Stupid Fair Rules.

[OH Breeder]

I was just asking HOW do u fit an animal with just soap and water, not whining. I am glad we dont have the artificial stuff, because I seen the price of the stuff and imo to put it in and wash it out is a waste. Also our county has no idea what is really going on(they didnt know how we should clip and show our dairy beef class and they used dairy judges that actually
said they didnt know how to judge the dairy beef) so we have no one to teach us how to fit. I personally think stuff should be kept at levels, i hate that people win with animals that for example the grand and reserve champ lambs were bought at 400 each agianst max 100 lambs. It just gets me that they say our fair helps youth enter the industry which is right now is fitting their cattle. I dont have a load of money, I work hard for my animals and support my 2 girls along with my husband.....some people like going out to movies and parties........well I like showing animals and find it very rewarding. And for the person that posted all my posts are whining 1) I havent posted that many and none r complaining 2) I am just asking for advice seeing that I am new to this steer showing and all. Also I didnt know there was a different classes for fitted steers and a term blow and go which our show is I found out till now...I thought it was all the same. Thank-you everyone for suggestions and advice <beer>

Continue to ask questions that is what this board is for. Ignore negative people and take them with a grain of salt. Your question is very reasonable and that is why this board is so informative. You may find folks who have been through the same thing you have in the past. 

 

[Show Heifer]

ok tonight I was reading thru our fair book on Market Steer rules. It states cattle can only be fitted using soap and water. How in the world do u fit a steer using ONLY soap and water?? Does anyone else think this is a stupid rule...I mean the showing industry is using grooming aids shouldnt we be able to also to get experience?? Were the ONLY county to have this rule too.

I misunderstood the "Does anyone else think this is a stupid rule" ..... I thought that was whining. When I read the replies, they seemed to focus on the "fitted versus unfitted" shows, not on how to fit without using products.
How do you fit an animal without products? You spend HOURS brushing and training the hair. Then during the show your calf will have well trained hair that will not need supplies. (At least in theory.... if this was totally true, sullivans wouldn't be so wealthy!) But, you will be light years ahead of those that didn't spend the time!


I grew up with just a halter and a curry comb. Not even a water hose. Guess that makes me a brain surgeon? Doubtful. 

See, nothing but smiles and giggles in this post!! Gotta love that positivity!

 

[knabe]

Re: Stupid Fair Rules.

clearly not whining.

 

[DLD]

Over the last few weeks leading up to the show, I'd recommend using some sort of conditioner when you wash with soap, and using show sheen daily and something like revive at least 3 or 4 times a week.  If the hair and skin are well conditioned and holding some oils of their own, your calf will look much fresher and shinier.  Without putting some oils back into them, you could easily end up with dry skin and damaged hair, especially if you're brushing and blowing alot.

Personally, I like blow and shows, but here we can still use anything but adhesives (and paint, in some shows), so it's a little different.  The steer you see in my avatar has nothing in him but show sheen, so I believe you can still make one look good without alot of paint and glue.  That's not because we don't know how or are too lazy to fit, either - We'll play the game with anybody when the time comes.

Edit to add - That would have been the avatar I was using at the time of the original post.  The little black steer is fully fit - like I said, we'll play the game any way...

 

[oakie]

Revive is a very light oil and a skin and hair conditioner, I would mention that your calves hair dries out easily (whether it does or not) and just propose you use that. It is pretty basic and hard to screw up if you blow them dry enough (any freddy can use it and I would say that). One thing that also works is infusium leave in treatment, it is a human hair conditioner, I don't see how they could argue with that and win. When you blow before the show, make sure you put the end of the blower nozzle, on their legs only, Directly on the hide (it is really hard to describe how to do this) and blow up. It will make the hair stand up you just need to practice. I would also look into a body building shampoo in the womens hair department, we have every product under the sun for our hair and I am sure it will work with cattle (check out the stuff that makes our hair "glossy" it is a real light oil you could mix into your shampoo before hand and noone would be wiser), just avoid high concentrates of "panthenol" (fructis, pantente, etc) because it will coat the cuticle and make the hair heavy. You can also put some baking soda on a brush (mixed amongst the shampoo) and wash it in that way. It strips the residues out of the hair and it makes my husbands short hair stand on end, which gave me the idea for cattle. Go ahead and practice before the show it may help. Good luck

