SDSU Youth Livestock Judging Camp

Camp Dates

Camp 1: June 5-7, 2024

Camp 2: June 9-11, 2024

2022 SDSU Livestock Judging Team with awards

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 Camp attendees with pigs
Why come to camp?
  1. 1 on 1 Reasons Coaching from SDSU鈥檚 Nationally Competitive Team
  2. Instruction from SDSU鈥檚 Coach, Tommy Norman
  3. Judge multiple LIVE classes of multiple species
  4. Experience SDSU鈥檚 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

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