Will she compete?

[simba]

I'm looking for opinions on my Feb. 2012 Polled Hereford heifer. I showed her this fall and I plan to show her at PB shows in the summer, but I'm wondering if it's worth bringing her along to jackpots with my steer in the spring. I don't really follow the clubby shows, so I'm wondering if she'd be able to compete against the club calf heifers, or if I should just stick to Hereford shows. If anyone's interested she's out of BRL CALL 100L. Any opinions are welcome!

 

[simba]

Back view.

 

[Warrior10]

Most Jackpots have breed divisions to show in.

 

[simba]

Around here there usually isn't enough Herefords to make a class at the jackpots though, at least at the small ones, so I'm not sure who I'd end up showing against.

 

[CAB]

Hereford heifer made the top 5 out @ the AGR/Lincoln show & in my opinion your heifer looks better from your pictures. The commercial division champion heifer did not make the top 7 in that show, so I think that she could do well against the x-breds. Just depends on who's judging more than anything else. There are PPL that just don't care that much for Herefords in some areas, but the breed as a whole has made some huge strides IMO.

 

[justintime]

Your heifer is an excellent female and a great heifer to represent the Polled Hereford breed. I think you should show her wherever you can.  She is very impressive.

 

[goodnight]

Nice heifer. I would be more worried about commingling your heifer with a bunch of cattle and getting her sick. It will be hard for a hereford to get around a x-bred heifer, and if you can't win it, I would keep her home, get her bred, and get her ready for your junior nationals. She is a pretty nice rip, and I would be thinking long term with her. Go have fun with your steer and make it low stress for you at those pots.

 

[AAOK]

Larissa,
I completely agree with CAB & Justintime. You have a very nice heifer which needs to be exhibited as much as possible. Our family "Cattle" philosophy was to SHOW what we had, as often as we were able. Both daughters are now wives, mothers, and successful business professionals.  They attribute much to all the road trips and all the work at home it took to show well over 100 times in 10 States in 10 years.
Cattle well cared for don't often get sick, they build up their immune systems.
Get that Heifer on the road!

 

[steerkid]

What did Morrison do with her at CWA?

 

[Glorifying Pastures]

Just what AAOK, CAB, and Justintime all said go and show her as much as you can, what a great experience for you and her. Hope all goes well and have some fun.

 

[dimebag]

Very Nice heifer , show her often and have fun !

 

[Gators Rule]

Nice heifer. I would be more worried about commingling your heifer with a bunch of cattle and getting her sick. It will be hard for a hereford to get around a x-bred heifer, and if you can't win it, I would keep her home, get her bred, and get her ready for your junior nationals. She is a pretty nice rip, and I would be thinking long term with her. Go have fun with your steer and make it low stress for you at those pots.

I mostly agree with Goodnight.  I would focus on getting her bred depending on her age, and get her ready for the  breed shows, but to be honest, I'd probably go tackle some jackpot shows to just to see how she stacks up against the crossbreds...LOL    I really like your girl..!

 

[simba]

I really appreciate all the comments and advice! I especially enjoy showing her because she is bred and owned and she's just a total sweet heart. She also has a ton of hair!

What did Morrison do with her at CWA?

She was third from the bottom in her class. He didn't comment on the bottom animals very much but he did say that he felt that she was over conditioned and not fresh enough. I didn't agree with him, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion and he was the judge, not me. I do wish that he would have been more consistent in choosing the greener animals if that's what he wanted, but again I respect his opinion.

 

[goodnight]

One thing we all agree upon is that she is a nice critter. You have done a good job with her. Good luck with her the rest of the way and have fun! One thing I absolutely agree with AAOK on is that the more you bond with that animal on the road, the better your experience will be. I probably am too worried about health, but I tend to think about the production side more. Good luck!

 

[AAOK]

Nice heifer. I would be more worried about commingling your heifer with a bunch of cattle and getting her sick. It will be hard for a hereford to get around a x-bred heifer, and if you can't win it, I would keep her home, get her bred, and get her ready for your junior nationals. She is a pretty nice rip, and I would be thinking long term with her. Go have fun with your steer and make it low stress for you at those pots.

I mostly agree with Goodnight.   I would focus on getting her bred depending on her age, and get her ready for the  breed shows, but to be honest, I'd probably go tackle some jackpot shows to just to see how she stacks up against the crossbreds...LOL    I really like your girl..!

Our family show operation was breeding, raising, showing and, selling or retaining our own calves. Most of our Show Calves were seeing the ring about 20 times during their careers, with one heifer exhibited 44 times. We never had any Health or Breeding problems.  Cattle, like any animal including you and I, will adapt to their surroundings. The more you show a calf, the fewer problems you will experience.