Breaking free from the chains of the past Where
truth moves faster than a Holstein calf No law
waiting on some printed page We're charting new
ground in the digital age From genomic codes
to robot facts We cut through the noise, no hold
them back not your daddy's dairy news tonight
we're sparking Welcome back to the Bullvine Podcast.
I'm your host, and today, picture this. The sun's
beating down. The air is thick with anticipation
at the fairgrounds. A young dairy judge, maybe
a bit nervous but determined, steps into the
reasons room. They take a deep breath, plant
their feet, and for the next two minutes, they
weave a tale. A tale of why they lined up those
Holstein four -year -olds just so. This isn't
just about points in a contest, my friends. This
is where the magic happens. This is where technical
observation transforms into compelling argument.
It's like watching a seasoned herdsman explain
their breeding philosophy, or a top -notch nutritionist
lay out why a ration change is going to make
all the difference. That precision, that poise,
that power to persuade, it's all being forged
right there. but it gets me thinking, and I bet
some of you too, are we squeezing every drop
of educational goodness out of oral reasons?
Or have we gotten so caught up in the formalities
of competition that we've kind of lost sight
of how these skills play out in the real world,
on our farms, in our businesses? You see this
scene play out year after year, from the smallest
county fair, to the grand stages of World Dairy
Expo, from 4 -H gatherings, to the intense National
Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest.
Spectators might just see the cows and the ribbons,
but those of us in the know, we understand that
oral reasons, that's the proving ground for the
next wave of articulate, analytical, and confident
leaders in our daily industry. So why is mastering
oral reasons such a game changer for your dairy
career? Well, let me tell you, it's huge. In
most contests, those reasons are worth a whopping
50 % of your total score. Think about that, just
as much as getting the placings right. It tells
you something fundamental. Seeing what's in front
of you is only half the journey. Being able to
explain why and defend your observations, that's
the other equally valuable half. I remember a
veteran dairy science educator telling me, dairy
judging teaches decision -making better than
anything else I know. Oral reasons are necessary
for that decision -making process. And he was
spot on. It's a classic scenario. You identify
a problem. Which cow is better? You explore alternatives,
look at all their traits, you gather your information,
make those keen observations, and then you make
a final, defensible decision. And these skills,
they don't just stay in the show ring. Talk to
anyone who's been on a judging team. They tell
you that making sharp observations, organizing
thoughts under pressure, speaking confidently,
and persuasively defending your choices. These
are the golden tickets they've used throughout
their professional lives. Whether you're a herd
manager talking to your team about new protocols
or a dairy nutritionist explaining complex ration
tweets to a producer, it's the same skill set.
Dr. Les Hansen, a judging coach many of us respect
immensely, often says, public speaking causes
students to be concise and make a point. And
isn't that what we need? Clear, effective communication
is king. Whether you're running a farm, in veterinary
practice, out in sales, consulting, you name
it. Now, let's talk about what separates the
good reasons from the truly outstanding ones.
When I'm listening, or when any judge is, we're
looking at two main things, content and delivery.
Both are important, no doubt. But content, that's
the heavyweight champion. You can have the smoothest,
most eloquent delivery in the world, but if your
observations are off or your analysis is weak,
it's like having a state -of -the -art milking
parlor, but your mastitis management is terrible.
It just won't hold up. So, what makes for convincing
content? First and foremost, accuracy above all.
Sprocity rate 3%. This is the golden rule, the
one I preach constantly. Don't lie. Every single
thing you say must be based on what you actually
saw. If you didn't see it, don't invent it. It's
like your DHI records. They need to show actual
production, not what you wish the cows were giving.
A seasoned judge can spot a fabricated difference
a mile away. And your credibility? Poof. Gone.
And here's a tough question we need to ask ourselves,
especially at the youth levels. How many judges
are out there feeling pressured to fill their
time and just making stuff up? Describing differences
they didn't truly see just to sound detailed.
