How to show off your animals in a show ring

Andrew and Colette Masterson run an expanded farming concern on the farm Milagro in the Humansdorp district. Their farm includes, among others, a Simmentaler stud and an Angus stud. The Mastersons are active participants in the show ring. Annelie Coleman reports.

- Annelie Coleman

The Mastersons run their farming enterprise near Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape's Humansdorp district. Their Milagro Simmentaler stud was started in 2004, while the Angus stud was started in 2009.

"We enjoy the competitive aspect of participating in shows and showing gives any breeder the opportunity to compare his best animals with the best from other herds. Showing provides the ideal opportunity for networking with fellow breeders and potential customers and the marketing benefits of being successful in the show ring cannot be underestimated," Andrew Masterson explains.

He adds that while social media has provided the opportunity for breeders to 'show' their cattle through photos that can be manipulated, it cannot compare with actual showing.

"Many breeders have Facebook champions, but I would encourage them to experience the exposure and thrill of the real show," says Masterson.

BENEFITS OF SHOWING

Asked how the livestock breeds in South Africa benefit from partaking in shows, Masterson explains that a show is an event where the breeds can be introduced to potential buyers and the general public.

Breeds that participate in shows are constantly under scrutiny, and if certain breed characteristics are being neglected, competing in the show ring highlights this.

"When selecting my Simmentalers and Angus breeds for a show, my main criteria are that the animals must be functionally sound. That means that they need basic structural correctness to enable them to survive and thrive in the different environmental conditions in which cattle are farmed.

"Bulls need to be masculine and females need to be feminine. Feet and legs must be functionally correct for the animals to produce and reproduce.