope it shines a light on the cattle industry and gives us positive feedback. I hope it introduces folks a lot on the young people and what a positive impact these fluffy cattle might have on their futures.
With anything, there’s always going to be two sides to every story. I think people who maybe have a negative viewpoint on the fluffy cow trend are the ones who don’t live it every day. We run stocker cattle, and put cattle in feedlots, too, and when I’m judging a show, I look at the cattle that will do well in those arenas, as well. It’s all relative to the beef product we see in the grocery stores.
Do you have questions for Leo? Leave them in the comments section below. Stay tuned for the next segment of the series — the fitter (who makes those fluffy cows so pretty).