Gearing up for show season

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Yeah I'm doing herdsman. It's my last year so, what the hey! I have no illusions of doing well though - don't think I'm quite cut out for the big one! It was disappointing last year, my friend really should have won - didn't even get reserve - and it was his last year. If anyone deserved it he did, and so many people agreed. I think he was the best all-rounder there, didn't just excel at one or two things and scrape by with the rest. Oh well. I'll just be proud of myself if I make it through the week. It's going to be pretty tough for me emotionally. My partner (who passed away in September) was supposed to be there with me - I'm taking the heifer he told me to, so if she doesn't do well, I'm blaming him! If it does, well, I'll just have to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he got it right for once, lol. (and it's not often I say he's right about anything!)
 
Oh wow, my sympathies to you :( . I hope you do well. If I get anything I will be happy, I'll be rusty because it's been a while.

I haven't been to the SA expo before. We have a small heifer show here I went to. They're a pretty full on few days. I'm looking forward to some of the workshops though and meeting some cattle people from out side of WA.

Sorry Keren, thread hijack :p
 
Ah yeah I've heard of the cattle handler's school - my auntie (well technically, my partner's auntie :D ) judged there last year I think it was.

I'm pretty rusty too - until a few days ago I hadn't clipped since heifer show last year (except for slicking a few heads), and I've been to three shows/sales since - so not much practice! Being stuck in an office or car isn't exactly great preparation either.

I'm sure Keren doesn't mind :D
 
I used to do well here at state level but its a different ball game over there. We had one local girl called sara martin who did really well nationally a few years back. Otherwise we just don't stand up against the east lol.
 
Lol it's the arrogance of the east that usually wins it for them. I represented SA at nationals a couple of times, the last time was in Perth and I shouldn't have been there I was so sick. They wanted to keep me in hospital at home but I was like no, I have to go to Perth!! Lol, I was in the ring and the stewards kept coming up to me saying 'are you okay', 'do you need to leave' etc. Yeah I nearly passed out but thought I'd be okay. Didn't realise how bad I looked until a friend showed me photos a few weeks later- I looked like Casper the Ghost!
 
Keren doesnt mind :D

Carla
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I hope the heifer does well, for both of you
 
I guess so, I always feel like we're the dorky cousin over here haha. I wish I could have gone to see the nationals in Perth. I think I was still in Europe at the time. I love our little show. I wish they were a bit more welcoming of unusual breeds. I know the Santa people had a lot of trouble getting a category.

(i need to stop looking into odd breeds, it'd be so much work. This time I've been looking at tarentaise lol)
 
ugh, tarentaise, trust me, dont go there

if we're talking unusual breeds, I like highland, marchigiana, romagnola, mandalong and pinz if I could find some decent ones. I really love the speckle parks but cant afford em. texas longhorn if there were any decent ones in Australia. Aubrac if there were any at all in Australia?? same with poll nguni. Also love the English Longhorns over in NZ, big deep solid cows.
 
Thanks Keren, I hope it foes reasonably well. I'm a bit nervous bout the whole thing - more how I'm going to hold up than anything else! Ah well, I'm tough:)

Speckle Parks... hmm, pretty, but temperament... not so good. I won't say anymore.

Keren we could go partners importing some of Ryan's Longhorns - I'm in :heart: !!!
 
I love romagnolas. I think as a european bos indicus they have a lot of potential. I'd be interested to look at their meat qualities compared to other bos indicus. Research project maybe. And man they are good looking cattle.

Welshies, Maines, I like. Chianinas.

Tarentaise? elaborate?

Ryans longhorns... they're beautiful.
 
Ok. I'm heading off, i need to get some batteries because someone thieved them out of my camera! I just checked! Then it's off to the airport. Wearing my steelcaps so it doesn't kill my luggage limit :cowboy: Man I have so much ironing to do when I get there.
 
interesting about the speckle parks ... but somehow that doesnt surprise me ...

funny you say that bout importing ryan's LHs ... I have a family friend who imports embryos and semen ... I've had my eye on some goat repro material (yes goat :roll: ) that I wish I could get in but cant because of scrapie. But I need to talk to my friend about it. He knows how to get round the regulations :)

yep, I forgot welshies. I like them too. chianina/piedmontese not so much. I'd prefer the rommies, bit softer, moderate frame

tarentaise, funnel butted, narrow gutted, ill tempered buggers. But having said that, I havent worked with the coloured full bloods, only black 'purebreds'
 
Hi Colin
I haven't seen a Brahman at the SA heifer show for a long time. There are only a couple of studs in the state- occasionally there might be a steer at the Royal.
As for the South Devons, there's usually a couple there, but I don't know that I remember them being there last year. They are usually from the one stud and I think they have been short of show workers lately.
Eight hours to go for me then I'm on holidays!
 
Couple of South Devon heifers there and a Simbrah took out champion heifer, no full brahmans though. South Devons didn't do well.

After handling that highland it's going to feel weird to go back to polled cattle.

Sorry I didn't come try to talk to you more Carla, I'm pretty shy. I kind of got snubbed by the rest of the seniors so donna and I pretty much kept to ourselves. :(
 
Yeah I'm shy too- that and I had my eye well and truly on the prize. To miss out by 1.5 points... damn... I'm still kicking myself!!
oh well good friend of mine took out the big one, I'm still considering travelling to the states with her, would be fun to go together.
Overall our team had a really successful trip. We won junior champion heifer, a 2nd in juniors (the judge realised he'd made a mistake when we were out for the championship- if we'd won we would have been reserve), another heifer came 4th in the same class as mine.
Then the girl leading our junior champ won intermediate champion parader, intermediate junior judge, bay leader award and 2nd in the intermediate section scholarship.
The other girl that came with us came 3rd in her paraders and also 3rd in the intermediate sectiopn scholarship.
My cousin who is new to showwing came 4th in her paraders and finished in the top 10 for sub intermediates so she was thrilled.
And then I came 3rd in my paraders, won the senior marketing (still don't know how!), and reserve senior champion herdsman... vby 1.5 points!! (yeah, I'm still dealing with that one- I'll get over it eventually!)
I will post some pics on a new thread as they come to hand- I only have a few at the moment and they're not great.

That Simbrah was postlegged- was not impressed to hear the judge describe her as structurally sound!
 
I never got to hear how the junior judging finished up, reckon I must have really messed that one up though coz she said I did well in the oral.
 
She placed that fat red steer first. And like I say I'm pretty sure the Simbrah was first in her placings. I was so nervous in speaking. No matter how many times I actually judge classes junior judging scares me half to death.
 

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