While 2020 has had no shortage of disappointments, Ohio State University staff and students have been making the best of the situation with a variety of virtual contests to stay involved with their various niches of the livestock industry.
“As the powerhouse cow shows of the United States fell like dominoes, so did our opportunities for dairy judging contests. Without contests, some could assume that we would give in to the 2020 trauma. I am pleased to let you know that we did sustain dairy judging. As a small group and outside at farms, we made provisions to practice and learn,” said Bonnie Ayars, dairy program specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences at The Ohio State University. “Since July, some of us coaches kept discussing an online contest using classes at livetockjudging.com. Was it perfect and like real cows? Absolutely not, but we did come together to offer a secondary approach to students who have been waiting and planning for their opportunity. Instead