Instructions
Decide what breed you want to show before picking your steer. Angus, Maine Anjou, charolais, shorthorn, Hereford and Simmental are the most commonly shown breeds, although crosses of two or more of these breeds are also allowed in the ring.
Study the breed standard once you've decided what breed of steer you want to show. Each breed has a number of individual characteristics that judges will use to determine how well the steer fits the standard; knowing these traits is necessary to picking a winning steer.
Contact an established breeder and ask if they'd like to mentor you as you learn about the breed. A mentor will show you cattle that display proper breed standards and what points to look for when choosing your show prospect. Ask questions as often as necessary until you know what makes a winning steer.
Check over the steer for proper conformation and body structure. The legs should be straight, the chest broad and deep, and the hocks deep and flexible. Exact conformation varies by breed, so consult your mentor or breed standard to evaluate overall conformation.
Look at the frame of the animal when picking a show steer. A good show prospect should be evenly built with the length of the body being just slightly longer than the height from ground to shoulder. Long, lanky steers won't fill out enough before show day and short, stubby steers will gain weight too quickly.
Pick a steer that is balanced. The animal should be as large in the hindquarters as he is in the shoulder and should display even bone density throughout the body. Steers that extremely unbalanced are difficult to even out and won't place well in the ring.
Evaluate the steer's overall muscle. A winning steer should have lean, even muscling over the shoulders, long slabs of muscle along the ribs and back, and thick, rounded hindquarters. The muscles should feel solid when you press on them and should not yield under your fingers.
Choose a steer that has a calm, easy disposition. Nervous animals fidget and burn off too many calories and lazy animals spend too much time standing around and not enough time exercising to build muscle tone. Calm animals are also easier to halter break and present themselves better in the show ring.
How to Pick Show Steers
Steers are most often shown as market animals, and must be thick, well-muscled and properly conditioned to bring home the blue ribbon. Proper housing, diet and exercise is only half of the equation for a winning animal. Selecting the right show steer from a herd of rambunctious calves is the other half of producing a winner in the ring. Knowing what makes a winning steer will make the selection process much simpler.