When does a person have too much Influence?

[NHR Shorthorns]

I have found my self a several sales and national jr. and open shows. It always seems that everyone of these breeds and locations has a person that everyone just seems to worship the ground they walk on. I find it disgusting to have to kiss ass to make it look like my cattle are good. I can honestly say my cattle have gotten to where they are through hard work and proper resposible breeding. Not through riding on the coat tails of someone elses sucess. CAN YOU?

P.S. I see kids buy horrible animals just because a particular person is selling it. These animals are poor examples of breeding pieces yet these families keep going back year after year only to continue show poorly structured cattle.

 

[kanshow]

I've seen this too.    I have no idea when a person crosses the line to become so highly influential but it happens.   

 

[Bawndoh]

It is hard to find a "highly influential" person where money is not involved! 
Who else also hates the sale catalagues that have footnotes filled with prices of the particular animals' parents, sisters, cousins, uncles...lol?  I do not CARE what they all sold for.  I just want a description of the animal, not a bank statement.

 

[JSchroeder]

Yeah, I hate looking through Angus catalogs too.

 

[OH Breeder]

They just buy you or clone you when you beat them.

 

[KYsteer]

LOL, that is the truth with the Angus catalog.  Some of the angus people are so lost that they have no idea what is good anymore.  They have to tell everyone that this is what its mother and siblings brought in previous sells to try to persuade you that this one is worth a lot as well.  When will people realize that money establishes ownership, not quality?

 

[Show Heifer]

I have recently recieved several "clubbie" type catalogs...and what a hoot!!! "Her paternal grandma raised a champion calf in 1993 and it sold for $15,000." whatever.

Also like it when the sire or dam is a "maine X" and yet no DNA results are listed....hmmmmmmm.

Too much influence question....that is indeed a good question. And why I usually don't give a darn who the animal belongs to when I FIRST look at it. I go and pick the best animals, I then see who they belong to. If the owner is acceptable, and I like the animal, I don't care if no one else in the world likes the critter, I like it, I have the checkbook. I will buy it regardless of what it brings (high price does NOT mean high quality).  I like to give myself a bit of credit when I pick an animal no one "sees"!!!  Kinda like selecting AI bulls....I know my cows, my environment, my management skills, and what I will tolerate or not. So if I have good luck with a sire that no one else does, great, semen will remain cheap. And if I have crappy luck with the "latest greatest bull", great, leaves the semen for someone else!!!
To sum it up, I have a brain, and I use it.

 

[red]

I guess I look at it this way. everything in life has people that stand out. Every breed has the same group or groups that do the same. Whethere it's because of money or hard work or winning they set the pace. I worked w/ such a group one year. We won. did I feel later I sold a little bit of my soul? Maybe. (not really)  But I also learned a tremendous amount. I guess that's what I do w/ theose mover's & shakers. I observe. I try to see what they do cattle wise to make them win. I won't imitate everything they do but I pick up tips.

We're going to always have that. If your comfortable w/ your set-up that's fine. But what's good for you isn't good for me. don't stuff it down my thoat.

As you can see, I got very little sleep last night & might be a little cranky today. Bear w/ the bear.

Red

 

[knabe]

i pretty much try and kiss everyone's tuckus and treat everyone equal.

 

[simtal]

Well, the show cattle world is game.  You can't the player, hate the game.

 

[NHR Shorthorns]

Only winners can play the game, the ass-kissing is left to those who want to win. Everyone knows winners hang out together.
I respect people who win, but i respect my self to now kiss there ass just because they won.

 

[shorthorns r us]

Only winners can play the game, the ass-kissing is left to those who want to win. Everyone knows winners hang out together.
I respect people who win, but i respect my self to now kiss there ass just because they won.

just tell us who has a burr under your saddle so that we can move on.

 

[GONEWEST]

I'm with SRU. Just say who you have a problem with.  People love to hate those who win. We've already discussed and recussed those who do it fairly or not. It's not just in show cattle or agriculture it's in everything. And it usually goes back to the "golden rule." Those with the gold make the rules. Those are usually the people with influence. 

