Time for the Livestock Shows

Mid to late January always marks the time at which the Parish Livestock Shows are held and it requires some preparation.  The animals are all halter-broken, gentle and tame (except for Bully, but that's another story).  We get out the clippers and shave their winter coats off and groom them as best as we can.  Then we brush up on the showing techniques that the judges are looking for.

Dairy showing is relatively easy.  You simply walk them around in a circle in the show ring, maintaining eye contact with the judge, hold the animal's head upright, and when the judge motions for you to stop, you stop.  The only tricky part is setting up the back legs.  If it is a dairy heifer that you are showing, the back leg on the side facing the judge should be positioned farther back.  If it is a dairy cow (one who has calved), the back leg facing the judge should be positioned forward.

This takes a little practice, so the weekend before the show, we got in the backyard and went through the exercise to refresh everyone's memory.  Here's Benjamin with Amy, his dairy heifer walking her and getting some practice before the livestock show.

Amy and Benjamin

Tricia was providing expert instruction to our showman.

"When you walk, keep eye contact with the judge."

Benjamin walked in more circles with Amy than he would have liked, but perfect practice makes perfect.  In no time he had Amy responding favorably to his commands and was able to set her up with ease.  When the animals get in a strange show barn with other animals though, sometimes things aren't so serene.  We've had animals lay down in the ring before.  The exacerbate their discomfort, you don't milk them prior to the show as you want their bag to "bloom."  That means be filled with milk.  So that doesn't exactly make them docile.

Setting up Amy

On the night before the show, we put Amy and Rosie in the cattle trailer, transported them to the Jeff Davis Parish Fair Barn and unloaded them.  We got them all settled and put hay in their hay socks and then took them to the washing stalls and scrubbed them with brushes and soapy water until they were spic and span.  You clean the wax out of their ears and they don't much like that.  Of course they were shivering in the cold, but we dried them off and then took out the clippers and fine tuned their haircuts.

The next morning was show time.  Benjamin and Tricia arrived in the barn and got the girls presentable for the show.  Sometimes overnight they'll lay down in their poop and will need to be touched up.  Fortunately, they were discerning in the spot that they slept and just required a quick brushing to remove some wood shavings from their bellies.  Now, you just sit and wait until your class is called over the loud-speaker.

Sitting with Amy

Before you know it, it was time for the show.  The cows were a little skittish, but Benjamin kept calm and managed his animals well.  The practice paid off as he did a great job.  The judge was very helpful and always gives the showman good tips and constructive criticism to make you a better showman.  4-H teaches good manners and behavior in showing and at the end of the show, all the exhibitors go shake hands with the judge.  I like that the formation of good character is reinforced.

In the ring

Between the shows, Benjamin is able to run around and visit with his 4-H buddies. I remember doing the same thing when I was his age.  Although we don't eat much fast food, we've started a tradition that Benjamin looks forward to.  At the end of the show, we go to Popeye's Fried Chicken and get a box of spicy chicken to chow down on as a reward for doing a good job.

And he did do a good job.  He got three nice ribbons, including two rosettes that he'll add to his bedroom display.  

Benjamin's ribbons

Now that the Parish show is over, the Southwest Louisiana District Livestock Show will be coming up in a week and a half in Lake Charles, Louisiana and we'll start preparing for that.  Good Job, Benjamin, with Daisy and Rosie!