New to showing

Help Support Steer Planet:

minicows

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
15
Location
oregon
;D this is my first year of showing. I am helping a friend and it is her first year. I am 26 and she is alot older then that. We will be showing her mini cows at the fair in two weeks. She has 2 mini belted galloways and a mini panda/ american beltie mix and the mom of the panda mix is a pure mini american beltie. She has a friend that will help us learn the ropes.

Any advice for a first timer in the show ring. What should i watch out for and what is the best thing to wear. They are in the beef group.

beth
 

Hofstatter Farms

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
291
Location
Lowpoint, IL
minicows said:
;D this is my first year of showing. I am helping a friend and it is her first year. I am 26 and she is a lot older then that. We will be showing her mini cows at the fair in two weeks. She has 2 mini belted galloways and a mini panda/ american beltie mix and the mom of the panda mix is a pure mini american beltie. She has a friend that will help us learn the ropes.

Any advice for a first timer in the show ring. What should i watch out for and what is the best thing to wear. They are in the beef group.

beth

Just to save you some embarrassment hire someone to clip them out at least if not fit them for you at the show and get someone to trim their hooves. I always feel sorry for the first timers that come to the fair with shaggy unclipped calves with skies for feet, because behind their backs everyone is laughing at them. Wear something that you are comfortable in but looks dressy at the same time, like a button up shirt and geans. always remember that when you set the calf up for the judge to get a profile view to have the hind leg closest to you 6inches or there abouts in front of the other.  Keep its head up at all times and be calm. the calmer you are the calmer the calf is. Be confident and you'll do just fine.  (thumbsup)
 

TJ

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
2,036
Hofstatter Farms said:
minicows said:
;D this is my first year of showing. I am helping a friend and it is her first year. I am 26 and she is a lot older then that. We will be showing her mini cows at the fair in two weeks. She has 2 mini belted galloways and a mini panda/ american beltie mix and the mom of the panda mix is a pure mini american beltie. She has a friend that will help us learn the ropes.

Any advice for a first timer in the show ring. What should i watch out for and what is the best thing to wear. They are in the beef group.

beth

Just to save you some embarrassment hire someone to clip them out at least if not fit them for you at the show and get someone to trim their hooves. I always feel sorry for the first timers that come to the fair with shaggy unclipped calves with skies for feet, because behind their backs everyone is laughing at them. Wear something that you are comfortable in but looks dressy at the same time, like a button up shirt and geans. always remember that when you set the calf up for the judge to get a profile view to have the hind leg closest to you 6inches or there abouts in front of the other.  Keep its head up at all times and be calm. the calmer you are the calmer the calf is. Be confident and you'll do just fine.  (thumbsup)

A lot of good advice above... I agree... hire somebody who knows what they are doing to help you as much as possible beforehand, especially clipping the cattle... otherwise, I would probably consider waiting until you could find somebody.  With "mini cattle" you are just asking for a whole barn full of critics & if the cattle aren't extremely good, fed up properly, clipped up nicely & well prepared, you will be the joke of all those in the barn when they go to the local coffee shops for months to come.  I raise Lowline Angus (not mini's, although they are small cattle) & I am telling you that if you and/or the cattle are not well prepared, I'd seriously consider just waiting until next year.  Nothing wrong with going to watch the show this year & try to ask questions & learn as much as you can.  First impressions mean a lot & it's hard to ever overcome a bad first impression.  I don't want to discourage you, I just want you to have a great first experience & so that you can be a great ambassador for your mini cattle.  You can learn a lot from good, experienced help & from watching people prepare their cattle before a show.  I've been around cattle shows for years & I still learn new tricks & easier ways of doing things.  Best wishes!!   
 

minicows

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
15
Location
oregon
Thanks. My friend who is the owner of the minis took them to a friends farm on sunday and had them clipped for the fair. The person who clipped them has been showing cattle her hole life and will be at the fair too. She is going to have her cattle next to ares so that she can help us learn the ropes. She has full size cattle. I think she has anguses. She is going to help use was them and learn the ropes of the fair. I can see how the our minis could be laghed at by the other cattle owners. They are kinda like a potbell pig going against a real pig.

I am going to my friends farm on thursday and am going to learn the tempermints of her 4 cows that are going. She is going to put them one at a time in her round pin.
The 4 that are going are

mini belted galloway bull
mini belted gallaway heifer
mini american beltie mom and her mini panda/ american beltie calf.

So she will be taking 4 of her cows to the show. Its going to be starting on the 18th on aug.

Please keep the advise coming and any and all tips are helpful
 
Top