Breed Characteristics

• Must physically exhibit breed char- acteristics of a purebred Angus

• Solid Black

• Polled

• Needs to have a tight sheath that is round and perpendicular to the ground

• Angus-type ear set, small to moderate ear size high on the head

• Continental breed type structure (being coarse about his joints, not to be confused with big-boned cattle) and head

• Bumps where horns would be on a horned animal

• Birthmarks or white hair in the switch should be reviewed for the skin color (black skin color is acceptable; white or pink skin is a disqualification)

• Non-Angus-type ear set (ear set and excessive ear size as in Continental breeds)

• Large navels and angular sheaths

• White skin resulting in white hair above the underline or in the front of the navel (White on the navel is acceptable)

• White skin resulting in white hair on the leg, foot or tail

• Horns or scurs

• Brindle

• Diluter color pattern

• Dehorning scars

• Double muscling

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a pure- bred Hereford

• Some white on the back of both ears

• Red body with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs

• Traditional feather on crest

• Horned Herefords must show evidence of being dehorned

These characteristics are not necessarily desirable and in combination may be discriminating.

• Dark red color

• Red neck

• Solid red ear(s)

• Excess white on legs

• Excess white above the underline

• Eye pigment

• Black hair in tail, or ear of animal

• Freckling on the nose

• White above switch in tail

• White across rump above the twist

• Solid white ear(s)

• Questionable ear size and shape

• Straight-line white markings on legs or tail above the switch

• White above the hocks, on the outside and back side of rear legs

• Excess pigment or color around the eyes

• Red neck in combination with excess white on legs

• Line back

• Coarse joints, head, or ribs

• Solid black nose

• Diluter color pattern

• Streaking of white from the feather off the shoulder

• Brindles

• Double muscling; extreme muscle definition

• Any color pattern other than red or white (birthmarks excluded)

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a pure- bred Polled Hereford

• Some white on the back of both ears

• Red body with white face, white underline, and white-marked legs

• Traditional feather on crest

• Must be polled or have loose scurs

These characteristics are not necessarily desirable and in combination may be discriminating.

• Dark red color

• Red neck

• Solid red ear(s)

• Excess white on legs

• Excess white above the underline

• Eye pigment

• Black hair in tail, or ear of animal

• Freckling on the nose

• White above switch in tail

• White across rump above the twist

• Solid white ear(s)

• Questionable ear size and shape

• Straight-line white markings on legs or tail above the switch

• White above the hocks, on the outside and back side of rear legs

• Excess pigment or color around the eyes

• Red neck in combination with excess white on legs

• Line back

• Coarse joints, head, or ribs

• Horn attachment to the skull

• Evidence of tampering with horns, or dehorning scars

• Solid black nose

• Diluter color pattern

• Streaking of white from the feather off the shoulder

• Brindles

• Double muscling; extreme muscle definition

• Any color pattern other than red or white (birthmarks excluded)

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a Red Angus

• Solid red (shades may vary)

• Polled

• A blond, light red, or mixed switch

• Cattle may have black hair on the tail, muzzle, face, neck, and legs

• Coarse joints (not to be confused with big boned cattle)

• Solid White Switch

• Horns or scurs breaking through the skin

• White skin resulting in white hair above the underline or in front of the navel (white on navel is acceptable)

• White skin resulting in white hair on the leg

• Black pigmentation of the skin. Not to be confused with freckling on the nose or anus

• Roaning

• Dehorning scars or evidence of dehorning

• Black Noses

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a purebred Shorthorn

• Solid red; solid white with red hair or red pigment on ear, muzzle, anus or tail; or any combination of red and white, with the red and white color pattern bleeding together

• Motley face or brockle face

• Orange or light red color

• Black nose pigment

• Coarse head

• Coarse joints

• Diluter color pattern, such as yellow or yellow roan

• Blacks, blue roans, or grays

• Brindle

• Solid white with no red pigment on the ears, tail, or anus

• Double muscling

• Any color or color pattern

• Progression of importance to include Bos indicus influenced head, eye, and ear (of moderate length, slightly pointed, drooping and opening down and forward); showing Bos indicus influenced sheath

