Judging Teams

The Department of Animal Science has a rich heritage of successful judging teams. Many former team members who have gone on to obtain leadership roles in the industry as alumni strongly support the judging team experience. Participation on a judging team enhances a student’s ability to think, reason and make decisions, and to communicate with others. These skills are in great demand regardless of the career choice.

Students enrolled in dairy, horse, livestock, meats or welfare judging have the opportunity to travel and visit farms across the US. They can meet and talk to the owners and managers of some of the most successful operations in the world. These contacts help students better understand current management and marketing strategies as well as assist students in making and securing career choices.

Judging is more than visiting farms and taking a class. It is competing against schools all across the U.S. in contests held in conjunction with the major industry events. Some of these are: World Dairy Exposition, Madison, WI; North American Livestock Exposition, Louisville, KY; Quarter Horse Congress, Columbus, OH; and Arabian Nationals, Albuquerque, NM.

Read the Spartan Judging Review newsletter for recent team activities.

Students may earn a maximum of 8 credits from ANS 200A Sec 001, ANS 200A Sec 002, ANS 200E, ANS 200F, ANS 300A Sec 001, ANS 300A Sec 002, ANS 300B, ANS 300C, ANS 300D, ANS 300E, ANS 300F. Many of these courses have a re-enrollment provision so that a student might be able to compete on one or two intercollegiate judging teams.

 

Dairy Judging Team

Coach - Dr. Joe Domecq

Dairy Judging Team website - Dairy Judging

        Dairy Judging Program Archives - Year in Review

ANS 200C Introductory Judging of Dairy Cattle

  • Spring Semester - 1 or 2 credits with a maximum of 3 credits

ANS 300C Advanced Dairy Cattle Judging

  • Fall Semester - 2 credits

 

Horse Judging Team

Coach – Dr. Karen Waite

Facebook: MSU Horse Judging

ANS 200D Introductory Judging of Horses

  • Spring Semester - 1 or 2 credits with a maximum of 3 credits

ANS 300D Advanced Horse Judging

  • Fall Semester - 2 credits

 

Livestock Judging Team

Coach - Kestlyn Willert

Facebook: Michigan State University - Livestock Judging Team

ANS 211 Animal and Product Evaluation

  • Spring Semester – 3 credits

ANS 200A section 001 Introductory Judging of Livestock or Carcasses

  • Fall Semester - 1 or 2 credits with a maximum of 3 credits

ANS 300A section 001 Advanced Livestock Judging

  • Spring Semester - 2 credits

 

Welfare Judging Team

Coach – Dr. Jackie Jacobs

ANS 300E Animal Welfare Judging

  • Fall Semester – 1 credit

 

Dairy Challenge

Coach – Dr. Roger Thomson

Dairy Challenge website - Dairy Challenge

ANS 200F Dairy Farm Evaluation

  • Fall Semester – 1 credit

ANS 300F Advanced Dairy Farm Evaluation

  • Spring Semester – 2 credits

 

Meat Judging Team

Coach - Dr. Andrea Garmyn

Facebook: Michigan State University Meats Judging Team

ANS 200A section 002 Introductory Judging of Meat

  • Spring Semester - 1 or 2 credits with a maximum of 3 credits

ANS 300A section 002 Advanced Judging of Meat

  • Fall Semester - 2 credits

 

Agricultural Technology Judging Teams

The contact persons for the Agricultural Technology Judging Teams are:

Dairy: Dr. Joe Domecq

Horse: Dr. Karen Waite

Livestock: Dr. Denise Altemose

 

More Information

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