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Your Character Really Counts
by Dave Walter
The year was 1974. It was my last year of 4-H. We had a really good pair of barrows at our farm, better than any in my 10 years of showing. Dad decided I should have first pick since it way my last shot. I picked what was obviously the best one. My sister then drove the “leftover” barrow to the Grand Championship at the Indiana State Fair. There you have it. I was 0 for 10 in my 4-H career at Indiana. Not one single championship to show for my efforts. I had several champions at our county and usually placed well at the state fair. I was elated at my sister’s success at the ‘74 State Fair. But I personally was 0 for 10 at the State Fair. Did this in any way diminish the value of my 4-H experiences?
Of course it would be ridiculous to suggest that my 4-H career was not a success. I made a lot of friends, learned about responsibility while caring for animals, and hopefully about winning and losing with a certain amount of grace and humility.
Nearly thirty years later the same positives can be attributed to youth livestock programs. There is great participation in 4-H animal projects, even as the number of livestock producers continues to dwindle. Less than one-half of those are in animal agriculture.
In Huntington County, where my family resides, the 4-H swine show consists of between 500 and 600 head. The competitive level has steadily increased. Yet there are only a handful of swine producers left her. Livestock shows have become more of a family activity for non-producers but a lot of positive comes from this participation.
So why write an article on ethics in livestock shows? In spite of the positive attributes not all is well. Somewhere along the way the emphasis seems to have become more on winning than doing things the right way. Some of the most glaring examples of unethical practices came out of the Ohio State Fair a few years ago. At that time 7 of the top 10 steers tested positive for clenbuterol , one carcass contained 5 gallons of vegetable oil, and the Grand Champion lamb tested positive for illegal drugs. Without a doubt, these unethical activities have occurred many places besides Ohio. The show management there was simply very aggressive in stymieing the cheating.
I realize cheating has happened forever. Obviously it occurs in life outside of livestock shows. As a fieldman for the American Yorkshire Club in the late seventies I noted a few breeders that were consistently suspected of overaging their hogs. It happened then and it happens today. I can’t prove it but it seems that today a larger number of people view this as an acceptable practice to stay competitive. It also seems that people have gotten more sophisticated at learning how to bend the rules.
Jennifer Shike, Director of Junior Activities for the National Swine Registry, has written some excellent articles on livestock show ethics. Some excerpts that echo my thought are to follow:
“ . . . Where have all our values gone? Why do some livestock exhibitors turn to cheating instead of working harder to make a better project or set their goals on doing better next year. Well lately I’ve had my question answered. I’ve heard many youth explain why they have to cheat or bend the truth to win --- they are tired of getting beat by people who cheat and win.”
“ . . . No one ever promised it would be easy to have integrity and values in our society we live in today. No one ever said it would be fun to finish second behind someone who lied about their gilt’s birthdate . But if livestock shows are going to survive, then we need people who aren’t afraid to finish second by doing things the right way.”
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not advocating being satisfied with average. Winning is not bad. Improvement in livestock breeding is stimulated by competition. So it is in many other endeavors in life. Believe me I don’t like to finish second if I think first is within reach.
I take pride in genetics we’ve produced on the farm. A couple of our Yorkshires have won national shows and another was a record-selling boar. It is of great satisfaction to me that we accomplished this with correct birth dates, accurate pedigrees, and without any pharmaceuticals. I have faults too numerous to mention but I hope dishonesty is never on that list.
As I write this article I am concluding a 20-day period in which I will have judged 5 swine shows in 5 different states. In each state I observed families working and having fun together. Kids were helping other kids and congratulating the winners. Many sought me out to shake my hand even after I had eliminated their pig from competition.
One of my highlights was the Tennessee State Market Hog Show. I had never judged in this state and didn’t know what to expect. The top end of the hogs were quite good. More impressively the kids were great. I had four teenage exhibitors assist me in giving a presentation on show ethics. One of the tasks I gave them was to name who they considered their greatest role model. Each independently answered in an intelligent and articulate manner. Not a single superstar athlete was mentioned. There were no actors, actresses or entertainers in their responses. As you’ve probably guessed all stated unequivocally that their parents were their greatest role models. As your child’s most important role model – what do you want your legacy to be?
On the wall of my nine-year-old son’s classroom there is a poster entitled Your Character Really Counts .
In part it reads, “Fair people play by the rules . . . Trustworthy people do what they know is right . . . Good citizens obey laws and rules . . . Responsible people think about how their actions will affect others . . . Caring people give without thinking of what they will get in return . . .”
I wish all the best to youth exhibitors and their families as you prepare for the 2003 show season.
