1 Dress code: White shirt, tie and spotlessly clean white coat. Make sure that your white coat is fitting you properly – otherwise, it might look like you are wearing a big, white sheet. If possible, ask someone to adjust the coat for you. If you have steel toe boots, wear them also. Some competitions award 10 points to the dress code. It’s the one thing you have control over and the easiest 10 points you’ll pick up. Dress to impress and look smart.

2Stick: It is critical to have a stick with you. It helps you to get your calf into the correct standing position. But again, depending on your age, you don’t want the stick to be bigger than you. Sticks can over-complicate small hands and trip up small feet. Use a stick that fits you. When the stick isn’t being used for positioning feet, etc, always hold it down.

3Halter: Don’t enter the ring with a blue rope used as the halter. Buy a nice cotton halter (they are only about €10 to €15 and available in several colours) or, alternatively, borrow a leather halter from someone.

4Walk forward: When entering and walking around the ring, walk forward with your animal. Don’t turn around, face your calf and walk backwards. The basic rule when showing a beef animal is to always walk forward (it’s different for a dairy animal).

5Keep your eye on the judge: At all times, we recommend that you stay alert and keep your eye on the judge. Even when the judge is talking to another child in the ring, it does not mean that you can relax the halter and start talking to those next to you. The judge will frequently throw a quick eye around the ring to see who is alert and who has maintained the correct standing position of his/her calf.

6Be in control: The key to control is having your calf well trained in the first instance. Make sure that you are comfortable leading your animal and stay safe. If you know that you have a quiet calf, it lessens the possibility of either you or the calf getting nervous or someone getting hurt. However, through no fault of your own, a calf can get spooked. When this happens, tighten up the halter and give it a pull to show the calf that you are in control. Rub the calf with your stick under its shoulder/belly and give him a moment to calm down. A snaffle is extremely useful – it allows you to have even more control of your calf.

7Give your animal space: Try and capture as much space as you can while inside the ring. By keeping your own space, it allows you to stand out from the crowd and be easily picked out by the judge. This can be difficult if there are 25 youngsters packed into a small ring. Keep to the outside of the ring and leave as much space as you can between you and the calf in front of you. Or if the outside of the ring is jamming up, move towards the inside. Find space somewhere.

8 Try and look natural: When the time comes for you to present your calf to the judge, walk forward, keep the calf’s head up and give a little slack on the halter. Holding the halter short and tight can give the impression that you are dragging the animal along as opposed to being natural. As you approach the judge, bring your calf to a stop and turn to fix the head and position the legs. The two back legs should be parallel to each other, as should the two front legs. Once you are happy, turn and face the judge. Remember, the judge will afford you the time to present your animal, so don’t feel under too much pressure. Sometimes your calf can act up and won’t settle for you. If this happens, tighten up the halter and bring your calf around again. Attempt to position the legs again and give him a rub with the stick. When you are happy, turn and face the judge. Once you face the judge, he then knows that you are happy for him to proceed.

9 Know your animal: The judge will then examine your animal and proceed to ask you questions. Ensure that you know the basics – the sire, age, breed characteristics (especially for a pedigree animal) and the breed cross in the case of a commercial animal. Know why you have an interest in showing cattle and as obvious as it might sound, be able to tell the judge how to present an animal and what elements are critical. Depending on your age group, know the nutritional requirements of your show calf, if your animal is suitable for breeding and the age you should put a heifer in calf. Older age groups should be prepared for anything. The judge will get bored asking the same questions. You might be asked about the various meat cuts, the anatomy of the animal, the grading system and the Eurostar indices. Or, simply, who the Minister for Agriculture is. The judge is looking for the all-round stockperson.

10 Be prompt: When everyone is asked to line up for final selection, do it promptly. Position the head, legs and top line as necessary. If the judge walks along the front of the line, face forward. If the judge walks behind the animals, turn and face your animal. An alert calf is always a good eye catcher. Make a gentle whistle sound which should get him to prick up his ears and appear alert.

11 Be courteous: Always be aware of the people around you. It’s wonderful to be ambitious and want to win. But it’s equally as important to show respect to your peers and be courteous. The virtue of true sportsmanship should be grasped at a young age. If the person in front of you cannot get their animal to walk forward, help them by giving their calf a gentle tap. Don’t just pass them out. Equally, when the results are announced, congratulate your fellow competitors on either side of you and receive your prize graciously. There is no nicer sight for a judge.

12 Don’t give up: Participation is key. It’s the only way to gain experience and, above all, grow in confidence. The first day out can be overwhelming and even stressful. But you will find that this will lessen as your experience grows. Every child is delighted to win, but it won’t happen every time you enter a show ring. Becoming a gracious loser is probably one of the most important lessons you will learn in life. But don’t give up when things don’t work out.

Being prepared is critical. Practice at home as much as you can. Your calf needs to get used to you just as you need to get used to your calf. Ideally, start young and put a halter on at three to four weeks old. Wash your calf – they generally love this and it helps to calm them down. You will need to get help clipping your calf – ideally, do this at least three to four days before the show. The finer points can be touched up the day before or the morning of the show.

At the show, enter the ring with a mentality of excellence – look your best, perform to your best and graciously accept the outcome. Remember, judges differ. You will have your day. And don’t forget to smile.

Enjoy yourself. It is endearing for a judge to see a competitor smile and enjoy being in the ring.

To read the full Show and Showing Focus Supplement, click here.