Fittin the world one calf at a time. The look back at it all!!!!

[M Bar]

Wouldn't say that we are bitter at the kids, I think it's more bitter at getting old.  And I am a little bitter at all the neat stuff they have today that we were spared when we were younger.  I mean, heck, if 25 years ago, we would have had fitting mats and show boxes that had wheels, we might still be able to get'r'done like the old days without the tylenol in bulk form that we require today.

[Show Heifer]

I know I'll make you upset...what the heck for old time sakes, but you almost sound bitter, maybe even a little jealous.  These guys are just reminiscing, you make them sound like they were jerks for heavens sakes.  Now come on, don't get mad...I know you will, but in your younger day if someone offered to pay ya, you would have clipped.  Not all jocks are the same.  I worked for some strings and worked hard and I don't think I had a "hollier than thou" attitude. 

Guys...I love the reminiscing...brings back the old days..today I turned 39 and did a lot of that watching the snow come down

Actually, quite the opposite. I'm not mad at the old OR new generation. I don't like some jocks now, nor did I like some of them "back in the day".  I think some of the "old jocks" are mad at these younger jocks for taking over and "showing them a thing or two."   Like I said earlier, maybe I misunderstood the original post, but each generation is going to knock the one before... the changing of guard never is easy. (Kinda like walking up hill both ways to school!)

You're also right, not all jocks are the same.  A very good friend of mine is a clipper man, and he's the nicest guy I know.  RW is the one that stated that they had attitudes, wore bad clothing.  Some are, some aren't.  If you were to ask these "cocky jocks" if they are cocky, many would say "no"... just like if you ask the old jocks if they were cocky in their day, they would say "no. I was nice..."  But if you ask people who actually know them, or knew them when they were young, they would strongly disagree and might even call them some stonger words than "cocky" .  It is all in the point of view.

[jbh]

Ya know.......there's not a lot of difference between COCKINESS and CONFIDENCE......SERIOUSLY!!!  Generally it depends more on the person using the term than it does the person it's being APPLIED TO.  What most people who aren't at the top of their game (whatever game it is) don't realize is........COMPETITION IS NOT NECESSARILY A SOCIAL EVENT TO MAKE FRIENDS AT.  Yes, you make friends, and you should be friendly while there....BUT....most are there to WIN! or compete at their highest level possible.

When I was young and just starting out, I was as guilty as anyone about thinking the "big shots" were cocky (and some actually are), BUT, when you're in a zone to get everything done as good as possible, at an event out of your comfort zone, with cattle that may or may not be broke, with owners that may or may not be gonna chew your rear for anything or everything......then maybe EVERYONE ought to walk a mile in the shoes of the "COCKY"  that are generally in charge and see what it's like from the opposite perspective.

The last year I ran my fitting service I had 54 head at the Iowa Beef Expo.....4 breeds and 25 Junior cattle.  I'll guarantee you that all those owners didn't put their trust in my ability because I was just another nice young boy that liked cows and helping farmers chore......They put THEIR TRUST in me because they believed that I new what I was doing.........FOOLED THEM!!! lol 

The statement about the different generations feuding for dominance in fitting cattle SIMPLY DOES NOT EXIST.....by the time you've been doing it long enough for the next generation to give you a run......YOU'RE READY for THEM to take over because your body hurts SO BAD when you have to do it.....and don't think I'm joking!  Fitters are artists......the fitters who are good and can SEE IT......could clip one with a chain saw and make it look AWESOME....while some couldn't get it right with the latest, greatest clippers on the market!  But believe me...those old sheep shearers were dang close to a CHAINSAW and the new clippers are UNREAL compared to what we had 25 years ago.

Bottom line is.....no matter where you fit in the "show cattle food chain".....if you don't have the RIGHT ATTITUDE you're NEVER gonna have FUN and LEARN.  You've got to TRY and be the best at whatever you do...wash rack, poop scooper or fitter.....it's ALL got to be done RIGHT at some point.

[justme]

Well said!

[feeder duck]

I'm not sure if I understand this post.
I didn't know all of you "back in the day" but I knew your types.... you walked around, nose in the air, egotistical attitude, acting as if your hang over didn't hurt as you thought you were immortal. Just like that type does now. Nothing has changed in that department.  
Yes, there are new things to fit cattle with now. Different combs, different clippers, different sprays, etc. But we also have 30 foot trailers (some of you have those don't you), we now have duramax diseal trucks (I KNOW some of you have those), we have coolers (got some of those too huh?), we have every type of feed additive for hair, skin, growth (again, I KNOW most of you use those).  So why make fun of those that couldn't use "your tools back in the day", when all of you are now using the "tools of today"?  That's kinda like the arguement the anti-feed confinment people use:  "100 years ago, we fed hogs slop on the hill side and never owned a manure spreader. WE knew how to raise hogs. You kids now have all the advantages, climate control, big equipment, contracts. You kids know NOTHING about raising hogs."