• Crest or evidence of hump

• With adequate Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics; sheath score is of less importance

• Bos taurus head

• Bos taurus short ear

• Bos taurus eye

• Sheath score of 1

• Slick neck (lack of crest or evidence of hump)

A combination of a Bos taurus head, eye, and ear

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a half-blood Brahman

• A prominent hump beginning at the shoulder and going forward but must angle back down to the neck to create a hump – not a crest

• Any color or color pattern

• With adequate Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics; sheath score is of less importance

• Sheath score of 1

• A crest with an inadequate hump

• Lack of hump or presence of hump

• A combination of a Bos taurus head, eye, and ear

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a purebred black Brangus

• Solid black with no white above the underline or in front of the navel

• Polled

• Progression of importance to include Bos indicus influenced head, eye, and ear (of moderate length, slightly pointed, drooping and opening down and forward);

• With adequate Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics; sheath score is of less importance

• Shows some evidence of a crest

• Scurs or slick spots

• Excessive, pendulous sheath

• Inadequate Bos indicus-influence head, eye, and ear characteristics

• Brown dilution over ribs, fore flank, twist and muzzle

• Sheath score of 1

• Horns

• Dehorning scars

• White above the underline or in front of the navel

• White on the legs, feet, or tail

• Any brindle

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a half-blood Santa Gertrudis with adequate Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics.

• Any color pattern of black, red, yellow or orange

• Moderate crest, no definite hump

• Moderate dewlap development

• Moderate length of ear, slightly drooping and opening forward

• Sheath score of 2-5

• Straight, pendulous sheath

• Slight brindle color

• Sheath score of 1

• Absence of any visible Santa Ger- trudis characteristics

• Absence of Bos indicus-influence head, eye, ear, or sheath

• Smoke, silvers, grays or tiger-stripes

• Must physically exhibit breed char- acteristics of a purebred Simbrah (3/8 Brahman and ⅝ Simmental)

• A sheath score of 2 or greater

• With Bos indicus head, eye, and ear characteristics; sheath score is of less importance

• Stocking legs

• Bald, blaze, or streak face or mottled face

• Solid black, solid red or solid dun/tan/yellow combination with white or any of the previously listed colors

• Brindle color pattern preferably with white markings

• A sheath score of 1

• A Bos taurus head

• A Bos taurus ear

• A Bos taurus eye

• Solid yellow

• A combination of a Bos taurus head, ear, eye, and sheath

• Roans

• Grays

• Silver

• Smut

• Diluter color pattern

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a half-blood purebred Charolais

• White, yellow gray, or silver (moderate dappling allowed)

• Expression of diluter gene

• Minimal painting or spotting less than 20%

• Skunk tail, line back, baldy

• Excessive painting or spotting (over 20%)

• Double muscling

• Brindles

• Frail bone work and frail general appearance

• Light red color or orange

• Short, stubby head

• Overly refined, narrow head

• Excessive dark pigmentation (eyes, nose, ears, and anus)

• Excessive dappling

• Black, red, dark smuts

• Showing no diluter gene, unless solid white

• Excessive painting or spotting

• Must physically exhibit breed characteristics of a Limousin

• Solid black, red/orange, light red, charcoal black, chocolate black, orange or brockle-face

• Brindle color pattern will be al- lowed providing it does not extend below the mid-rib of the body

