LLBUX
Well-known member
We all have stories that we hold dear about our times at various fairs. My favorite story has several parts:
My son Lane was quite small at age 9 when he was first able to join 4-H and show a steer at the county fair. We went to his grandpa Vern's farm and he selected an Angus steer for his first project. My son named him Jonathan and we worked to get him ready for the fair.
Lane was in the heavyweight Angus steer class (Jonathan weighed 1425). Lane and Jonathan worked together well until it came time to lead out for judge Dan Hoge. As they rounded a corner to turn in front of the judge, a small child scared the steer, making him step sideways and into my son, knocking him to the ground under the steer and between his front legs. The steer locked up, almost knowing the danger and the injury that he could cause. He looked down at my son and licked him, seemingly encouraging him to get up and shake it off.
My son hadn't dropped the halter! The ringman was there immediately to help get him up and I was just a step behind. We brushed him off and he went right back to showing where he finished somewhere in the middle of the class. Judge Hoge praised him for his attitude and even gave him a hug.
The next year a similar situation occurred when Lane was once again bumped and fell down in the ring.
In year three, Lane washed his calf and I got busy blowing out the steer while he took a brief break. I looked over and saw Lane sitting in a chair with hands folded, head down and eyes closed. I asked him a bit later what he was doing. " I said a prayer and asked God not to let me get knocked down this year"
He hasn't been down since.
My son Lane was quite small at age 9 when he was first able to join 4-H and show a steer at the county fair. We went to his grandpa Vern's farm and he selected an Angus steer for his first project. My son named him Jonathan and we worked to get him ready for the fair.
Lane was in the heavyweight Angus steer class (Jonathan weighed 1425). Lane and Jonathan worked together well until it came time to lead out for judge Dan Hoge. As they rounded a corner to turn in front of the judge, a small child scared the steer, making him step sideways and into my son, knocking him to the ground under the steer and between his front legs. The steer locked up, almost knowing the danger and the injury that he could cause. He looked down at my son and licked him, seemingly encouraging him to get up and shake it off.
My son hadn't dropped the halter! The ringman was there immediately to help get him up and I was just a step behind. We brushed him off and he went right back to showing where he finished somewhere in the middle of the class. Judge Hoge praised him for his attitude and even gave him a hug.
The next year a similar situation occurred when Lane was once again bumped and fell down in the ring.
In year three, Lane washed his calf and I got busy blowing out the steer while he took a brief break. I looked over and saw Lane sitting in a chair with hands folded, head down and eyes closed. I asked him a bit later what he was doing. " I said a prayer and asked God not to let me get knocked down this year"
He hasn't been down since.
