Meet ABGA Certified Judge: Rusty Lee
by Karla Blackstock
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BGA certified judge Rusty Lee has been raising livestock most of his life, and his goal of advancing the Boer goat industry shows when he steps into the ring. “As a judge, we take on a lot of responsibility,” Lee said. “We aren’t there to judge one show. We have to step back and realize that we have input on the entire industry.” Selecting specific types of animals can dictate where the industry goes, he said. “If you pick an extreme animals, people in that area may breed for that type of animal, and then you have impacted someone’s program,” Lee said. “It is up to us as judges to ensure the direction of Boer goat by holding fast to the standards.” It is those standards that Lee looks for when selecting his top goats. The standards are set to breed hardy animals that survive all climates. “After all, we are raising the American Boer goat,” Lee said. “My goal is to make Boer goats hardier and more sustainable by strictly adhering to the breed standards. The animals that we are breeding need to thrive in all environments of the United States.” Lee, his wife and 5 children also raise Angus/Simmental cattle and show pigs. As with any species, he wants to see meat and power. Lee worked as a certified meat cutter and at a processing plant that processed hogs, cows and deer. You might say he has seen the inside of the meat industry. Because of this experience, he is always aware of how goats on the hoof are going to dress out. Transferring the power and structure from pens to pasture, Lee admits, is an easy concept but the application is harder. He noted that performance testing, like the one in Pennsylvania, is important to advance the industry. “We have to put more incentives on performance tests. We need the same criteria at each test site,” he said. “You could theoretically have a national champion in performance testing.” Lee doesn’t dismiss that the ABGA National Show Champions are elite animals that have earned their prestige; however, he said, “image if we put the same level of prestige on performance tests.” “I use performance to purchase semen and bulls in the cattle industry. I look at average daily weight and weaning weights,” Lee said. These numbers are important to any livestock producer when looking to improve herd genetics and the bottom line. Lee serves on the breed standards and breed improvement committees for the ABGA. He believes that judges have a great amount of power while in the ring and that is to be used carefully. Judging is about being professional and courteous at all times, he said. “There is always someone that is showing for the first time in an ABGA show when I judge. A judge can make or break them,” he said. “As a judge
8 - The Boer Goat