The Height of Pressure
Jeff Is there anything in any sort of competitive event that includes more pressure than the collegiate livestock judging contest at the NAILE?
Sports like baseball, football, basketball, etc?
Nope. No way. There’s always next year. If you’re an underclassman, you can compete next year. If you’re a senior, you can go to the next level. Even if you’re a 40 year old professional QB you could always come back for one more year and try to win the Super Bowl again.
Politics?
Just run again next time.
Business?
Are you kidding? One failure is the start of the next opportunity.
Olympic sports?
Theoretically, age catches up with you but there’s nothing that prevents you from defying the odds and competing again.
Stock shows?
Kill the calf and buy a new one next year. If you're a senior, starting showing in the open shows.
Even in other events, there are numerous ‘titles’ that a person can strive to achieve.
In livestock judging, there’s one Super Bowl, held each year, and you only get to compete in it just one time.
There’s no “we’ll get ‘em next year”, the young men and women competing don’t get to try again. From the moment they first learn to pencil in a placing on a scantron, their efforts are all headed in one direction to one contest held on just one November morning in Louisville.
No coming back next year.
No fixing mistakes and adjusting.
Just one morning.
There's nothing in any sport like it.