 

[Mainevent]

You all complain that it costs too much. But tell me have you been to a fitted show and seen a calf that has not been fitted? I haven't personally and it actually doesn't cost that much I'm 16 and fitt everything myself that's all it takes is the want to, to learn and do it.

 

[Earthmover]

OMG people she said she shows dairy feeders. Holsteins Jersey ect. they dont have hair like our show cattle. I've clipped dairy cattle for shows and it usually takes longer to set up than clip. To the lady just keep them clean and comfortable and feed them a good ration not whole corn. In that game the fat ones win. And thats hard to do.

 

[PaFFA Proud]

OMG people she said she shows dairy feeders. Holsteins Jersey ect. they dont have hair like our show cattle. I've clipped dairy cattle for shows and it usually takes longer to set up than clip. To the lady just keep them clean and comfortable and feed them a good ration not whole corn. In that game the fat ones win. And thats hard to do.

Thank-you..its hard to get weight on them dairy feeder steer within 7 months they need to be at least 400lbs. I am doin a market steer this year since its my last.

 

[Silver]

take the saddle soap trick and run with it

 

[DLD]

I'd be really hesitant about using any kind of product at the show if your rules forbid it.  Whether it's "detectable" or not, the wrong person could easily see you do it...  Get your hair working right, get your calf clean and fresh and shiny, get him clipped out right, and you will have probably already out-fit most of your competition.  It's all about the homework.

 

[fbrmom]

Unfortunately this is not a fair rule as you say.  This is a state rule for 4-h and FFA.  It started in effect last year,  the state 4-h program in Pa is running on the State farm show rules.  All counties are required to use their rule book as the standard from what I understand.  The rule, from what I understand, is what they call the White Towel Test, if you can take a white towel, wipe it across your cow and it comes off, it can't be on in the first place.  You can also not use anything that is not designed specifically for cattle.  If it doesn't say safe for cattle you can't use it on the cattle.  Sorry its a state wide rule, not just your fair.

 

[knabe]

the utility of government involvement in fun is rapidly diminishing if it exists at all.

perhaps eliminating the county or state affiliated shows is imminent.

in california, the state owns all the fairgrounds.

it makes sense to me to vote these people out, but it will never happen.

even if we do, the one's we vote in will rarely change any law.

they'd rather make new ones that exert more central control.

i love central control.  thinking or competing is too stressful.

 

[vc]

Our Fair has been" blow and go" for ever it seems, it started back in the 80's when we had water rationing (along with drain problems at the fair grounds) Those years you could only wash your animal if you got permission from someone from the livestock office. Over the years it has gotten better, you can rinse or wash every morning from 6:30 am to 8 am every morning. You still may not use any product on the animal (none what so ever) Saddle Soap or as back in my day they called it boning wax is not allowed.

For a cattle you do all the work at home. You get the hair to pop with just a blower and a comb. At the fair you wash them good in the morning, blowthem out  completely and before the show you fog them and blow them out comb, and blow comb and blow until your class. If you put in the time at home they will look like they are fitted in the ring.

