How Does Denver Market Heifer Show Work?

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chambero

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I can't figure it out from the rule book.

1.  Am I correct that Grand Market Heifer shows against Grand Market Steer?
2.  Rule book says they now have breeds for steers, but doesn't mention heifers.  Am I correct that they have separate classes for heifers?  Guessing they don 't hsve enough heifers to make breeds?
3.  Is my understanding that this is terminal show for steers and heifers correct?  Meaning you can't bring them home even if they don't "make the sale"?
4.  How many steers/heifers make the sale?

We've never been to the National Western.  Hate like heck to buy a steer for a terminal show that I couldn't bring home to FW if we didn't git it done.  However, the market heifer deal intrigues me becsuse 1.  We don't have it here and 2.  I'm loaded down with heifers that just might work next year.
 

DLD

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Not sure about most of your questions, but all the junior market shows, including the steers, are terminal for all entries.  I would assume the same to be true for market heifers, but I'm not positive.  My daughter took a market goat this year, and if you placed below second in your class, your animal went directly on the trailer when they came out of the ring.  Top two in each class stayed until division champion and reserve were chosen, then the rest of those first and second place ones went on the trailer.  Only division champions and reserves made the sale, so 6 out of close to 200 goats made the sale - and I never saw this written down anywhere.

I hated not getting to keep that goat, he could've been a lot of fun over the next 60 days, but we bought him for this one.  We had a lot of fun, but I was reminded of some of the reasons I don't really like showing at Denver, too.
 

knabe

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What does going on the trailer mean?

To be slaughtered at market price?

So you can't take it home and eat it?
 

DLD

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knabe said:
What does going on the trailer mean?

To be slaughtered at market price?

So you can't take it home and eat it?

You walk out of the ring, about 20', take the collar off the goat and push him out the door - if you want a picture after your class, you have to have it taken at the official backdrop before you exit the ring.  There are several people there pushing the kids and animals toward the door, and making sure they have no chance to get away.  Outside there's a small holding pen, from which they load them onto a trailer. 

Yes, to be slaughtered, for which the exhibitor receives market price. 

No, you don't have the option to take them home.  I'm not sure of the official reasoning behind it, but I suspect one reason is that if you could take them home, numbers would be huge just counting the Oklahoma and Texas exhibitors that are within a days drive and have market shows coming up soon.  Many would take the chance to try and win at Denver, if they could take them home and try again if they didn't.  It would darn sure make for a show worth seeing, though.
 

vc

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DLD i did find where they mentioned the rule, but It took awhile and I was looking for it, Jr. Livestock rules Section #9 page 190.

9. Terminal Show: This is a terminal show for all market animals brought on to the National
Western Stock Show grounds. All animals will be slaughtered at packing facilities designated by the
Stock Show Management. Animals will be slaughtered immediately following their respective shows
with the exception of Grand and Reserve Grand Champions and those animals qualifying for the Auction of Junior Livestock Champions. The Exhibitor of any animal whose carcass is condemned for any reason by the slaughter house will not receive payment for their animal.

My Niece showed a lamb at Denver once, I remember her mom commenting on how she felt sorry for the lambs, it was one of the cold years and they took those sheared lambs and put them out side in the snow.
 

knabe

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i think what i would like to see is a glass fronted refrigerator at denver where the fat show was on the first day and one could see the carcasses hanging with only one quarter split to show the 12,13th rib.


probably wouldn't work as moving around carcasses, keeping ID straight and any other number of logistical reasons would keep it from happening.


would be pretty cool though.
 

DLD

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Right vc, none of it seems easy to find.  We knew it was terminal, what I meant that I never found was anything saying how many animals would make the premium sale.  Last I knew on the steer deal, they took first and second place from each class, but that's been awhile back.

I'm sure those goats could've been a little chilly, too.  It was a fairly nice day, but it was sure enough warm inside that barn, plus they all had blankets in the pens.

Knabe, I remember seeing pictures of hanging carcasses in the premium sale ring from some years ago, but I don't know which show, or how common it was.  I believe it was from a separate carcass contest, not the on-hoof show, but I couldn't swear to that either.
 

chambero

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You have to be tough to show goats.  Houston does their goat show the same way.  I had to buy my youngest son a goat his first year.  We only kept one steer for him and he developed chronic pneumonia so he had nothing for the majors.  He worked his tail off exercising that goat.  It was the year of the iced over super bowl if I remember right, and we had to bring that stupid goat in the house to keep him from freezing to death for a week.  Our barn is set up to grow hair on steers - not keep a goat warm.  Any way this crazy goat developed into the family mascot.  I knew Houston was the end of the road for him, but we didn't know you couldn't bring him back to the pen and say your goodbyes before he hit the truck.  I did not have my 8 year old properly prepared.  I was horrified when I realized the exit from the show arena was straight to the 18-wheeler.  Needless to say, when Holt came stumbling back holding his little goat collar with tears pouring down his face, that was not a good day. 

I'll just call Denver after the show and see what I can find out, but the market heifer angle intrigues me.  We just want the boys to show there at least once, but hate to spend the money on a steer good enough to make a good showing.  But I have a profusion of black fuzzy heifers this year that would likely work.
 

vc

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You could always go and show in their prospect show if the heifer deal does not work out, or if it does do both. I know there are a few of the prospect calves from California that make the trip.

I always liked going to the Sierra Classic show in Porterville, Ca, It is around the same time as Denver, all the big guns were in Denver so it was always just us little guys at the show.
 

chambero

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Our babies (fall borns) are wrong age for the prospect show.  Junior breeding heifer show is a possibility also, but the market heifer show would be "different" for us and I think interesting. 
 

DLD

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I like your thinking on that market heifer deal Chambero.  I hadn't thought about that before, but we have some of those, too.  Matter of fact, we could've had the ideal situation this year - two nice black monopoly heifers that were both twins to bulls.

My 14 year old daughter is the only one here that has shown goats.  She gets really attached to all of her show animals, so it's always hard for her.  At OYE you don't have to sell them, but there's no place left to go show with most of them, so they do have a buyer there.  But you can take them out anytime - I almost think this straight out of the ring thing is better - at least it gets it over with quick.  When we bring steers home, and they just kind of disappear after a week or two, it seems a little easier - letting go of her steer after the premium sale at OYE was extremely hard for her.  I even tried to talk her into just showing heifers after that, 'cause she took it so hard, but she still wants to show steers - I think we may be about done with the goat deal though...

vc, we've considered doing the prospect show, too. 
 
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