Travel around the country as a member of one of our judging teams! Experiential learning credit can be earned by enrolling in the corresponding course and competing on our meat (ASCI 400A), livestock (ASCI 400B), or horse (ASCI 400E) judging and meat animal evaluation (ASCI300D) teams. The department also has an animal welfare judging team, but there is currently not a class offered alongside it to earn EL credit.
Judging Teams and Courses
Meat Judging Team
ASCI 400A: Advanced Meat Grading and Evaluation
Intercollegiate Meat Judging team members learn to evaluate quality and lean meat yield of beef, pork, and lamb carcasses and wholesale cuts and develop essential life skills that can be used throughout their lives.
Course Description: Comparative evaluation of the meat characteristics of beef, pork, and lamb that affect product merit and the scientific basis of the factors that influence the relative value. Federal meat grades and their application, industry grading system and their application, and application of Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications. Application of the above topics, as well as critical decision making and written justification of meat product merit, practiced in-depth.
Livestock Judging Team
ASCI 400B: Advanced Livestock Evaluation and Judging
Each year, the Nebraska Livestock Judging Team visits over 60 of the top livestock operations in 15 states to prepare for national competitions.
Course Description: Livestock judging and evaluation applying principles learned in ASCI 300B. Field trips to commercial and purebred livestock operations and exhibitions. Network with producers to learn varied livestock production philosophies. Develop a proficiency in brief, concise oral presentation of reasons for making a decision.
Horse Judging Team
ASCI 400E: Advanced Horse Evaluation and Judging
The Nebraska Horse Judging Team has a very successful team that travels multiple weeks and weekends to compete in various judging contests.
Course Description: Advanced horse judging and analysis. Evaluate conformation and score multiple performance events. The development and presentation of concise oral reasons to defend placing decisions.
Meat Animal Evaluation Team
ASCI 300D: Principles of Meat Animal Evaluation
The University of Nebraska Meat Animal Evaluation Team serves as the capstone judging activity for those interested in the meat animal production industries and is an extra-curricular activity sponsored by the Animal Science Department. The team annually competes in the National Collegiate Meat Animal Evaluation Contest. Without question, this competition may be described as the most rigorous, rewarding, and educational of all contests that a collegiate judge may partake.
Course Description: Further expertise in breeding animal, market animal, and carcass evaluation. Live animal and carcass grading and pricing.