brag on yourself about NAILE placing!

I know some boards don't like it when people brag on their winnings. I think it's fun to hear what you've done.

Let us know how you did. If you didn't do so well, we've all been in the same boat at one time or another!

Also if you have any pictures from the shows let us see them!

congrats to all!

Red

red said:

I know some boards don't like it when people brag on their winnings. I think it's fun to hear what you've done.

Let us know how you did. If you didn't do so well, we've all been in the same boat at one time or another!

Also if you have any pictures from the shows let us see them!

congrats to all!

Red

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OK, RED, you asked for it!   

I was sick with a cold the entire time & I didn't really get to enjoy the event, but I did pretty decent at the NAILE Lowline Show.  Before I do too much "bragging", I want to point out that it wasn't a real big show (56 paid entries - 47 animals actually showed up), but there was some pretty good competition (Neron's, Zeffirelli's, Low Beau's, Reno's, Findon Royale, Bluey, Elandra Park Sam's, Tequila, just to name a few of the "other" sires). 

I took 4 of my own animals & this is how they did...

March 08 Fullblood Doc Holliday Heifer - Res Grand Champion Fullblood Female

September 07 Percentage Lowline X Shorthorn Heifer - Divison Champ

December 07 Percentage Doc Holliday X Tarentaise Heifer - Res Division Champ (behind my Shorthorn X)

January 08 Fullblood Bull - Res Division Champ (beaten by the Res Grand Champion - my bull also had been sick a couple weeks before the show & I didn't take my red percentage bull for the same reason)


This is how the rest of the 14 head showstring that I was responsible for exhibiting faired (I personally halter broke 11 of the 14... the 2 cows were already broke, but I gave them a "refresher" in the weeks leading up to the show & one of the bred heifers was shown at Denver & at Houston last year)...

Grand Champion Fullblood Cow/Calf Pair (Doc Holliday baby at her side)

Grand Champion Percentage Cow/Calf Pair (Doc Holliday baby at her side)

Res Grand Champion Percentage Female

Champion Yearling Percentage Bull

Res Champion Yearling Fullblood Bull (judge said that he almost picked him as the Res Grand Champion, but he liked the calf champion a little better)

Champion JR Yearling Percentage Heifer

Res Champion JR Yearling Percentage Heifer

2 class winning bulls (1 fullblood & 1 percentage)

And a heifer that placed 3rd in her class.  HOWEVER, she was beaten by a heifer that we were showing (Res. Grand Champ) & a heifer that I raised & sold (Res Division Champion & she beat out a Bluey X Heat Seeker that won the Junior Show to win that!).  So, our only animal that didn't win it's class, was beaten in that class either by our other entry and by an entry that was actually 100% my own genetics.   

I've done quite well at several shows & although I personally would've liked to have won at least 1 Grand Championship Banner, I don't know if I've ever done that well overall & I am quite happy.

This is a "bragging thread", but rather than bragging on "myself", I want to "brag" on my help (they deserve to be bragged on, I was just in their way!    )... 

None of the above would've been possible without...

Justin Olson, who fit during the entire show (he helped fit both of the Res Champs & worked on all the higher end animals in the string- trust me, all of those animals looked very sharp!  ).   If that boy was down here helping me more often, I would "most likely" be doing "a lot more bragging"!!     

Shelby Olson, who did so showing her exhibit in the percentage female Grand Champion drive, that her animal actually beat my Shorthorn X (a heifer that we all thought might win the whole show!).  She can show for me anyday!  And she is pretty good with a set of clippers too.       

Heather Raab, did it ALL (I mean everything) & did it all very well! She even recruited a couple of her "high end" fitter friends who worked on my top end animals along with Justin.  It looked like "serious business" with those 3 fitting my very best animals & with Heather & Shelby showing them.  Talk about an A team... WOW!!  My help was so good, that even with a "flunky" like me working on the animals in the make up ring & with me showing a few of the animals, we were still able to have a pretty decent day.       Anyway, Heather made the wheels turn, so much so, that it allowed Justin & Shelby to have time to be able to go clip on a couple of "unclipped" animals that belonged to another exhibitor in the other aisle.  Heather was a real asset!         

And "inthebarn" (Lisa, a steerplanet poster), who drove over from southern IN to help us for a couple hours.  She brought a helper, ran some errands for us & they fit on the res division Champion bull who looked good(probably some others too)... they were a big help getting us headed in the right direction. 

John Kaeshoefer & James Debose offered assistance where needed.  (setting up, tearing down, leading animals, washing animals, baby sitting animals, feeding, etc.).   