If you don't like it play another game. Doesn't mean you should take being treated unfairly sitting down or not stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

 

[NHR Shorthorns]

I guess you are right, its cool to say ohh its okay to sell scrappy animals as "show projects" and to keep every bull as a bull. Its okay to not actually make any progress in the way these animals turn out when they are matured and in production. Just as long as it did really good at some bush league county show and then fell apart so fast even the breeder tells the kid it was his fault or the feed. Couldnt have been the ridiculus way that its been bred to be a steer and not a solid production female.
But i guess these people make it possible for my animals to do so well.
*Bush league = any show that is not a major

I have never been one to call people out, but i guess ill make an exception.

*Steer Jocks who try to pass off their fat heifers on kids, that cant walk at 8 months, that will not breed when the kid wants it too, or deliver a calf because, they are just pieces of junk.

Yall got me to say it. "I hate Club Calfs" and those that breed in this manner.

 

[aj]

I'll throw this one out there. Who will be the judge to use non defect type cattle? Maybe cattle with less bone. Remember hearing that back in say the early 70's Joe Lewis used a crossbred steer as a grand champ at a major steer show(the first time in the history of the world). Overnight the club calf deal made a major shift. I just wish somehow we could shift the demand away from th and pha positive cattle. ;D

 

[doubled]

Ok, I'll bite, not all club calf jocks are crooks, my son sells show calves and he would never try to sell nor try to pass off a bad calf to someone that is no good,
all that does is ruin your reputation, bad things do happen but if you  or someone you know ended up with a junker, maybe you need to look a why exactly the junker
was bought in the first place, usually if a calf has joint problems or walking problems you can spot in even when they are a calf, I hope if you were passed a bad one
that you go back to that person and try to make them make it right.

 

[GONEWEST]

I'd say it's the fault of whoever bought the "scrappy" animal and not who sold it, maybe? And IF, for example, I hated say......shorthorns, I wouldn't rant and rave about how the Sullivans always win and they have too much influence. I believe I'd just not let it cross my mind and I wouldn't think about shorthorns. But that's just me.

 

[JbarL]

the " high quality" (expensive) cattle and calves i have seen advertised and acutioned in the last 1 1/2 years have always dumbfounded me....scary actually....i am still trying to recogonize the "basic" traits these animals have ( good or bad).....on a somewhat reliable formated "check list"....everone seems to have there own opinion for sure when it comes to clubbies/ and high dollar pb's.....i simply cant afford to trust "my"  novice expectations of "good stock"...of all the avaliable " great ones" that  are avaliable....i have found that some of my old friends and some of my new friends i have met since starting my herd, have been the "think tank" i climb into when it comes to purchasing quality cattle....i find comfort in taking suggestions and advice for my next purchase from "buyers" rather than sellers....and the same goes for "selling" as well....i have 2 calves that will be sold soon ( my first calves), and i am more concerned in recogonizing the "true value"  rather than "highest price" i can represent them as.  iwould be uncofortabel/ and simply out of my league to try and represent them as anything but pb animals....i rely on folks i can trust, and have recogonized my position as a "novice"....i recogonize sellers as sellers.....and they can surley recogonize me as a "novice".....and its my personal relationship with sellers that is more critical than what another animals they sold 3 yr ago sold for......thanks to all that have answered my novice questions/ emailed and even called to offer information....i have meet some great, informative "new" friends, whom i believe have the same interest as i do on the expansion and building of my herd as they do theres.....ive also meet some folks who think i can " plant corn in the morning and eat roast neers"s for dinner"....that kind of "accerlated" "dont miss this one" type of selling and suggestions....i simply stay away from....jbarl

 

[afhm]

I am sure I will catch a lot of grief for this, but your shorthorn breed would not be very popular or profitable if it weren't for the club calf industry.  I credit the great Double Stuff and his descendants for the popularity surge of the breed the past 10 years (he is what made me pay attention to the breed).  To me shorthorns are best in a cross breeding program, unfortunately there is not as much use for the purebreds commercially as there is in many other breeds. 

 

[knabe]

selling rather than keeping heterosis is a good thing.