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SDSU Youth Livestock Judging Camp

2022 SDSU Livestock Judging Team with awards

Camp 1: June 5-7, 2024


Camp 2: June 9-11, 2024

The SDSU Youth Livestock Judging Camp instruction will cover live evaluation of the primary livestock species (cattle, sheep/goats and swine), as well as preparation and critique of oral reasons. The camp will be led by Tommy Norman and members of the nationally competitive SDSU Livestock Judging team, which produced the Reserve National Champion Team in 2021 and the National Champion Livestock Judging Contestant in 2020. Camp attendees from 2021 went on to win at 5 state contests! Many teaching methods apply to this experience including lecture, demonstration, hands-on experience, one-on-one coaching and critiquing, along with question and answer sessions. Each participant will prepare and present several sets of oral reasons.

Livestock Judging Team members lined up in the showring at the North American International Livestock Exhibition for 2021.

Why come to camp?

  1. 1 on 1 Reasons Coaching from SDSU’s Nationally Competitive Team
  2. Instruction from SDSU’s Coach, Tommy Norman
  3. Judge multiple LIVE classes of multiple species
  4. Experience SDSU’s State of the Art Livestock Units
  5. Gain an onsite  experience of SDSU Campus and Residence Hall Life

Age requirement to attend this year's camp: Must be 11 to 18 years old by 01 Jan. 2024

Livestock Camp attendees with pigs

Follow the SDSU Livestock Judging Team Facebook page for updates.

Camp Schedule

Day 1

  • 2-3 p.m. Check-in
  • 3-3:30 p.m. Welcome
  • 3:30-6 p.m. Beef Cattle Judging
  • 6-6:30 p.m. Supper
  • 6:30-9:30 p.m. Beef Cattle Reasons
  • 10:30 p.m. Lights Out

Day 2

  • 8 a.m. Breakfast
  • 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Swine Judging
  • 12-12:30 p.m. Lunch
  • 12:30-3 p.m. Sheep Judging
  • 3-4 p.m. Campus Tour
  • 4-6 p.m. Reasons
  • 6-6:30 p.m. Supper
  • 6:30-7 p.m. Use of Performance Data in Livestock Judging Contests
  • 7-8:30 p.m. Reasons Practice
  • 8:30-10 p.m. Activity
  • 10:30 p.m. Lights Out

Day 3

  • 8 a.m. Breakfast
  • 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Contest
  • 12 p.m. Lunch and Awards Recognition
  • 12:30-1 p.m. Camp Ends! Safe Travels