That being said, maybe I'm jeoulous. I showed cattle.Picked my own stalls. Did my own chores.  Did my own fitting. Sucked at it, but had fun and paid for most of my college selling my 4-H projects and hiring out my labor for local farmers. Still don't like the "jocks" that strut around, most do not know what a pitch fork is, nor do they know what a wash rack is.  Thats fine. I have things they never will obtain.  Do I blame them? No. I blame the people who insist on hiring them for junior shows of which rules state that the junior or the family must do the work (which obviuosly doesn't get followed). So when you complain about these kids and their behavior, make sure your not part of the problem by hiring them.

Now that I am older, I do hire friends to help. They usually work for food!  If I ever hit the "big time", I might consider hiring "big time help". Maybe. Maybe not. I guess time will tell.

WOW, where do I start. First and foremost I started this post just for fun and opinion. I got just that. fun and good conversation. Brad is right at the top end these days there is a world at stake. There is a lot of money on the line. My first post was more about how much things are the same yet how they are different. When I showed as a kid I had an old garage as a show barn. A small  10 x 20 shed with a piece of plywood cut in half as stall ends with one fan to put my calf in front of.Got that fan at age 16 and it hangs in my show barn today( I am 41). My first steer came from Loyd Stone.(Boys set and chat with him a spell, the stories he could tell.) I never went to a fitting school. I cut my teeth by watching the greats that worked for Overpeck, Rod Dryer,Jeff Cagwin, Horsleys, Lawrence Grathwal and the list goes on. I showed at a few Jr Nationals and met the right people and that helped. I never had any high dollar steers or heifer. I scooped my share of crap with a pitch fork as well.  
When I was in Jr college ya I though I was the cats meow and the mack daddy, we all did. I did my work co-ops for the right people again and that paid off. For the next few years I got to fit for most of the better Shorthorn firms. I have some great friends from it.  Troy at M-Bar is one of those guys that fittin and showin has brought on as friend. Had some good times at Jr Nationals with the entire Kansas bunch.
I am not saying that either generation is better or worse. I am saying just what Troy said. I am older and maybe now see how I may have been seen in others eyes. Is showing, selling or fitting any less important to me. No, I just do not do it for a living. I have accomplished all I could have ever wanted in the cattle world. Do I think I am a player...NO! Do I think I can put out a good one now and then....YES..I have and someday may do it again. Do I have a cooler room...NO. Do I have a show barn...YES. I am proud of it and it is paid for and I expect my kids to take care of it. My trailer is steel and my truck is gas(8.1 with Allison Tranny, yah is pulls)....Sorry...but they are paid for as well. They are all I could afford!
Fitting is an art form. It is still a joy to see a great on e fit to a "T". I fit for my kids and family and friends. EVERY CALF I SELL comes with my fitting service FREE. I tell kids in state I will come to there fair if I am off but I will not take vacation to do it. I do not today and never have considered myself a jock. I was a kid that grew up looking up to many breeders I now call friend.


P.S. I can run those 20 tooth "chain saws" I got a 14 stitch scare on the end of my left index finger to prove it.  OUCH!

[Olson Family Shorthorns]

Wow, the stuff people will put on here.... I'm a little offended to be honest. I'm a young guy, and I do a fair amount of work for people. I don't think I'm really any more cocky than any other 20 year old, but I'm pretty confident that I can get one ready to show.  Almost all the best fitters that I know grew up fitting their own calves doing ALL the work, or were fitting right along side the breeder or trader they got their calf from. You don't get to work on good cattle unless you're good is how I look at it. I think that a lot of people can get jealous really quick when someone does something they can't. I'll admit that I really used to get jealous when I saw guys that were around my age or a little older that were far better than me at fitting, but I have certainly put my time and effort in and I don't feel out of place fitting at any major show now, and I go to all of them that I can (school allowing).  Not every young guy (or gal, YES I've seen plenty of girls that can out do the guys)that runs a set of clippers is some cocky, arrogant piece of work that doesn't know what real work is.

By the way, I've shown up some "old timers" with a set of sheep heads a time or two...and not with one of the new Premier's either, I'm talkin early 90's Oster's that dad clipped my first show heifer out with.

