Hayden Schlichter, began his journey in 4-H. He has discovered a passion for showing sheep that has led his journey to where he is now. Hayden competed in the 2023 Purdue livestock judging team. He has had the opportunity to judge several shows since then. Hayden also has started Schlichter Livestock where he hopes to raise high-quality show sheep. 

“My journey began with my first year of 4-H, my uncle was the person who sparked my interest. I quickly learned I had a passion for the sheep industry. I became more involved by picking out lambs, experimenting with feed rations, learning to shear, and going to open shows. I’ve been surrounded by many great people who have helped me along the way.”

Hayden participated in his livestock judging program in high school. He later realized someday he would love to judge. Hayden then had the opportunity to participate on the 2023 Purdue Livestock Judging Team and has continued to judge ever since. 

“I realized that someday I’d love to judge shows and more importantly, I wanted to be a better evaluator of my own livestock. I was given my first opportunity to judge a show my sophomore year of college. I’m very blessed to have now judged over 30 shows across 8 states.”

 When judging Hayden looks for the most complete and fault free sheep. However he is drawn to those outlier pieces.

“I am drawn to the sheep that are complete and fault free. However, I find myself intrigued by outlier pieces. Ultimately, I think there needs to be a balance. The special ones are the sheep that fit several outlier pieces into a complete package.”

“Have fun, because the work is done at home.”

Hayden believes that at shows we tend to not enjoy it as much because of the outcome.

 “Every family has those moments when things are on edge because we are competitive people and everyone wants to win. Win or lose on that day, make sure to have an enjoyable experience.”

When judging a ewe show Hayden likes the roundness of rib, powerful, and fundamentally correct ewes. 

“Ewe shows are my favorite to judge. Flat sided “pretty ones” are not my version of breeding stock. Roundness of rib is fundamental to capacity. I probably like females a little more powerful than some. Most importantly, they need to be well structured. Meaning they have the right skeletal angles that allow them to be free moving and flexible. They also need to have an adequate amount of width at the base of their skeleton to lay the foundation for spreading up high. After structure, round ribbed/big pinned ewes that are proportional and balanced in their look from the side. Once these boxes are checked, we can add as many extras as possible: long, slender necks that tie high on a tall shoulder; tidy chest floors with short blades that transition smoothly into a bold fore rib; swoopy underlines; thin hides; width that progresses back into a broad yet square upper hip; and as much edgy muscle and bone as possible without compromising skeletal quality and balance.”

 When evaluating Market lambs, Hayden looks for a lot of the same things. But, he tries to place more of an emphasis on muscle. “It shouldn’t be just a beauty contest. Don’t get me wrong; I still like tall shouldered Market lambs with all the extras. But in my mind, Market animals need to have enough meat animal shape to be in contention.”

When asked about a pet peeve he has when judging Hayden says, “There’s not a “pet peeve” that comes to mind. I approach each show by striving to stay consistent, provide positive feedback, and make sure each exhibitor is seen and gets a fair evaluation.”

In showmanship Hayden thinks it’s good to stick out but not in a way that hides other showmen. 

“Something I don’t like in showmanship is lining up outside of the rest of the showmen to try and be noticed. Make sure to leave space in front of you so you’re not covering up someone’s lamb. I think there are many ways to do the same job. The most important thing in showmanship to me is getting the most out of your lamb. You don’t need the best animal to win. However, you need to know your animal’s flaws and show them accordingly.”

“The two best ways to get the most out of your sheep is by getting the driving up into you and maintaining the correct head and neck placement.”