As meantion earlier, I had a cold & I didn't feel so great during the entire event, plus, I was a Show Superintendent so I was busy with that & I was busy doing "P.R." with a lot of potential buyers (I swear my phone probably rang 100+ times Tuesday & Wednesday!), etc., etc., so it was beyond nice to have such a hard working bunch lending me a hand!  I am a very blessed, very fortunate person & I am VERY THANKFUL & VERY GREATFUL!!!!


And 2 Doc Holliday heifer calves that I sold...

1 of them won her class & the other was named Res. SR Division Champion Percentage Heifer Calf (beating the Bluey X Heat Seeker that won the JR Show).   
   

nothing worse than not feeling well at a show!

I have to agree w/ you that the people that lend a hand are gift's from God.

I know last year we had several Steer Planet members help me walk a very stubborn heifer. I was so thankful for the time they took.

Sounds like you did very well. Since this was the first show at Louisville for the Lowlines I'm sure it will only get better.

Hope you are feeling better!

Red  (clapping)

red said:

nothing worse than not feeling well at a show!

I have to agree w/ you that the people that lend a hand are gift's from God.

I know last year we had several Steer Planet members help me walk a very stubborn heifer. I was so thankful for the time they took.

Sounds like you did very well. Since this was the first show at Louisville for the Lowlines I'm sure it will only get better.

Hope you are feeling better!

Red  (clapping)

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Thanks, Red!  I was feeling somewhat better by showday (Tuesday was extremely rough!), but I am still not completely over it.

Without Heather, Justin, Shelby, James & John, I would've been in serious trouble.  They were a blessing... big time!  The others who pitched in made things easier on them, and that was a big blessing too.   

I was also glad that Justin & Shelby were able to go lend a hand & help out a novice at the show.  It might have made showday maybe a little less work for us if they hadn't helped them, but those other people needed help in a bad way & I was very glad that Justin & Shelby were willing & able.  I volunteered to clip his calves & was going to do it myself, but I decided to stall until Justin showed up because I knew that he would enjoy doing it & I was way busy & not feeling up to the task.   

The cattle did pretty well & other than being sick, I certainly can't complain.  I'd be crazy if I did complain! 

I do think that the show will get better & bigger, but I thought for a 1st year show that it went pretty well.   

       

red said:

nothing worse than not feeling well at a show!

I have to agree w/ you that the people that lend a hand are gift's from God.

I know last year we had several Steer Planet members help me walk a very stubborn heifer. I was so thankful for the time they took.

Sounds like you did very well. Since this was the first show at Louisville for the Lowlines I'm sure it will only get better.

Hope you are feeling better!

Red  (clapping)

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And BTW, I am glad that you are back with us & doing better!  I missed you, Red!  You are a great person & a real asset to Steer Planet!! 

Congratulations TJ!!  And a huge  (clapping) (clapping) for all those who helped!

You are more than welcome anytime TJ.  Brad and I had a ball helping you, sorry we couldn't stay longer!  Justin and Shelby were great to meet too.  Look forward to seeing those two again in March at the Expo!

Nice goin', TJ!  Wish I could have been there to help and cheer you on.  Maybe next year!  Look at my new "Guess what..." post for some news you'll appreciate!

I just realized that the entire 16 head that we either showed or I raised, were not beaten in the open classes, except by animals that we either showed or raised.  I guess that hadn't realized that, but that is awesome. 

Dori... Thanks for the "heads up" RE the Doc heifer calf & I hope to see you at the show next year, maybe with that Doc heifer.    Is Susan doing OK since her operation?  I hope so!  She's such a nice person.  PM me if you want.  BTW, Nancy Chapman is probably happy.  While we did beat that Bluey X Heat Seeker heifer to win both Division Champ & Reserve, the Res Percentage Grand Champion that Shelby showed was a Bluey daughter... she's either a 3/4 or 7/8 sister to my real good 1/2 blood Red bull.   

Inthebarn... glad that you enjoyed it & maybe I can talk you into helping me again next year.  I'm also thinking about the KY Beef Expo.  I may have to get a JR or 2, to show a few Lowline X heifers.    I might even find a way to take the little Doc fullblood just to make the show a little more interesting.   

Kanshow... thanks!!


Any other NAILE reports?   

We didn't get last so we are pretty proud of that.  I feel for you TJ.  We were sick also.  Sinus infections for myself and my husband.  I spent most of Friday at the hotel.
We are still trying to get over this yuck.

