The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) BEST program and the OCA Board of Directors recently issued final disciplinary action involving one participating family in the 2018-19 OCA BEST program. This action is the result of the Ohio Beef Expo’s testing process for champions conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA). OCA was notified of these test results by the Analytical Toxicology Laboratory (ATL) of ODA. Additionally, the letter stated that exhibitor had violated Ohio’s Livestock Show Reform Law, Chapter 901 of the Ohio Revised Code under Ohio’s Livestock Tampering Exhibition Rules, as set forth in Sections 901-19-1 through 901-19-21 of the Ohio Administrative Code.
The violation involved the Grand Champion Heifer at the Ohio Beef Expo testing positive for Flunixin in her system. The family was notified of this finding per the testing results provided by ODA. The family attended a meeting to share their side of the incident with OCA BEST and Board of Directors leadership. The heifer in question had become sick nearly two weeks prior to the Expo and was treated at her location of housing by a hired hand per the farm’s animal treatment protocol issued by the farm’s veterinarian.
The treatment method, although issued by a veterinarian, resulted in the animal testing positive for residue in her system at the time of the show, a violation of Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Chapter 901-19 pertaining to Livestock Exhibitions.
Throughout the investigation the names of the BESTexhibitor and breeder were never used to avoid any perception of partiality. The OCA BEST committee reviewed all the information and developed recommended penalties outlined in the OCA BEST rules derived from the ORC. Through a unanimous vote the OCA BEST committee recommended the following disciplinary actions, which were supported and finalized by the OCA Board of Directors.
The disciplinary action prohibits the exhibitor and all animals owned by the exhibitor from exhibiting at any OCA BEST sanctioned show or participating in the Best of the Buckeye program for a period of three years from the date of this violation. This penalty will expire on March 17, 2022.
Additionally, they will forfeit the title of grand champion heifer at the Ohio Beef Expo and all awards including showmanship from the 2018-19 BEST show season.
Photos of the heifer depicting it as Grand Champion Heifer of the Ohio Beef Expo Junior Show will not appear on OCA websites or be printed in OCA publications. In place of the photo and exhibitor name will be the following statement, “Disqualified for violation of Ohio’s Livestock Exhibitions rules.” Furthermore, the exhibitor and all those associated with this heifer are not permitted to place advertising that names the heifer, through either copy or photos, as Grand Champion Heifer of the Ohio Beef Expo Junior Show.
As the sanctioned entity of livestock exhibition events, OCA and its’ youth programs operate under Ohio’s Livestock Tampering & Exhibitions rules set forth in the ORC. All youth and their families are obligated to review and understand the rules that pertain to all livestock exhibition events in the state of Ohio.
Posted: April 11, 2019