What will the champions in the show ring look like in five years? That’s a question Dan Hoge, one of the winningest livestock judging coaches in history, thinks about constantly. Trends come and trends go. It’s not easy to stay relevant while being nimble enough to see what’s coming and evolve to get there.
But Hoge’s ability to do just that as a coach, judge and breeder for decades is what sets him apart from others, says Blake Bloomberg, professor and head livestock judging team coach at Black Hawk College East Campus.
“Dan has been at the top of his profession for over 50 years, and is still sought after for his input,” Bloomberg adds. “His impact on his students and his influence beyond the classroom is undeniable.”
Hoge says his interest and passion in the livestock industry keeps him constantly learning and searching for what’s next. He’s an avid scholar – always reading about livestock, studying photos of champions and talking about trends in the industry with people he admires.
“The miles never made any difference to me,” Hoge says. “If there was a symposium going on or if Dr. Harlan Ritchie was speaking about the cattle industry, I found a way to be there. I pay attention to what legendary breeders like Chuck Olson and Earl Cain are doing in the swine industry. Of course, there are always new breeders coming along who are going to dictate, to a necessary extent, where the industry will go next.”
At the end of the day, good livestock will always be in vogue, he says. There will be changes in priorities. Trends will shift. But the best stockmen are open-minded and always looking to see what is coming in the future. He believes the ability to evaluate livestock and read differences in phenotype is essential to it all.
What Coaching Is and What It’s Not
That’s why coaching young adults in livestock judging has been Hoge’s passion.What’s the secret to his coaching success? He says there’s no curriculum to teach you how to be a livestock judging coach, it’s a lot of learning as you go and caring about who you coach.
“Coaching is 80% what’s in your heart and 20% what’s in your mind,” Hoge says. “It’s really believing in the young people who are involved in your program. It’s reaching out and knowing their goals, interests and expectations.”
Livestock judging is a very inexact art, he points out. It is not a science, it’s a skill developed over time that is subject to the opinion of someone else.
“It’s important the student feels good about themselves at every step of their development,” he says. “It’s about inching along and making progress.”
When it comes to coaching kids to excel in livestock judging competitions, Hoge believes in helping young people finish strong.
“It’s not a question of where you start, it’s a question of where you finish,” Hoge says. “That has always been the mindset I have instilled in our student judges over the years. It’s one of the real values you can take with you in life.”
When You Step Out into the Ring
There’s no shortage of ways to use the skills developed judging livestock and describing them, Hoge adds. For many young people he mentors, their end goal is to judge a livestock show.
“I remind young judges that every show is important, regardless of how small it may be,” Hoge says. “If there are two head of livestock at an event, that’s a livestock show. Go give it your best.”
As livestock judging has grown in popularity and more contests have popped up across the country, the level of talent has grown, too.
“I often tell our younger judging generation that, believe me, no one is interested in how smart you are and how poor their livestock are,” Hoge says. “They’re interested in your positivity, how you work with the youth, and how you make sure every youth involved in that show felt they had a fair look and an opportunity to feel good about their project and themselves. I don’t know if we have enough of that today.”
He reminds young judges to stop and take a breath before they step out of their vehicle when they arrive at a show.
“Ask yourself, ‘Why am I here?’” Hoge says. “The smartest thing you can do as a show judge at a county fair, and I’ve judged many, is study the atmosphere as you walk to the show ring. When you walk into that ring and meet the superintendents for the first time, that awareness of the atmosphere will provide a pretty good handle on what the show is going to be like.”
The most important thing a show judge brings to any event is their opinion and comfort in knowing what they are looking for in a champion. Although judges can only use what’s brought to them to evaluate, knowing where you want to finish is necessary, Hoge adds.
The little things matter, he says, from how you speak to people working in the ring to how you connect with the crowd. Judges have the opportunity to serve as another bridge between the showmen and their projects and the spectators.
“You can’t expect the urban sector to understand the care and management people put into their livestock or how great of a life their show livestock have,” Hoge says. “When you judge or show livestock, make a commitment to do things right and always be a voice of positivity in the industry. Be proud of what we do.”
Go watch The PORK Podcast Episode 17 with Dan Hoge to learn more about his perspective on the misconceptions people have about the stock show industry today, what he’s most proud of in his life, teaching students for 55 years and counting, and how he anticipates the livestock industry changing in the future.
Your Next Read: Thank You Mr. Hoge