I think that something was going around there.  I came home and have been sick since then. 

we bought a simmi heifer in the ante up sale and she was fifth in class out of 12......got her home yesterday and we fell in love with her...she will be my middle daughter's showmanship heifer in the best program...see how that goes next week....lots of work to do until then..congrats to all that participated at NAILE....that is my kids goal....to show at NAILE....char

We stood 4th in our class in the shorty show.  My oldest son came home with fever and chills and basically was on the couch for the last 4 days...nasty stuff!  I hope I dont get it and that the rest of you all feel better.  My biggest problem is that I gained 5 pounds from all that awesome BBQ!

cowz said:

We stood 4th in our class in the shorty show.   My oldest son came home with fever and chills and basically was on the couch for the last 4 days...nasty stuff!   I hope I dont get it and that the rest of you all feel better.  My biggest problem is that I gained 5 pounds from all that awesome BBQ!

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that's kinda creepy but i got 4th in class in the steer show and i have had a cold ever since too. i think it was cause it got really cold that weekend and i haven't adjusted all the way yet.

And I am sure walking in and out to tieouts in the blowing rain and snow had nothing to do with it!  Even though we were in the junior barn we were lucky enough to get by the end doors so we had some fresh air.  I thiink that is the problem more than anything, the air in the barns.  And the heat, the west wing was hot!

First of all congratulations to everyone on how they did at the NAILE. That is the type of show where I feel you have accomplished something by having something good enough to even enter. Way to go SP members. You represented yourselves and your cattle well.

I have no bragging rights at all, as far as how my bull placed. I told the boys working for me that we would not even win a class and I was right. Phenom was in the second smallest class and the smallest division in the Shorthorn bull show. We managed to be second in a class of three. Remember when I posted under the topic about the affect John Sullivan was having on the Shorthorn breed? I said watch me go to Louisville and get my come upins. Well, I got it.

BUT.....I did make the point I set out to make.

Over the last several months there have been comments made here about Shorthorns being hard doers and just a show breed. You know...fur, fluff, fat. That is absolutely wrong. If you have hard doing Shorthorns that can only look good in the ring but can't make it in the real world it is NOT the Shorthorn BREED of cattle. It is a particular genetic line within that breed that needs work (or culled).

I purchased Phenom in March at the Ohio Beef Expo and he was already 9 months old, so I had no influence on how he was managed before that time. I set out to prove that you do not have to pour endless amounts of feed into cattle to get them to grow....if you have the right genetics to work with. Phenom was running a temp and off feed when I bought him. He had also just had his feed changed 100%, so it took me a couple of weeks to get him on feed and up to the amount I wanted him to eat.

Call me a liar but this is what he ate from March until Nov. He was started out on approx 9# of feed 2x daily with one flake of hay at night and gradually increased to 27# of  but kept on 1 flake of hay.  As a yearling (June 20) he weighed 1212#. Keep in mind that when he was a yearling I had only owned him just over 90 days. Phenom got hurt at the Tenn state fair (cut his foot between his hooves) and was off feed COMPLETELY from Tues morning until the next Tues morning. He was eating a little hay but no grain. It then took me another week to get him back on feed. This was early Sept. Including the Beef Expo, he was hauled and shown 4 times. The entire time he was in Louisville, the only time he ate his feed was Sat morning and he only drank a total of one bucket of water from Thurs until the show. I do not believe in pumping so he went to the ring dry. He crossed the scales at 1485#. I would liked to have had him at 1500 to 1550# but he would not cooperate down the home stretch.

With all that said he still had a good weight per day of age gain. I think they announced 2.8 or 2.9 ppd. Any time you have a 17 month old bull that has never eaten over 27# of grain at a time and still weigh 1485# at 17 months you can make money. Like I have said before, my fat cattle must finish before 13 1/2 months or it is time to cull the cow and shoot the bull.

I have a DZ/Tonic son here that has been on approx 20# of grain 2x daily and hay once. His yearling weight was 1380#. His ADG Ratio Rank was 3.94 ppd and his WPDA Ratio Rank was 3.77. So if a calf can gain 3.77 ppd FROM BIRTH and not get over 40# of grain I say that ain't bad.

The last 2 calves I butchered were born March 8 and March 13. They were butchered April 29 and weighed 1345# and 1390#.

IT IS NOT THE BREED AND THEY ARE NOT JUST SHOW CATTLE.

There was a Shorthorn bull in Louisville that the owner told me he was feeding him between 70 and 75# of feed a day. He was eating 25# of beet pulp every night. Now that doesn't get it in my book. I don't even know how one gets a bovine to eat that much. I sure couldn't do that....or want to. And I do not want any of his semen.

