Not to brag, ;D, but I had a calf we sold via Steer Planet do really well at a fairly large show in AR this week. In talking to the family that bought the calf, I learned some things I found to be very strange to me concerning rules and regulations set up by those in charge of the show, I assume extension.
Now I realize Texas slick shears steers and I have never hidden the fact that makes absolutely zero sense to me. Why? One because the reasoning behind that is to keep the fitting out of the decision making in the ring. To make it "fair" for everyone, an even playing field if you will. That all sounds well and good, but what has happened is the same people win that would win if they had hair. It has allowed few, if any, different people to excel. So for me, the main reason this doesn't make sense is because the reasoning for doing it this way hasn't panned out. But the second reason I think it makes no sense is because with no hair to care for, no animal to groom, the project consists of not much more than throwing some feed in a trough and making sure he has water. In my opinion, the hair work is what makes the project a good one, what teaches responsibility, sticktoitiveness, work ethic. Without it, the amount of effort required is far less.
But today I find out in AR, that before the steers go into the ring, they are wet down with a hose and shown soaking wet. First time I have ever heard of that one. This rule was put in place because there are people who have coolers and those in charge didn't feel it fair they have some advantage over another. They couldn't slick shear them because the state fair is next month with no such rule so they just soaked 'em down. I also learned that no one could fit the cattle at the show besides the child or his or her parents. Again, obviously this is put in place to keep someone from being able to hire a professional and have some advantage over someone who CHOSE not to do the same. Again more "do gooders" trying to make everything fair for all. When what actually happens is those kids who have parents who's business is show cattle, who are in fact professional fitters, have an insurmountable advantage of those kids who are 10 years old and have a parent who is a nurse or works down at the car plant. Its not even fair to have a 10 year old fit against an 18 year old. For instance, one family from AR had the champion Hereford, Maintainer, and Chi a this summers junior nationals. Do you think they had an advantage over someone who's parents weren't professional cattle people? The best way to make this fair for everyone would have been to allow the families to hire anyone they wanted to fit.
Don't give me this stuff about how my kid fits his own and I wouldn't have it any other way and how he does as well as anyone. When you have a national champion that a 12 year old fitted by himself then you can tell me HE does as well as anyone. Until then, a child is no match for a professional. When your child does all he or she can do to the best of their ability and experience, yet doesn't have the same opportunity to have the same reward as those who have a professional as a parent, someones reasoning is off. If you CHOOSE to do it that way, good for you. But there shouldn't be any "Do gooder" keeping someone else from doing it their way. And you shouldn't whine because someone else decided to do it different than you CHOSE to.
If you tell me that everyone can't afford fitters and coolers, etc. and that's why no one should get an advantage from them I would tell you that in all of life there will be people who are far wealthier than you. And that you compete with them every day. You can figure out how to do it early or you can waste half of your life saying "It's not fair that he has more resources than I do." If that is how you feel you could always move to FL and compete in the state steer show there. All the steers from in the state steer show come from one ranch. They are long eared, tiger striped, rodeo stock direct from the swamp. You draw for a number and then pick your calf when it's your turn. All steers cost the same. Everyone is on even ground. Doesn't that sound like a blast? All you have to do is have some tall pens and make sure your health insurance is paid up and you are ready to go. Everyone has the same chance. I don't think they allow you to hire a rodeo clown while you are trying to break them, however, but I am not sure on that.
Here in our state we show commercial heifers by weight and not by birth date. The reasoning is that since they aren't registered why someone could actually cheat and say that they were born whenever. And we all know that those with registration papers were born on the EXACT date that paper says :
. So what is the result of this type of reasoning? Last state fair Judge Jimmy Williams, V-8 Ranch, chose a 14 month old 700 pound calf as the reserve champion. WHY? Because he has no way to know the calf is 14 months old and a midget. More do gooders in action.
These people are like the government. They know how to make your life better and don't think that you do. So they do it for you. I guess extension is the government.