• Bald face

• Tend to be smooth shouldered

• Head

» Eye – Deeper socket, prominent brow, light pigment around eye on reds

» Poll –Needs to have a wide poll Ear – Tends to be smaller and rounder

» Muzzle – Tends to be short

• Sheath - Tends to have a forward angle

• Legs/feet

» Tend to be smooth jointed

» Tend to be flat boned

• Coarse joints, skeleton, and head

• Course open shoulders

• Pencil sheath, hanging straightdown

• Pointed poll

• Excessive crest

• White Switch

• Stocking legs

• Spotting above the underline

• Brindle below the mid-rib

• Roans

• Yellow, Blonde, Grey, Silver

• Diluter Gene

• Red Cattle with Black noses

• Monkey/Parrot mouth

• Solid red

• Solid black

• Red and white

• Black and white

• Heavy skeletal structure

• None

• Brindle

• Roan

• Diluter color pattern

• Appears to be more than 50% of any other breed

• Appear to physically exhibit characteristics of a purebred Simmental

• Solid black, red, red and white, yellow and white, black and white

• Some painting or spotting above the underline

• Bald, blaze, or streak face

• Typically longer head, larger ears

• Motley/Brockle face

• Excessive white above the underline

• Brindle

• Roans

• Smut or gray, white, smoky, silver or any combination of these

• Skunk tail

• Must have a black body cavity. Defined as the area behind the top of the shoulder blade down to the point of the shoulder and above the belly line.

• White in the body cavity is only acceptable in the following instances:

» White is a continuation of the feathering.

» White is at the fore and/or rear flanks similar to Hereford color pattern.

» White spotting not collectively larger than 9in(basketball size) in diameter per side (cannot be all on the same side)

• Skunk tail cattle are permitted provided the white above the rectum does not exceed the amount of white spotting allowed (basketball size).

• Absent of diluter gene.

• Brindle color pattern will be allowed providing it does not extend below the mid-rib of the body.

• No roan cattle permitted.

• Must have a red body cavity. Defined as the area behind the top of the shoulder blade down to the point of the shoul- der and above the belly line.

• White in the body cavity is only acceptable in the following instances:

» White is a continuation of the feathering.

» White is at the fore and/or rear flanks similar to Hereford color pattern.

» White spotting not collectively larger than 9in(basketball size) in diameter per side (cannot be all on the same side)

• Skunk tail cattle are permitted provided the white above the rectum does not exceed the amount of white spotting allowed (basketball size).

• Absent of diluter gene.

• Brindle color pattern will be allowed providing it does not extend below the mid-rib of the body.

• No roan cattle permitted.

• Steers of any coloration pattern are acceptable.

• American breeds: Breeds created in the US by interbreeding existing breeds, including at least one tropically adapted breed (most often American Brahman).

• Bald face: Appearance when white covers most of the face.

• Blaze or streak face: A wide strip of white down the face to the muzzle.

• Bos indicus (zebu): Subspecies of cattle originating in south Asia; has a prominent hump on top or in front of shoulder.

• Bos taurus: Subspecies of cattle; originated in west Asia but is usually called European.

• Brindle: A streaking of black, brown, or white on the body of the steer (tiger stripe).

• British/English: Cattle originating in the British Isles; Angus, Hereford, and Shorthorn are most numerous in the US.

• Brockle or motley face: Red or black spotting on a white or bald face.

• Continental: Breeds originating in Continental Europe; sometimes called European or Exotic.

• Diluter gene: A gene that determines color. Cattle that carry both copies of the gene will appear white. Non-diluter cattle will appear black or dark red, whereas those carrying a single diluter gene will appear gray or yellow.

• Discriminatory Breed Characteristics: Characteristics that are not reason for absolute disqualification but in combination with other discriminatory visual characteristics could lead to disqualification.

• Horned: Horns are solidly attached to the skull, or there is evidence of dehorning.

• Painting: Large white markings covering a major portion of the steer.

• Pigmentation: Dark skin coloring on the points of the steer (eyes, nose, ears, anus, tail).

• Polled: Naturally hornless.

• Purebred: Showing visual characteristics of a particular breed and none of any other breed.

• Scurs: Horny tissue or rudimentary horn attached to skin but not the skull.

• Sheath score: Scoring system from 1 to 5 based on the length of the sheath (1 = little sheath; 5 = excess sheath).

• Smut: Dark gray color pattern.

• Spotting: White spots on the steer.

Steers should be selected and shown based only on their visual appearance as that is how they will be evaluated for clas- sification. Classifiers are asked to exercise their judgment. If your steer is classified out, it doesn’t mean that the classifier or anyone else is accusing you of lying, cheating, or being unethical. Nor does it mean that the steer cannot be the breed you say it is. Look at breed classification as the first stage of judging. Don’t be too upset if the classifier makes (or you think he or she has made) a mistake. It’s all a matter of judgment.