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By JERRETT POSEY/ Intern

Chilton County 4-H is hosting a Livestock Judging Clinic May 8.

This event is closed to the general public and participants have until May 6 to register. This clinic is focused on preparing the participants for the state competition on June 15. There are several teams coming from around the state in addition to local teams, the Chilton County 4-H Livestock Judging team and Isabella’s FFA Livestock Judging team.

This is a very important clinic for several of the participants since many teams have only been practicing with online classes, according to 4-H Foundation Regional Extension Agent Janet Lovelady.

“Our team has been meeting once a month and doing practice classes on Google Classroom with one of our volunteers, Bridgett Smith,” Lovelady said. “This will be their first time judging a live class.”

The clinic will be taking place at the Chilton County Beef Barn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is not a registration fee, and the Chilton County Cattlemen’s Association will be providing lunch. They are requiring everyone to remain socially distanced and masks to be worn while indoors. Lovelady said that it is not a competition but will be set up like one, so the participants will be prepared for how one will function.

“There will be a workshop on how to properly take notes and give oral reasons before they judge the classes,” Lovelady said.

The clinic will consist of the beginning workshop followed by three classes to judge: commercial heifers, lambs and shorthorn heifers. Participants will take notes about the class, place the animals from best to worst and then explain their reasoning behind their rankings to a judge.

For more information about the clinic or the Chilton County 4-H Livestock Judging team call or text Janet Lovelady at 256-284-3572 or email her at lovelj1@auburn.edu.