Classification Conference

Wednesday was a cold morning during the Dexter cattle classification review at E. M. Lesko's farm in Wisconsin. The PDCA has made a couple of minor adjustments to the evaluation which may provide some more useful data for our breed and breeders. A review of Dexter classification scoring was presented to Classifiers by Dean Fleharty and Mark Muir. Also attending was PDCA member Jim Johnson who still has an experienced eye for cattle conformation.

Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to meet Patti Adams and Chris Odom from the ADCA. Also, I renewed acquaintance with Tom Gray who had visited my Dexters several years ago. Tom and I are both a lot grayer now than we were then. While communications and difference in governance of associations inhibits any joint classification efforts, both groups agreed that classification is a valuable tool for Dexter breeders and for collecting breed data. We all agreed of the need to educate Dexter breeders about classification and of the benefits to one's Dexter breeding program.

Dexter classification in the U.S. began in 2000 and has made a lot progress since then in becoming a more useful tool for breed evaluations. Data collected in the future should be helpful in assessing structural breed improvements.