Slick vs Hair shows

[The Show]

The last 5 years with this year's being my last.

 

[afhm]

That might be the "official" reason, but everybody will tell you that they did it to run off the steerjocks. I'm not sure about other states' shows but Houston pays out really really good and it got to where basically it was who could hire the best jock.

Safety was the reason.  Although I prefer the hair shows it used to be pretty hazardous at Houston, I witness a many a accident there over the years.  The year before the rule went into effect there were numerous people and animals injured from tripping over or getting their feet tangled up in the rats nest that extension cords always tend to make when on the ground at a show and even getting severely shocked from skint spots on cords.  There were extension cords being run from one wing of the astro arena clear to other wings.  The jocks are still at Houston every year so they didn't get rid of them, they did eliminate more of the northern ones coming down just to help fit. 

 

[The Show]

I never got to see Houston as a fit show or in astro arena  I imagine they could make it a fit show again if they wanted to because the new reliant arena has plenty of power and room. I'm not sure about the steer show this year, but the heifer show attendance was WAY down from last year. I totally agree with you about the jocks though, all the guys from Texas still show up. That's what I meant in my earlier post.

 

[advocate]

At the end of the day its still a show or a beauty contest for cattle if your going to take all of the hair out of it so the poor deprived freddy 4hers have a chance and have noone take pride in it then what exactly is the point of having a show or breeding show steers when a good slick steer is just a commercial industry calf whose eggs all fell in the right basket. The level playing field is a joke everyone is not a winner life isn't fair and its not fair to kids to who want to do the work because little jimmy can't grow hair. JMO

 

[The Show]

))

 

[farmin female]

This is the never ending arguement for which there is no right answer so base your decision on some logic.  First, as someone else stated, slick shows are typically regulated to the south where a different type of cattle are raised.  Second, what type of shows is the state fair and other shows in the area? Thirdly, you cannot level the playing field.  Accept it.  Fourth, if all you want to teach is husbandry or nutrition, you can learn that in a classroom.  Don't need an animal for it.  Finally, everyone seems to agree that those who do well in either show will continue to do well if you change it up.  So it doesn't really matter.  Just because you have a hair show doesn't mean you have to grow hair. 

Really it comes down to finding good judges that do look at the calves as a whole and not just the "pretty calf".  Leveling the playing field is a pipe dream.  I have a son who shows and over the years we have laughed about how the pretty teen girls always seem to have an advantage in the showring.  But then, that's life.

 

[chambero]

That might be the "official" reason, but everybody will tell you that they did it to run off the steerjocks. I'm not sure about other states' shows but Houston pays out really really good and it got to where basically it was who could hire the best jock.

Safety was the reason.  Although I prefer the hair shows it used to be pretty hazardous at Houston, I witness a many a accident there over the years.  The year before the rule went into effect there were numerous people and animals injured from tripping over or getting their feet tangled up in the rats nest that extension cords always tend to make when on the ground at a show and even getting severely shocked from skint spots on cords.  There were extension cords being run from one wing of the astro arena clear to other wings.  The jocks are still at Houston every year so they didn't get rid of them, they did eliminate more of the northern ones coming down just to help fit. 

I've been showing in Houston since 85 and remember the transition clearly.  We benefitted greatly and had the Champion Maine Steer the first slick year in 93.

There were several things going on that led to the change - most of which have already been mentioned.  The ag teachers in particular with some county agents had been lobbying really hard for some kind of change for a while - partly due to the perception of the professional fitters and largely due to the fact that big programs had more calves than the teachers could keep up with.  When Houston had hair, the few people with cool rooms had a huge advantage to help hang onto hair for Houston.  And the ag programs didn't like it.  The use of twine, etc. had also gotten really absurd right before the change.  You really couldn't tell what was calf and what was "other".

The safety issue was absolutely a big one also.  Our major show officials caught he** (and still do to some extent) from fire marshalls with all of the electrical issues and blowing of breakers, crowding due to the jillion trim chutes that would be put up, etc.  That was a real serious issue with threats of some really big fines against our shows.  Fort Worth solved part of that by doing away with fans.  Houston and San Antonio just did away with hair.