To convince me Shorthorns are hard doers and have no place in the real world you will have to bark up another tree. You will not find them in my fields.

Thanks for listening to my rantings.

Malinda

I thought your Phenom bull was one of the more stylish bulls in the show, though far from the fattest.  We showed a May bull at our State Fair that was division champion, but we turned him out with cows for 30 days after the fair and didn't want to take him to Louisville because I thought your bull would be too fat to get around!  Oh well, we'll both have some nice calves and the bulls would make a nice pair, almost exactly the same color.  Mine is out of a Trump X Dazzle Fool 8105 son.  I would guess you're kind of happy with those genetics, too.  On the serious side, sometimes I wonder how people can get cattle so fat at such a young age, but other times I'm glad I don't know.  Your bull is very good and I think will sire some excellent calves.  He could run with my cows any day.

Oakview,

Thank you for the nice comments regarding Phenom.

I had to make an 'executive decision' when I purchased him. I actually had a DZ/Tonic bull that I was going to use as my 'guinea pig' bull to make my point about Shorthorns not being hard doers and only useful in the showring. He is the one I mentioned that had the 3.77 ppd gain on the 40# of feed. I decided to switch and use Phenom because of the stylish look you mentioned.

Your bull that is out of a Dazzle Fool 8105 x Trump son is very closely related to Phenom or the DZ/Tonic bull. My DZ cow (in my avatar) is out of CF Dazzle Fool 8105 and Trump. Her first natural calf is Eastern Sky Conductor 506 and his sire is Ar Su Lu Golden Spike. Phenom is a son of Conductor. That makes Phenom DZ's grandson. By the way, Conductor was gaining 4.1 pounds per day between 8 and 9 months of age. He was actually getting stiff acting so I put him on a crash diet...one of those deals where he thought his throat had been cut. He still weighed 1285# as a yearling. Spike has been used for years as an easy calving bull. Aren't those easy calving bulls supposed to throw calves that lack bone, muscle and the ability to grow rapidly? Conductor forgot to read that page!

I know that I really hurt Phenom's chances of excelling in the show ring but I just thought it was more important to prove that he could grow without being on full feed or being fed a lot of expensive feeds and/or additives. Proving my point meant more than a banner.

I also wonder how people can get young cattle so fat so fast. I also wonder why many of those bulls die at a young age. I know untimely things happen to all cattle at all ages, under all types of conditions. BUT why are there so many highly promoted bulls dieing so young? Someone I talked to a few years ago at Denver thought maybe the feed they were being pushed with was damaging their livers. I think soundness issues are a big factor. I still stand my ground that a calf's bones, joints, muscles, tendons, etc. are only as old as they are and are not intended to take all that extra weight at such a young age. I'll deny I ever said this....but I think some of them turn out to be duds and they die from lightening strikes standing inside the barn on a sunny day, right before the owner(s) call the insurance company.

I have ranted on long enough. Good luck with your bull and thanks again for the nice compliments.

Malinda

In my opinion 8 out of 10 shorthorn cattle will not make it in the real world. My god 20 # of feed is a diet?  I am developing 4 yearling bulls on a cane bale and water. I know that showcattle are different but holy cow I don't even live on the same planet I guess. 80% of the show cattle will not work in the real world. Their bwts are to high they melt away to nothing as cows, they undergo no natural environment selection. You have cows being flushed raising a 100 offspring that have no environment selection pressure on them whatso ever. I hope you are right and the shorthorn breed will overtake the Angus but man "the emperor has on no clothes!".

aj said:

In my opinion 8 out of 10 shorthorn cattle will not make it in the real world. My god 20 # of feed is a diet? I am developing 4 yearling bulls on a cane bale and water. I know that showcattle are different but holy cow I don't even live on the same planet I guess. 80% of the show cattle will not work in the real world. Their bwts are to high they melt away to nothing as cows, they undergo no natural environment selection. You have cows being flushed raising a 100 offspring that have no environment selection pressure on them whatso ever. I hope you are right and the shorthorn breed will overtake the Angus but man "the emperor has on no clothes!".

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My Shorthorns must be in that 20% that can work in the real world. The red heifer we had at Louisville eats 6 pounds of feed per day and the rest is hay. The Red and White heifer we had there eats 10 pounds of feed per day and the rest is hay. Our ex show heifers work in the pasture on just grass, mineral, and hay (we dont do silage in Texas) and they are doing just fine. We do creep feed our calves to get the weights up to sale.