JUDGING FRIESIANS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 382, 16 June 1928, Page 27

JUDGING FRIESIANS

OFFICIAL DEMONSTRATION The New Zealand Friesian Association held a conference of official judges in the Waikato recently. The party of 35 members in the morning visited the pedigree Friesian herd of the T. O. Hodgson estate at Tamahere, where the owners had brought together a large number of representative cows and bulls. These were generally inspected by the judges and then Mr. J. P. Kalaugher gave a special demonstration illustrating clearly the methods that should be adopted by judges in estimating the quality of the animals in the ring. The demonstrator stressed the point that large judging rings were necessary so that the general conformation and the character of the animals could he noted. Judges should note the carriage of the head, the freedom of movement, the triple wedge-shape, and the width of the chest, and on the judgment thus made the animals should be lined up in order of preference. In the “close-up” examination the important points to be noted were the width of muzzle, strength of lower jaw, character of the eye, depth of chest and spring of fore-rib, top line, quality of bone, qus.lity of skin and hair, capacity, width at hips, thurls and pin-bones, with particular stress on the udder and mammary veins. Mr. Kalaugher went fully into each point, e.g., he showed how in estimating the quality of bone the judge should feel the spiny processes of the backbone, the joints in the tail, and the ribs noting particularly in these that fiat, hard bone was highly desirable). Four cows were then lined up and Mr. E. M. North (Omimi), Mr. Jas. Hart (Tatanui) and Mr. Jolly (Waiultu) went over these in detail, showing their good points and their weaknesses, and answering many questions on various matters in connection therewith. A very free discussion ensued and many points of very considerable interest noted. It was generally agreed that a judge should not disqualify a cow blind in a quarter—he should penalise her, but still it might be possible for her to win. Cows in milk should be milked out before the final decision was made. Black spots on the lower part of the legs should not be a disqualification but in every close contest, the presence of a black spot there might be a deciding factor against the animal.