Dave Allan's goals in life are changing with the times

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas

Dave Allan

July 26, 2001 -- "The cattle business has been really good to me. When I was 12 or 14 years old, I kind of set goals in life as to what I wanted to do. The worse thing that happened to me was I hit most of my goals before I was 30," said Dave Allan, livestock judge and manager of Banks Cattle Company in Schulenburg.

"My goals weren't about money or anything. They were about, 'I'd like to win these shows and I'd like to judge.' I just wanted to breed and raise good cattle all the way through."

Allan was born and reared in Nebraska, but came to Texas in 1991 to attend A&M University. After graduating in 1993 with a degree in animal science, he pursued graduate work at Michigan State University and was the assistant judging coach for the school.

"I started judging when I was at college at A&M. I judged for A&M on their collegiate team, and that's how I got started.

"My brother and I started showing cattle at 7 and 8 years old and had our own herd of cows all the way until we got into college. I'd always shown a lot of cattle, before that, so I'd been in a lot of shows. When I judged at A&M, I had real good success there. It was livestock judging, so it was sheep, cattle and hogs. My best area...by far...was cattle," he said.

According to Allan, when you are in a collegiate contest, students are asked to place the different classes of animals in the order they believe a committee of university and industry people have deemed correct, according to logic.

Points are given to the student according to how close their points are to the committee's, as well as how well you present your oral reasons for placement.

"My first major contest we went to at A&M was the National Western in Denver, and I won the cattle division up there and had a real good spring. I didn't win everything, but I consistently won," said Allan.

"The good contests are set up with logic. They don't just put 4 animals in there and say, 'Place them.'"

At the Houston Livestock Show earlier this year, Allan judged 200 scramble heifers in the junior show, and 61 head in the Open Angus Show.

"I just judged the Belt Buckle Bonanza Heifer Show at Waco, which is Texas' biggest prospect show. You have all the major livestock shows...Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio...and then in the spring and summer time, they have what they call prospect shows," he said.

Since Allan had shown cattle and been around them most of his life, he said that judging just seemed natural to him. He had a great deal of success in college and that helped make a reputation for himself after he graduated and was looking for employment.

"It's about 95% word of mouth. When I went into management of some of the pure breed herds and we had quite a bit of success in the show ring...it grew from there," said Allan.

"Now, I help with the National Collegiate Judging Contest in Louisville, Kentucky...the final contest of the year that usually determines the National Champion. I' ve been an official at that contest for 3 years, with the 4th year coming up."

In the past several years, Allan has served as the show and sale cattle manager for a large ranch in Iowa, as well as the general manager of a farm in Tennessee and, finally, the Banks Ranch.

"I'm still in the cattle business, but on a different side of it...more a real world side of it. Before, the pure breed industry and the showing was fun and was a great education. It does relate to the commercial industry, because a lot of the breeders out there are trying to improve the genetics for the consumer industry, not only for the show ring.

"I like working with the cattle and working with the different people...It's the kind of people I like to be around. It's the kind of people I want my kids raised around, and it's the kind of people I was raised around. That's probably the best side of the whole business," said Allan.