4-H Judging Camp Builds Life Skills
	
Auburn, April 19, 2004 --- More than 40 4-H members from 11 counties honed their critical 
thinking and public speaking skills at the Second Annual Alabama 4-H Youth Livestock Judging 
Camp in Cullman.
	
“Most of these young people had never given a set of reasons before,” said Johnny Gladney, an 
Alabama Cooperative Extension System agent in Tuscaloosa County.  “By the end of the camp, 
they had spoken in front of a judge more than a dozen times.”
	
In oral reasons, one component of livestock judging competitions, a contestant must tell a judge 
how he placed the four animals in a class and defend his rationale for the placings.
	
The camp, held March 30 through April 1 at the Cullman County Fairgrounds, was an intensive 
course in livestock judging.  Each participant presented 12 to 16 sets of oral reasons.  Eight 
classes of cattle and hogs were evaluated as part of the camp.
	
“We started with the basics of evaluating beef cattle and hogs,” said Gladney.  “Then we worked 
on how to take notes and how to develop your presentation to the judge.
	
“I know these young people felt they were worked hard, but by the end of the camp, most wanted 
to know when the next camp was going to be held and when was the next livestock judging 
contest that they could participate in.”
	
Kent Stanford, an Extension agent in St. Clair County, was one of the camp’s instructors.
	
“These young people developed some important skills,” said Stanford.  “They learned how to take 
in information, evaluate that information, make decisions, organize their thoughts and defend their 
decisions in an oral presentation.
	
“As important as those skills are in livestock judging, they are valuable skills these young people 
can use throughout their lives.”
	
A team of Extension agents, including Danny Cain from Walker County, Gerry Thompson from 
Limestone County, Mack Washington from Lamar County, Gladney and Stanford, coordinated 
this year’s camp.
	
Participants were from Autauga, Cullman, Elmore, Lamar, Lauderdale, Madison, Randolph, St. 
Clair, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston counties.
	
In 2003, two camps were held in Cullman, and about 60 4-H’ers participated.