What are the rules you encounter that are supposed to make things fair for all that end up doing the exact opposite of what they have intended?
Now I realize Texas slick shears steers and I have never hidden the fact that makes absolutely zero sense to me. Why? One because the reasoning behind that is to keep the fitting out of the decision making in the ring. To make it "fair" for everyone, an even playing field if you will. That all sounds well and good, but what has happened is the same people win that would win if they had hair. It has allowed few, if any, different people to excel. So for me, the main reason this doesn't make sense is because the reasoning for doing it this way hasn't panned out. But the second reason I think it makes no sense is because with no hair to care for, no animal to groom, the project consists of not much more than throwing some feed in a trough and making sure he has water. In my opinion, the hair work is what makes the project a good one, what teaches responsibility, sticktoitiveness, work ethic. Without it, the amount of effort required is far less.
But today I find out in AR, that before the steers go into the ring, they are wet down with a hose and shown soaking wet. First time I have ever heard of that one. This rule was put in place because there are people who have coolers and those in charge didn't feel it fair they have some advantage over another. They couldn't slick shear them because the state fair is next month with no such rule so they just soaked 'em down. I also learned that no one could fit the cattle at the show besides the child or his or her parents. Again, obviously this is put in place to keep someone from being able to hire a professional and have some advantage over someone who CHOSE not to do the same. Again more "do gooders" trying to make everything fair for all. When what actually happens is those kids who have parents who's business is show cattle, who are in fact professional fitters, have an insurmountable advantage of those kids who are 10 years old and have a parent who is a nurse or works down at the car plant. Its not even fair to have a 10 year old fit against an 18 year old. For instance, one family from AR had the champion Hereford, Maintainer, and Chi a this summers junior nationals. Do you think they had an advantage over someone who's parents weren't professional cattle people? The best way to make this fair for everyone would have been to allow the families to hire anyone they wanted to fit.
Don't give me this stuff about how my kid fits his own and I wouldn't have it any other way and how he does as well as anyone. When you have a national champion that a 12 year old fitted by himself then you can tell me HE does as well as anyone. Until then, a child is no match for a professional. When your child does all he or she can do to the best of their ability and experience, yet doesn't have the same opportunity to have the same reward as those who have a professional as a parent, someones reasoning is off. If you CHOOSE to do it that way, good for you. But there shouldn't be any "Do gooder" keeping someone else from doing it their way. And you shouldn't whine because someone else decided to do it different than you CHOSE to.
If you tell me that everyone can't afford fitters and coolers, etc. and that's why no one should get an advantage from them I would tell you that in all of life there will be people who are far wealthier than you. And that you compete with them every day. You can figure out how to do it early or you can waste half of your life saying "It's not fair that he has more resources than I do." If that is how you feel you could always move to FL and compete in the state steer show there. All the steers from in the state steer show come from one ranch. They are long eared, tiger striped, rodeo stock direct from the swamp. You draw for a number and then pick your calf when it's your turn. All steers cost the same. Everyone is on even ground. Doesn't that sound like a blast? All you have to do is have some tall pens and make sure your health insurance is paid up and you are ready to go. Everyone has the same chance. I don't think they allow you to hire a rodeo clown while you are trying to break them, however, but I am not sure on that.
Here in our state we show commercial heifers by weight and not by birth date. The reasoning is that since they aren't registered why someone could actually cheat and say that they were born whenever. And we all know that those with registration papers were born on the EXACT date that paper says :
. So what is the result of this type of reasoning? Last state fair Judge Jimmy Williams, V-8 Ranch, chose a 14 month old 700 pound calf as the reserve champion. WHY? Because he has no way to know the calf is 14 months old and a midget. More do gooders in action. These people are like the government. They know how to make your life better and don't think that you do. So they do it for you. I guess extension is the government.
What are the rules you encounter that are supposed to make things fair for all that end up doing the exact opposite of what they have intended?
