Live show is a highlight of Beef Empire Days

Kansas State University Livestock Judging Coach Chris Mullinix is looking forward to returning to Garden City in June.

He’ll be judging the “Rely on the Revalor” Live Show at Beef Empire Days June 5 at the Finney County Fairgrounds. The event features steers and heifers from area feedlots being judged. The cattle will later be sent for evaluation in the carcass portion of the contest.

“There is such an incredible history behind this event,” Mullinix said. “I was fortunate to be part of the event in 2017 as well and it’s an honor to share my thoughts in the live show.”

Mullinix has the task of sorting the cattle down and picking an overall top steer and top heifer.

“Beef Empire Days is a one-of-a-kind event that really works to reward cattle with exceptional phenotypic quality and carcass merit,” he said. “The fact there are so many cattle to sort through is a testament to the feeders in the region and their commitment to efficient, high quality beef production.”

Mullinix has his work cut out for him during the live show, but has a system to find the best ones in the group. Pen riders bring him the cattle one at a time for a quick initial evaluation; then animals are penned accordingly on his preference.

“The most elite cattle will be sorted into pen 1, the next level in pen 2, etc.,” he said. “After working through all the entries, I will then work back through pens 1 and 2 to determine a top 25 ranking in the show.”

He follows the same procedure in both the heifer and steer divisions, and admittedly it gets a little challenging at times.

“Given the magnitude and quality of this event, the decisions become very difficult,” he said.

Sorting through the numbers he has to, the cattle don’t necessarily start looking the same, but instead the minor tradeoffs and differences in the animals becomes challenging.

“At the end of the day, there are a number of cattle worthy of the top spot and it boils down to personal preference for that given judge,” Mullinix said.

Since the animals he’s evaluating are market animals, he aims to pick the cattle that will perform the best from a carcass standpoint.

“Ultimately, I want to find cattle that generate value for the feeder and a great eating experience for the consumer,” he said. “Muscularity and correctness of finish (fat cover) are my best visual indicators.”

Last year, Mullinix said his personal goal was not to predict the animals that would win the carcass show; but rather select cattle that represent value in all sectors of the beef industry.

“I like functional cattle with the body type and structural correctness that can lead to efficiency in production,” he said.

Mullinix is no stranger to finding the right kind of cattle since he serves as the livestock judging team coach and a faculty member in the Department of Animal Sciences at Kansas State University. He was born and raised on a diversified cattle and farming operation in central Maryland, where his family continues to run a Hereford cowherd, an Angus herd and a feedyard.

For more information about the live show event, visit www.beefempiredays.com.

Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].