Whats your favorite thing about showing

Sure, we all love the buckles, banners,and backdrops. But what drives you? Why do you love to show cattle? Is it the one of a kind friendships? the pride of having the best calf you ever had, and knowing that you did it(picked her out as a little green thing, fed her up and molded her into the championshe is) or maybe you have a bred and owned calf and they are your pride and joy. I love showing my cattle, but I also love learning their unique personalities and working with them at home. I love the "show buzz" that I get about a week before the show, the smell of clean shavings, and sometimes even scooping the dirty ones (lol). What is your favorite thing about showing cattle? your favorite memory? When did you get bit by the "cow bug?" Don't you just love the smell of pink oil??? here's a chance for everyone to share a little piece of themselves so we can all appreciate the great cattle we show and the great fellowship we gain by showing them. Here's to living life in the ring!!!!!!! O0
Sarah

I enjoy messing with them and meeting new people at the shows,

I like people who are envolved in animal science cause of the stories told and the quality of people envolved. Someone always has a story to tell about pulling a calf in the pasture with a lariet or runnining a trailer down the road on 3 wheels or being drug down the aisle after having a professional photogragh taken or whatever. I don't like the cutthroat competition but most people  find ways to enjoy themselves or learn something.

We finished up 4H record books last week and I just had to smile when I read my 10 year old son's story.  I don't remember his exact wording but...    His favorite project is beef because his heifer is like a friend and because he has made a lot of good friends and the people are all nice. 

i like grooming them  ;D

the love of the cattle business and just being able to have fun with a steer or heifer

I love everything about it!  I love the people and the opportunity it has given my children, I love the beginning of a project and the end of a project and all of the work in between. We raise a lot of the cattle we show these days and there is no greater feeling of pride and accomplishment than winning with one you raise.  The 1 think I could probably skip is the tearing down and loading up to go home, don't much like that part.

Since we calve in the fall, this time of year is like Christmas.  You don't know what's going to stand up next to momma for the first time.  And then you stare the hair off of them watching every time you go out to figure which ones are coming to town later on.

But I've always loved the time spent at the barn messing with them.  You don't know there is another thing in the world going on when your blow drying one (at least you can't hear anything else).

As a parent, I love tailgating.  BBQing and the whole works only after the show.  A group of family always look forward visiting each other at shows.  We take turns on which family bbq the main course.  Well we did deep fry a turkey once.  The rest bring side dishes, desserts, chips and salsa.  Lately its been a salsa contest, myself being the judge.  We start when the show is over.  We always invite other families to join in.  The kids always work together breaking down the calves.  Its always nice to see them work as a show team.  Meanwhile we all start the bbq.  The parents socailize with some cocktails.  When the kids get done, the food is usually ready.  We all eat together.  We offer constructive critisism on showmanship to the kids that need it.  We ask the kids what the judge might have ask.  We give them the correct answers so they all know them for next show.  We then all help load tack on each others trailers.  Some families might leave that evening.  For the ones of us that stay, the party then begins.

WINNING! and seeing friends, really everything except cold weather.

o yes and i like the smell of pink oil  ;D

smell of pink oil
painting and building is alot of fun
seeing your calves excell, even others calves whom you dont know but see at the shows. EXample - mcintosh sunseeker steer this year, seen him 4 times, each time hes gotten better and more impressive.

and also i get this out of hunting too but the shows you gotta get up really earlier to go to, and driving at like 5 in the morning, something about watching the sun come up while your on the road.... its hard to explain

I agree with everyone. There's nothing in the world like a livestock show. Those cows just seem to be the best psychologists there are. I love the excitement before my class, and then the tad bit of anticipation as you walk in. You guess and guess, but sometimes the judge pulls you for a loop. Thats half the fun. ;D
I agree that calving season is also one of my favorite times. I love to see what my many different breeding ideas produce. Then, its fun to see where they go and what they turn out to be.

Southwest... (clapping).

Well I must say I probally like the cut throat competion the best out of it all. I also love seeing a green calf gettin better and better everyday. I love fitting, I love waking up early in the morning gettign calves washed and loaded on the trailer and heading out, and driving an hour before the sun even starts to rise. Theres not a whole lot of people around here that jackpot alot, so normally its just us at a show. The best smell is used wood chips!! I know I'm weird but oh well!

Well...now that I'm out of high school I usually go to shows to groom and offer support for those show kids going crazy about...how good does my calf look? Is she walking funny? Do you really think she'll win the class? lol... but when I do get to show...I love the feeling right when you walk in the ring and know without a doubt that your animal is groomed to the best of it's ability and it's now up to you to show it to the best of it's ability. I love showmanship.... All my crazy show friends...course now that I'm in Texas.. I have none  I  miss my Alabama friends. I also love the drive to the show.. Usually I go by myself so I can work out my plan of strategy in my head and if not my Dad goes with me so ...that's always fun listening to the crazy country songs, ACDC, and the best one of all... Livestock Show

I love working with my heifers every day. It's pretty amazing that at first they're scared to death of you but then they're suddenly your best friend. I love spending time with my animals. And when they're all grown up and out in the pasture, they'll still let you walk up and pet them. 

I'm not the best at it but I love grooming and clipping heifers and making them look pretty. I got a grooming chute this past summer and I think clipped my heifers so often that they were getting tired of it. lol They are more used to it than they used to be though.

It always seems like there's something in the air in September a week before the shows start. I like the smell of revive freshly sprayed on the animals. Then there's that soapy smell that lingers around the wash racks the entire week. I notice things like that. 

Then you get to talk to people who are actually interested in the same thing as you are. There's always interesting people to talk to at cattle shows. IRL, I'm pretty shy but not at cattle shows.. I talk to everyone there!  ;D

Then on Friday nights at fairs when all the spectators are, you can't walk down the street with your animal without having people stop you and ask if they can pet your heifer. They're like celebraties and your like their bodyguard. ..My heifers are kind of scared of political campanioning people and people holding gaint signs that tells who they're going to vote for though! But it's ok because I am too.

I bought a shirt from our prospect show one year that said on the front, "I like the winning, I can handle the losing" and on the back it says, "But most of all I love to show!" That's what this topic reminded me of.  ;D

LinZ said:

Well...now that I'm out of high school I usually go to shows to groom and offer support for those show kids going crazy about...how good does my calf look? Is she walking funny? Do you really think she'll win the class? lol... but when I do get to show...I love the feeling right when you walk in the ring and know without a doubt that your animal is groomed to the best of it's ability and it's now up to you to show it to the best of it's ability. I love showmanship.... All my crazy show friends...course now that I'm in Texas.. I have none  I  miss my Alabama friends. I also love the drive to the show.. Usually I go by myself so I can work out my plan of strategy in my head and if not my Dad goes with me so ...that's always fun listening to the crazy country songs, ACDC, and the best one of all... Livestock Show

Click to expand...

Now I wonder who you might be talking about????? (lol) Better have that phone charged come State Fair tme  in two weeks!!!
Sarah

the adrenaline rush heading into the ring. spirit of competition. thats it for me (thumbsup)