MDBA Show

Ah--we're back from the show!  FIVE of the kids from here showed heifers in the showmanship arena!

 

A thank you to the Wyoming Joneses who lent their heifer, 

Lucky Girl, for these pix and for walking in the showmanship circle.

Fortunately the photographer sent this, as it is my heifer:

I think the young showmen were pleased to receive the MDBA T-shirts (I personally think they are very cute--especially the backs) and training halters they were given by the very well-organized MDBA show-putter-onners.  It was fun for me to see old friends and acquaintances, even if I was too focused to get in much enjoyable chatting.  I saw again that show-feeding and conditioning of the animals make a big difference in a judge's, and a buyer's, eye.  And I saw the good look that experienced grooming can give.  I became a little interested myself in learning clipping.  And there were some very nice Dexters exhibited in both the show and sale, and some awfully cute "short legs" really "stole the show" several times.  Some sales were good but unfortunately some sellers were obviously so stressed they sold much below value.  And even a grand champion bull in the sale went home again as the offered price was so below value and expectation.  So the sale was disappointing for many who brought animals, I think.  A few others did really well.  Though one might cite "quality," the successes were often those who had put in a good bit of "homework" and many good cattle did not sell.  But some times are like that.  Overall, it was still an enjoyable weekend...I believe for all of us.  Many kudos should be handed out.  Chris and Vicki Jones from Wyoming lent us their booth-space clean-up tools, for which I was very grateful.  The Joneses from Texas did more than their share of aisle clean-up.  Ted and Vicki Anderson, as MDBA officers and just fellow exhibitors, were helpful in multiple ways.  Michelle Burns, who was in charge of the youth effort, was so warm and friendly, and efficiently provided help and heifers to lead when needed.  Jim Smith was organized and helpful with the bookwork and money-recording.  Dick Clark, who presented much of the information about the animals in the sale, did a nice job, as did the auctioneer--I thought both those efforts were unusually helpful.  The food-providers, especially Friday night, were absolutely GREAT!  The check-in and barns were efficiently set up.  I don't even know the names of everyone to include in the thanks.  Overall, the folks who did the work to put it all together have my high respect and regard!  I imagine that they are all "resting up" at this point, but they did an admirable job, including keeping their cool whenever small problems to solve arose.

I was pleased with Kaelan.  I led him for the first time (and think it likely was also his first in his LIFE to be on halter) a week ago Thursday, and he was not difficult at all to load or to walk in the show and sale.

(Even if he and his owner are not "set up" properly, I appreciate how willingly he cooperated!)

I almost shed a tear at the sale, realizing that no one else really knows his nice personality well enough to appreciate him.  Xangwen, his daughter and the heifer shown by Brittany, became a much more halter-TRAINED and -accepting girl over the course of her many times through the ring and into the trailer.  The young trainers from here got a good amount of time to curry and pet the animals we took and to lead others as well as to observe experienced showmen/women/boys/girls.  And the parents of those very kids did a wonderful job of not only taking care of their own kids' clothing and appearances but also stretching to include the others, taking pictures, and keeping track of and packing up my paraphernalia too.  The experience did us all good and we are ready to set some goals for June, I think.  I am eager to learn more about clipping and foot-trimming.  While I'm still not eager to feed for show, I intend to pick ahead some animals that we will plan to work with and perhaps consider giving them BETTER hay and making sure they get good pasture in spring.