One instructor put it bluntly, accuracy is the
most important thing in a reason set. Your credibility
is shot the moment you mention traits that aren't
accurate to the animals. Next up. Specific, detailed,
and comparative language. Vague phrases like,
she has a better udder or she shows nice dairy
character, they just don't cut it. It's like
telling a farmer to improve herd health without
giving them any specific actions. Elite judges
use language that paints a picture. Instead of
cow 1 has a better udder than cow 2, you'll hear
something like, 1 shows a higher, wider rear
udder attachment that's more firmly attached,
along with a stronger median suspensory ligament
that creates more clearly defined halves, and
a 4 udder that blends more smoothly into the
body wall compared to 2. See the difference?
That level of detail, that's what we're looking
for, like a comprehensive genomic analysis giving
specific data, not just an overall rank. Then
prioritize by importance. When you're comparing
animals, you lead with the biggest, most obvious
differences. That shows sound judgment. Now the
PDCA Unified Scorecard gives us weightings. Utter
40%, dairy strength 25%, feet and legs 20%, frame
15%. And those are crucial. But your reasons
need to reflect the actual cows in front of you.
Just like a herd manager prioritizes daily tasks
based on immediate needs, not a rigid checklist.
A successful coach once told me, within each
pair, you must start with the most important
and obvious difference between the two cows.
If two cows have similar udders, but one clearly
excels in feet and legs. Lead with that more
apparent distinction, rather than forcing an
udder comparison. It doesn't mean you ignore
the scorecard. but your initial attack on a pair
should highlight the most glaring differences.
The overall emphasis on traits like utter across
the whole set should still reflect their fundamental
importance though. But again, let's be honest
here. Have we become so fixated on those scorecard
percentages that we're sometimes creating artificial
hierarchies in our reasons, ones that don't truly
reflect what we saw in the ring? Food for thought.
And finally for content. Organize for clarity.
A well -structured set of reasons flows logically,
like a well -designed barn that makes cow flow
easy. You know the standard format, opening statement
with your placing, then systematic comparisons,
pair by pair, 1 over 2, 2 over 3, 3 over 4, remembering
to give grants where lower -placed animals excel,
and a neat conclusion, and within each pair,
talk about all the utter traits, then all the
dairy strength. then feet and legs don't jump
around this isn't just about making it easy for
the judge to follow it's showing you can organize
information logically a skill that's gold in
any part of our industry from breeding strategies
to sops for your team now this traditional structure
it served us well for generations it's a fantastic
foundation but i have to ask Is this rigid format
always the best way to build the real -world
communication skills our industry demands today?
Think about it. Out in the commercial dairy world,
you rarely get two minutes for a perfectly polished
comparative monologue. You need to make your
point and make it fast. A vet explaining treatment
options, a sire analyst backing up their mating
choices, a nutritionist defending a ration change,
they need to be clear, persuasive, and efficient.
Often, in 30 seconds or less. Are we sometimes
training contestants to be so good at reciting
a format that they struggle to adapt when they're
not in that reasons room? The most successful
pros I know can tailor their communication on
the fly, whether they're talking high -level
stuff with peers or simplifying things for someone
less technical. This isn't about throwing out
structure. Not at all. It's about teaching the
why behind the structure. so students can apply
those principles flexibly. Maybe, just maybe,
the next step in reasons training needs to include
practice scenarios that feel more like those
real -world, time -crunch moments. Let's talk
about the lingo, mastering the language of champions.
Our dairy industry has this incredibly rich,
specific vocabulary for describing cow confirmation.
It allows us to pinpoint those subtle yet significant
differences that really do impact how long a
cow lasts and how much milk she'll put in the
tank. The absolute heart of good reasons is comparative
language. You're always comparing, never just
describing. That comparison gives context. It
shows you're making an evaluative judgment. It's
like DHIR records. They're most useful when you
see them compared within a herd, not just as
standalone numbers. The easiest trick, use adjectives
ending in "-er". Taller, wider, deeper, sharper,
cleaner. Or add more if "-er doesn't work. More
dairy, more capacious, more correct. And please
avoid the word better like the plague if you
can't specify how. Instead of one has a better
utter, say one has a higher, wider rear utter
attachment and a more strongly attached foreutter
than two. Specificity is key. Let's run through
some essential terms for each scorecard category.