[ROAD WARRIOR]

JBH - I think you are exactly right - The ones that are good are confident and the ones that want people to think they are good are cocky.
Feeder Duck - I have a 4' scar on my left wrist from a set of those, 56 stitches later I finished clipping that*^#@*! cow.
MBAR - Surely you don't think that kneeling on concrete for 30 years has anything to do with our inability to move in the morning - I take Gluecosamine and Advil for mine.
 I truely have a lot of respect for anyone that is good reguardless of their age. One of the up and comers I have been watching is maybe 20, he'll be alright! RW

[justintime]

Well, I am not getting much older, but the body I live in certainly is starting to show some major wear and tear. This thread brought back many memories. A friend of mine passed away from cancer a year ago, and we were reminiscing about the so called " good old times" just before he died. One year we had 62 head at Agribition and we had at least 1 show day every day of the show. I honestly have no idea how we lived. I remember going into the wash rack early in the morning, and finishing after dark in the evening. Some of the crew brought us a sandwich to keep us going a couple times during the day. We used to work a few sales and we wore out several sets of sheep heads over the years. It was hard work but a lot of fun and we got to meet a bunch of great people. Like many of you, I have lots of great memories of my times on the show road.

My dad and I started showing cattle together when I was about 10 years old. In those days we would start in early July and go to several two and three day fairs throughout Saskatchewan ending up at a week long Provincial fair in early August. We baled our hay on the few days between shows and after the last show in August. Those were great times, and I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences. In those days all  the exhibitors, from all breeds, got to be almost family and we would spend as much spare time as possible together during the shows. My first year out of college, we decided to head 1550 miles east to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November. I remember that we came directly back to Agribition and when I got home from the two shows, I had been away from home for 32 days. My dad asked me to wear a name tag for the first few days I was back. For the next 8 years, I made that trip, and since then, I have been back a few more times with cattle, and many more times as a visitor.

One year, we decided to send our show herd to Ontario after the Provincial show was over in August. We hired a young fellow in Ontario to look after the cattle there and they were sent to the CNE in Toronto. This young fellow rented a barn and some corrals to keep the show herd, and purchased all the feed for them. He did not have any way to transport the cattle, so he had to hire a local trucker to haul the show herd from show to show.  He showed the show herd at 17 shows in August, September and early October and I went down to help him show at the Royal Winter Fair in November. The cattle were then shipped back to Agribition and shown there. I flew down to the CNE and flew back for the Royal, and also flew my young fitter out to Agribition and then back home after it was over. After Agribition was over, we sat down and did an accounting. After all the trucking, 3 return air fares to Toronto from Sasktachewan, feed, rent and his wages, he gave me a check for over $1700 ... which was the surplus of the prize money over the expenses. Oh.. those were the " good old days!" This year at Agribition, my costs were in excess of $10,000 with no feed calculated into these costs ( as well as nothing for my time and labor)

I learned several years ago, that if I am going to hire help for a show, I might as well try to hire the best fitters I can, as they all seem to charge the same amount whether they are very good or just starting out. In my case, their personality is as important as their skill levels. If they can't get along with other people, or they think they are better than someone else on the crew, they can work for someone else. I won't bother with them. I have a pretty low acceptance level for fitters who think their achievements make them better than someone else. That said, I would have to say that there are some wonderful young men and women working with cattle that are good at what they do, and fun to be around and work with. I have always maintained that work is much easier if you can have some fun doing it, so we do try to combine some fun with the work.

Showing cattle is a very expensive game so I try to present our cattle as good as we can. How times have changed!! My hotel bill for one show is more than the total costs were for an entire summer of showing were when I was growing up. Showing cattle was a major money maker for my family, and we oftentimes left a two or three day show with $700 - $1000 in prize money , and that was a fair pile of money in those days. Now we don't even get prize money at the shows we attend.

[shortdawg]

..today I turned 39 and did a lot of that watching the snow come down
[/quote]

Justme,   Happy Birthday !!!!!!!!!!! I'm just a little ahead of you at the big 40 !

[DLD]

Happy birthday, justme!

Great thread - I love to read those stories. I'll be 45 this year, been there myself.  I still love to fit, and still hang with the younger guys, but when the old knees and back get too sore, I'm sure happy they're there. I gotta wonder though, what alot of these young guys would do if they had 20+ head showing in 4 hours. It's not uncommon for some of them to spend as much time on one leg as we used to spend on a whole calf - Granted though, there might be almost as much hair on that one leg now as there was on the whole calf then...