Preparing for the show

So what do you need to do to get your cattle ready for the National Heifer Show? Well for a start, get Dad and Mum to feed them while you’re at school then spend the school holidays, washing, shampooing, blowdrying and clipping them (or get someone who knows how to).

Early last week Tyler and Bayden Reeves of Delungra spent a couple of fairly wet chilly days preparing a steer, a bull and a cow and calf to take to the National Hereford Heifer Show in Tamworth on the weekend.

Wednesday, load the truck with enough feed for the cattle for four days, paraders clothes, halters, show box, show cane, wheel barrow, rakes for picking up the you-know-what and off to Tamworth. Set up stalls with rubber matting on the sawdust from the truck, tie cattle in, feed up.

Thursday, wash animals again, much warmer in Tamworth, attend lectures, feed and clean out the stalls, get interviewed by the Herdsman Judges, they watch all the time with clip boards making notes.

Friday, paraders is on so prepare cattle, spot wash bottoms (cattle), blow excess dust out of coats, comb, spray, fluff etc. Get the good clothes on and compete with all the other kids for best parader.

Friday night, official dinner and auction for the Youth Group. Can you believe Dad paid $200 for garden gnomes as a mystery prize? Mum’s going to super glue them to the truck dash.

Saturdy, time to show the cattle in their classes.

First up, Steer class, Reevesdale Email led by Tyler wins his class and becomes Grand Champion Steer. Next is the Bull class and Tyler leads Reevesdale Edward and again wins Grand Champion Bull.

Bayden has to wait till the last class to show his own cow and calf, Tybay Gleam and daughter of the same name. She goes on to win Reserve Mature Cow and makes the wait all day very worth it.

The PeeWee age group had a most entertaining class of dress your heifer in an outfit starting with the letter C. One group even got their calf to wear a jumper with it’s front legs through the arms and a cap – the uniform of the show.

Presentation follows and there’s a prize for all the kids in the Herdsman categories – Encouragement awards, Herdsman awards, Best Potential Breeder. Bayden won a can of Final Bloom hairspray in his Herdsman category and was very happy as he’d used it all up on Tyler’s bull earlier in the day and didn’t have much left for his cow.

A huge couple of days and congratulations to the organisers of the show. No doubt the kids will be back next year.

 

Pics from Hereford Heifer Show at Tamworth in July 2010
Bayden Reeves with Tybay Gleam and her calf (top)
Tyler Reeves with Champion Bull Reevesdale Edward (middle)
Tyler Reeves with Champion Steer Reevesdale Email (bottom)