For udder, 40 % of the score, you want terms
like stronger fore -utter attachment with less
bulging at the quarter junctions, higher rear
-utter attachment with the secretory tissue starting
well above the hock, deeper crease in her udder
indicating a stronger median suspensory ligament,
carries her udder higher above the hocks with
more youthful suspension, more symmetry and balance
of quarters with teats more centrally placed
beneath each quarter. For dairy strength, 25%,
think about capacity and efficiency. More angularity
with a longer, leaner neck transitioning more
smoothly into the shoulder. Cleaner about the
head, neck, and withers with more defined bone
structure. More open and well sprung in her ribs
with greater chest capacity. More incurving thigh
providing evidence of adipose mobilization for
milk production. Sharper over her top line while
maintaining adequate widths across the loin.
But let's be honest again, and this is a tough
one. How often do we see significant differences
in these dairy strength traits that genuinely
impact production, versus just finding small
things to say to fit our placings? It's something
to chew on. Alright, let's rewind. Before you
even step into that reasons room, there's the
critical phase, ringside to reasons room, the
note -taking process. This is your lifeline,
folks. Good notes are the bridge between what
you saw in the ring and what you say later. Without
them, even the sharpest mind will forget those
crucial comparative details. It's like a dairy
farmer trying to make management decisions without
good herd records. You're flying blind. So what
should you be jotting down? Focus on the key
differences that drove your placing decisions.
Maybe start with something distinctive to identify
each cow, the roan cow, tallest in class. Then
once you have a tentative placing, zero in on
those major comparisons between your pairs. Biggest
differences first. Be specific. And here's a
hard truth many coaches might not shout from
the rooftops. Great note -taking is often more
valuable than a photographic memory. Trust me,
even top judges can forget vital details in the
hour or more. between seeing the class and giving
reasons. Your ability to capture the right observations,
right then and there, often matters more than
raw talent or how smooth a talker you are. Now
you've got your notes, your content is solid.
Let's talk about delivering with impact, the
performance aspect, because even the most accurate
reasons can fall flat if the delivery isn't there.
How you present yourself and your words massively
influences how they're received and scored. It's
like nutrition advice. The same info can land
very differently depending on whether it's coming
from a confident nutritionist or an uncertain
rep. Project that confidence. Stand squarely,
good posture, about 5 to 8 feet from the judge.
Many like to clasp their hands behind their back.
Keeps you from fidgeting. Your voice needs to
be clear, distinct, and confident. Loud enough
to be heard easily, but you're not shouting.
Think of a respected herds person getting clear
instructions that carry across the holding pen.
An eye contact. Maintain it with the judge. It
shows conviction. It builds a connection. But
here's another uncomfortable reality we need
to face. Do we sometimes reward an overly rehearsed,
almost artificial delivery more than genuine
knowledge and passion? Are we accidentally teaching
students to be theatrical performers instead
of articulate professionals? It's a fine line.
So how do we get to that point of excellence,
training, practice techniques that create champions?
Mastering reasons takes dedicated practice, just
like developing a high -producing herd needs
both top genetics and stellar management. One
technique I absolutely love is repeat sets. You
give your reasons for a class, get specific feedback,
and then boom, you deliver them again, right
away, incorporating those suggestions. It's an
iterative process, and it works wonders for rapidly
improving both content and delivery. That immediate
application helps lock in good habits and fix
errors before they stick. Kind of like immediately
correcting milking technique to keep those somatic
cell counts down. Another great tool. Recording
for self -assessment. Video or audio record your
practice sessions. It lets you be your own objective
critic. Look at your posture, eye contact, pacing.
how you're using your terminology i always tell
my students to review recordings with different
focuses first for content organization then for
delivery volume enthusiasm and then for specific
word choices and transitions this layered review
helps isolate different parts for targeted improvement
much like we analyze milk components repro records
and health data separately to get the full picture
of herd performance and here's a practice technique
that I think many coaches overlook. Have students
deliver reasons in real -world scenarios. Get
them to explain a class to someone who knows
nothing about dairy, in just 30 seconds. Or have
them justify their placing to a skeptical farmer
who completely disagrees. These exercises build
an adaptability that formal contest prep often
misses. Transition to a slightly more serious,
analytical tone. Let's touch on common pitfalls
and how to avoid them. Knowing the frequent mistakes
helps everyone. Using better without specificity.
