Ia State Fair Sale of Champs

[yuppiecowboy]

I feel dumber having read some of these posts, but as an Iowan with friends that would be in charge of handling such an issue, I am beyond confident the "scandalous affair" being alluded to is either an extreme exaggeration or a complete fabrication.

There were some issues with the brockle faced and the smudged noseprint. Dont know either way,and dont know how it was resolved, but questioned identity is not a tainted carcass.

Probably before the poster was born, a steer toweled dirty. Nobody must have cared though as the steer went on to be reserve.

Thats about all there is. No clembuterol in the day (at least found), no foreign substance under the hide, no Banamine, not even St John's Wort.

I do not think I have ever been to even a goat show of a county fair where the winner wasnt hissed about in an accusatory manner, typically by the families whos fair preparation involved a Big Jim breaking halter and a 4020 the week before going to town.

 

[chambero]

Wow, I usually agree with much of what you write, but this is both disrespectful and offensive!

I did a poor job of not reading what I wrote before I posted.  Thanks for the feedback and I removed it myself.

The gist of what I was trying to get at is that our buyers aren't overly critical of our whole show animal programs.  They want to have a good time spending their money and don't go around looking for things to get mad about it.  They aren't much different than those of us that show cattle.  I wasn't trying to put down buyers.

 

[simtal]

by the families whos fair preparation involved a Big Jim breaking halter and a 4020 the week before going to town.

I about fell outta my chair after reading that! (lol)

 

[Bawndoh]

by the families whos fair preparation involved a Big Jim breaking halter and a 4020 the week before going to town.

I about fell outta my chair after reading that! (lol)

Me too!  You cant put any more truth into that statement.  Whether everybody wants to admit it or not, they know its true!! (clapping).  You cant hate the player, you have to hate the game.  If you are not willing to prepare yourself, and your cattle to look/act their best, then dont even come to the show!  There is an exception for those whose calves have a permanent attitude problem though...."hot heads".

 

[Jill]

Wow, I usually agree with much of what you write, but this is both disrespectful and offensive!

I did a poor job of not reading what I wrote before I posted.  Thanks for the feedback and I removed it myself.

The gist of what I was trying to get at is that our buyers aren't overly critical of our whole show animal programs.  They want to have a good time spending their money and don't go around looking for things to get mad about it.  They aren't much different than those of us that show cattle.  I wasn't trying to put down buyers.

And that I do agree with.  Buyers for the most part are not purchasing a calf when they come to a Jr. Premium aution, they are buying in to a kids project and that makes everyone feel good and as you say it is a great tax deduction.  I don't know how most work, but the auctions we are involved with most of the buyers pay the additional premium for the animal, but donate it to charity, they are NOT concerned about the meat. 

 

[Dusty]

The county fair where I grew up just has a ribbon sale.  The animal doesn't change hands.  Buyers bid on the kids' animals strictly on a premium basis if you will.  They then get their picture with the calf or whatever they want.  This works well because then the animal can go home and go to state fair and the kid still gets some extra money out of the county fair.

 

[stick]

"I don't know how most work, but the auctions we are involved with most of the buyers pay the additional premium for the animal, but donate it to charity, they are NOT concerned about the meat."

Geez, I wonder if the people who get the meat would be. "Don't worry about the adulterated meat, it's just a donation to the food bank anyway."

 

[showsteerdlux]

"Buyers" that purchase animals at youth auctions are looking for an excuse to dress up, show off their trophy wives (at least plenty often down here), and get their tax deduction.  All of which we are more than happy to let them do.   Our shows do a good job of making the experience fun for them to spend their money.  And many, many are spending lots of excess money they made - most of which was by means that didn't exactly follow the straight and narrow conservative line in whatever their business is.  They have way more to worry about than care about what that calf might or might not have been fed. At least in our part of the world.  Especially since they never see the animal or its meat after their picture is taken with it. 

Does anyone think construction contractors (a common type of buyer down here) don't do everything in their power to push certain limits (labor and immigration laws, contract requirements [read change orders for those of you familiar with the business], etc.).  We love to make fun of lawyers because they figure out how to take money from someone else for their clients and themselves.  I doubt there has anyone that ever lost a lawsuit that didn't think they were fleeced.  You could argue whether its good or bad, but this country works (and we are way more honest than other) by pushing limits in any kind of business or competition (which business is).  These people that are smart enough to have made that much money know full well that these beautiful, champion show animals aren't coming from poor kids that bought a calf from the sale barn.

Wow, I usually agree with much of what you write, but this is both disrespectful and offensive!

I don't see how this is disrespectful because imho its the same deal.

 

[Jill]

"I don't know how most work, but the auctions we are involved with most of the buyers pay the additional premium for the animal, but donate it to charity, they are NOT concerned about the meat."

Geez, I wonder if the people who get the meat would be. "Don't worry about the adulterated meat, it's just a donation to the food bank anyway."

That is not what I was saying, when was the last time you heard of "adulterated meat" from a show animal going anywhere?

 

[chambero]

Not to be splitting hairs, but I've never heard of meat from a show steer flunking a standard USDA test.  I've only heard of calves flunking urine tests while live and possibly something showing up in eyeballs (clenbuterol - I think that's where they used to find trace residues).  We test show calves much more stringently than your average carcass.