Amid the sawdust, lowing of cattle and the earthy smell of the animal barn at the Northwest Montana Fair, children and prospective farmers show off their animals before taking them to market.

On Tuesday, the stars of the show were put on stage.

The 2014 Beef Show allowed youngsters to show off 23 head of cattle in various divisions and two categories: showmanship and breeding.

Russ Boardman, a rancher from the Cody, Wyo., area, was the judge.

“In showmanship, we are looking at both the young person and the animal,” he said. “I ask questions about the industry and see how they handle themselves, and I also see how they handle the animal.”

The children, 4-H and FFA members ranging from 5 to 19 years old, use specific tools to make their cattle look as attractive as possible.

Ethan Diede, a first-time beef showman, demonstrated his tools.

“The scotch comb is for smoothing the hair if it gets messed up. It makes the cow look better,” he said. His cow is named Miggy. “The show stick is to help them stand right so the judges think it looks good.”

The scotch comb is just a short-handled rake-like comb, while the show stick has a small hook near the end to help nudge the cattle’s feet into position. Some of the presenters also used the comb to soothingly scratch the chest of nervous cows.

Tina Engebritson, the beef show supervisor for close to 10 years, runs a tight ship and wants the youths under her supervision to perform well and make money.

She knows Boardman can be a tough but fair judge.

He looks for four main things when judging cattle: The degree of muscling, the predictability of marbling, structural correctness and the eye appeal.

The first two deal with the quantity and quality of the meat, the third with the health of the cattle (will it get to the slaughterhouse without crippling itself?) and the last is just for aesthetics.

By adhering to these four guidelines, the young farmers can make some good money from the sale of their cows.

Tammy Walker, the 4-H County Extension Agent and a Montana State University employee, said being able to control your animal can make all the difference.

“You set that animal so the meat looks ideal,” she said. “You may be even able to camouflage some flaws in the animal.”

In cattle ranching, just as in raising other animals, things have changed.

Pat McGlynn, Montana State University extension agent for Flathead County, said the market drives the meat.

“It used to be people would raise hogs with more fat and shorter to the ground,” she said. “The kids are still learning a lot of the same things, but are now learning about nutrition. People don’t want the fatty hogs. Now they calculate feed for a nice lean hog.”

The same sort of idea goes for cattle and sheep.

For all the senses being stimulated at the Northwest Montana Fair, what it ultimately comes down to for the kids raising beef cattle is sight.

But there are plenty of smells and sounds as well.

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.