We've hit this one, but it bears repeating. Swap
it for specific comparatives. One is higher in
the rear udder attachment. Not one has a better
rear udder. Just like specific breeding goals,
like increasing component percentages, are way
more useful than just improving the herd. Describing
instead of comparing. Always, always compare
directly. One is taller than two. Not just one
is a tall cow. Production records are most valuable
in contemporary groups, right? Same idea. Disorganized
flow. Stick to that standard structure. And within
a pair, finish one trait category before moving
on. Like a milking routine, consistent, logical
sequence works best. And the most insidious pitfall
of them all, in my opinion. Going through the
motions without genuine understanding, I've seen
too many contestants who can recite a perfect
set of reasons, but don't truly grasp why the
differences they're describing actually matter
to a cow's function, her productivity, her longevity.
So ask yourself, are you explaining real functional
differences or just spitting bat phrases you've
been taught? The beauty of mastering oral reasons
is that it goes so far beyond the contest. It
shapes industry leaders, the structured decision
-making, the defense of that placement. It cultivates
critical thinking that applies everywhere, from
picking replacement heifers to evaluating big
farm investments. You're creating the complete
professional. That concise, persuasive communication
under pressure builds public speaking confidence
that will serve you your entire career. As one
industry pro put it, dairy judging teaches talking
and interacting with people. working with others,
being part of a team, having a boss or coach,
working toward a common goal, and getting a job
done. These are essential skills, whether you're
managing a 5 ,000 -cow dairy or consulting as
a vet. Plus, those habits of careful observation,
methodical note -taking, and evidence -based
reasoning. They make you a better problem solver.
Period. Invaluable when you're troubleshooting
milk quality, tackling repro challenges, or fine
-tuning feed efficiency. So, this brings me to
a crucial point. A call to rethink our approach.
It's time for a really candid chat about how
we teach and evaluate oral reasons. The tradition
is valuable, no doubt. But we must ensure we're
prepping students for the realities of modern
dairy communication, not just for contest ribbons.
So, I want you to ask yourself whether you're
a contestant, a coach, or just someone passionate
about this industry. Are your reasons truly reflecting
what you saw? Or are you kind of nudging observations
to fit a pattern? Could you explain your dairy
evaluation to someone completely outside our
world in a way they'd understand and find convincing?
Are you building transferable communication skills
or just contest techniques? I want to challenge
every single one of you, coaches, judges, contestants,
to weave these practical exercises into your
reasons practice. The 30 -second elevator pitch.
Deliver a super concise version of your reasons
to someone with zero dairy background. Can you
capture the essence of why your top cow won?
Focusing on just one or two key functional advantages.
In the time it takes for an elevator ride. This
hones your ability to be concise and impactful.
The skeptical producer. Explain your placing
to a producer who flat out disagrees with you.
This builds your ability to persuade and handle
pushback. No jargon allowed. Justify your evaluation
without using any industry -specific terms. Can
you make your case in plain language? the authenticity
check, record yourself, then listen back, critically,
do you sound authentic? Or like you're reciting
a script. Our dairy industry needs professionals
who can communicate effectively in all sorts
of diverse contexts, not just those who shine
in the admittedly artificial setting of a reasons
room. By broadening how we practice and what
we value in evaluation, we can better equip the
next generation for true, real -world success.
all while cherishing the valuable tradition of
formal reasons. The next time you step into that
reasons room, or you're coaching a young judge,
remember this. The ultimate aim isn't just to
perfect a two -minute memorized speech. It's
to develop the power to make sound decisions
and communicate them persuasively, no matter
the setting. That is the true legacy, the enduring
value of the oral reasons tradition. And it's
on all of us to make sure it stays relevant and
powerful for generations to come. So my question
to you is, how will you transform your approach
to oral reasons to better prepare yourself or
your students for real -world dairy industry
communication? The answer to that might just
define not only competitive success, but professional
impact for years down the road. Thanks for tuning
in to the Bullvine Podcast. Until next time,
keep those conversations flowing and those standards
high.