For hogs we  would start putting "Vaseline intense care hand lotion" on them for the last 2 weeks, rinse and lotion every day. the night before we go to the fair we washed them good and put them in the trailer all lotioned up. Their skin stays hydrated for the entire fair this way plus the lotion helps keep them from staining as bad.
If they had real bad areas we would just cover them in Corona Ointment, 2 times a week between the lotion. the lanolin in the ointment sure makes a hog shine. as well as the insects cant stand the stuff, no bites or rashes from clipping

 

[hannahbanana]

i go to this fair too..and it isnt that hard. ive done it before and done well. you should be able to present your animal naturally and it should look the same with sprays or without

 

[PaFFA Proud]

:

 

[hannahbanana]

Most of the time people make those rules because they have no clue on how to fit. They think it levels the playing field. But if you are doing the work at home it will not matter. I think it is so funny to listen to people trying to make it hard a select few. When all they are doing is making themselves look stupid. Because they will still get beat by the same calf they are making the rules up for.

uhh 1st off, our fair is like tiny. and the people who made those rules (my dad is part of that!) do know who to use them! i go to shows and use them....gee i think we know how! The people who made those rules are no where near 'stupid'. when you only have like 10 steers, it really isnt a hard decision for the judge! so why waste your time and money on sprays and paints!

 

[hannahbanana]

Most of the time people make those rules because they have no clue on how to fit. They think it levels the playing field. But if you are doing the work at home it will not matter. I think it is so funny to listen to people trying to make it hard a select few. When all they are doing is making themselves look stupid. Because they will still get beat by the same calf they are making the rules up for.

I don't agree with that. Our fair has that rule because of the expense with fitting. Add up how much it cost to buy a can of everything you need, not cheap! We have no live animal auction, just a premium auction that brings less than $100, if your lucky! Our kids are lower income, doing this for the experience (a TRUE 4-H project), and there is noting worse than having someone from out of the county come in with an animal that is glued to the hilt taking the whole show, when the county kids have worked hard all year at grooming and feeding and attending clipping clinics so they can properly fit without glue. If the outside animal is better than the local kids animal unfit, then it SHOULD beat everyone else.  There have been NUMEROUS times when one of our local kids have beaten a calf that went on to win at bigger shows, plain and simple. People like our fair because it is one day, no overnight, and gets the calves some miles without being terminal. We draw a lot of people (our show typically has 70 to100 head each year).  If you do not like the rule, do not show at our fair, it is that simple! As a parent, I like the no fit. Less stress on my kid and the animal.
You can hide a TON of faults with glue, but a blow and glow shows what they truly are - no fake hair, no fake muscle, what you see is what you get!

i agree with you sooo much. there is no need for sprays and crap at a local county fair

 

[Jacob B]

I disagree whole heartedly about not being able to "fit" one at your local fair.  I have been to many shows over my short lifetime, big and small.  I have never taken one of my own animals to a show where I didn't want to make it look as darn good as I possibly could.  I have far too much pride to just not try my hardest because I don't think the show or fair is just not big enough to do the extra work.  I enjoy doing the extra work and I take pride in seeing just how good I can make one look if I work hard.  I see too many people that just don't care because they think they don't have a chance at winning anything.  Who cares if you win all the time or not?  I have had my tail kicked plenty of times and I still want to try as hard as I can each and every time.  Those seem to be the same people that make up rules to make it easier for them so they don't have to work as hard to compete with the hard working dedicated types that I enjoy seeing at the local fairs, this may not always be the case, but just seems to be what I see happening more often than not.

 

[fbrmom]

Sorry, but this isn't only your fair rule. All Pa 4-h market steers will have to abide by these rules in 2011.  It will just depend on how closely your county monitors you.  Last year we could use adhesives, I guess, but this year its gonna change. 

 

[farmin female]

Our state fair is a blow and go and does the white towel test.  But, by no means are these cattle not fitted.  It does indicate who has been working on their animals and who doesn't because it's much easier to show a calf with hair than without.  We can use shaving cream on the legs if you do it lightly.  Kleen sheen and vinegar will make the hair shine, and keep the dust off.  It also dries and doesn't show up on the white glove test.  The rule itself itsn't bad, if you want to do that route.  What makes it difficult is that is really isn't clear.  Even just soap and water can be mean different things to different people as the saddle soap crowd indicates. 

Oh, and by the way, maybe I was a lucky kid, but I grew up in the 70's, showed steers and had a bucket, a hose, a comb, a rice root, a spray nozzle, feed, water,........and still wanted to make my calves look as good as I could.