The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) Beef Exhibitor Show Total (BEST) program includes the Stockmanship Division to allow exhibitors with or without cattle to showcase their talent outside of the ring by expanding their knowledge of cattle and the industry. It is open to all Ohio youth regardless of if they show cattle during the BEST show season. This division is sponsored by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.
The Stockmanship contests for this year are as follows:
Prepared Speaking
Scarlet & Gray Midwest Showdown, Columbus - Saturday, Jan. 8 at 9 a.m.
The Prepared Speaking competition will give juniors an opportunity to perfect their speaking skills while promoting the importance of communication skills, poise and use-of-terms to present on a beef industry topic they are passionate about.
Salesmanship
The Weekend Spectacular, Marion - Saturday, Jan. 22 at 9 a.m.
Juniors will catch a glimpse at a real-life situation of selling cattle or an agriculture product while promoting the importance of personable communication skills and marketing techniques to display their understanding of performance, pedigree and market information.
Cattlemen's Challenge
Clark County Cattle Battle, Springfield - Saturday, Jan. 29 at 9 a.m.
OCA’s version of a skillathon will give juniors the chance to flaunt their knowledge on topics associated with the beef industry including reproduction, nutrition, health, meats, current events and an interview portion.
Fitting Contest
DTS Cupid Classic - Friday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m.
This competition will allow a fitting team of four to put their clipping and grooming skills to the test by taking 30 minutes to use grooming tools such as clippers, blowers, etc. to prepare the animal to be paraded in front of a panel of judges.
Judging Contest
Ohio Beef Expo, Columbus – Friday, March 18
Judging teams of three or four will gather their clipboards and pencils to evaluate and place groups of cattle. The competition will conclude with questions being asked orally. Competitors will be allowed 12 minutes to evaluate a class and the top 3 teammates scores overall will be counted.
Existing BEST participants can sign-up for the Stockmanship division under their BEST user profile at best.ohiocattle.org for no additional cost outside of existing cattle nominations. Age -eligible individuals wishing to participate in the Stockmanship division, but don’t have any cattle enrolled in the 2021-2022 BEST program, should create a username and profile at best.ohiocattle.org and elect to participate in the Stockmanship division.
Non-cattle exhibiting BEST Stockmanship participants will need to ensure they have a current $75 family OCA membership and will pay a one-time Stockmanship participation fee of $60. Individuals may sign up for the Stockmanship program at any point throughout the season.
Both the Fitting and the Judging contests will have an additional registration fee. The Fitting contest fee will be $20 per participant and the Judging contest fee will be $10 per participant.
A cumulative points scale for the Stockmanship division will be utilized for overall finishes and end-of-year point tabulation. Overall Stockmanship awards will be presented at the OCA BEST Banquet on May 7, 2022. The top five individuals in the following divisions will be recognized: Beginner, Junior, Novice, Intermediate and Senior. Age breaks will follow that of the BEST program’s showmanship rules. To qualify for the end of year Stockmanship awards, the participant must have completed two contests, be a current OCA member by Jan. 1, 2022 or at the time of Stockmanship sign-up, and complete their Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification. Stockmanship participants may complete their BQA at any session offered at a BEST sanctioned show, online at BQA.org or at YQCA.org.
To register for the Stockmanship competitions or to learn more about this division, click here.