Ranches Sponsoring Show Calves

[J. Leigh]

I was wondering if anybody knew of any ranches raising registered cattle that would sponsor a show calf to me to show this coming school year. I am going to be a senior in high school and would like to show a heifer one last time before I graduate. I don't have a lot of money to spend on a calf that is why I need a sponsor. If anybody knows of a ranch e-mail me at [email protected]. Thanks Jennifer

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

Im not sure about sponsoring, but I know places like V8 Ranch (grey brahmans) has a junior show team. Im not sure if its just part of the deal when the kid buys the animal that they have to say they are affiliated with the ranch or the ranch is helping the kid out. Just an idea to check into.

 

[joe]

Along the same lines. The Mrs and I are wwwaaaaaaayyyyy too old to join 4-H, and have never shown cattle, but have 4 show heifers right now. How would you go about finding some honest and trustworthy kid who would want to show? We have good facilities, clippers, chute, halters, etc. Would you charge the kid to show? Have him pay you? Do you keep the heifer at home, or let the kid take it? Who pays for feed? Anyone have any suggestions? We really aren't interested in money, just want the publicity, and for the animals to be well cared for. Anyone done this ?

 

[dguess7]

Right now we have 2 heifers that we show for a guy in Oklahoma, we keep them at our place and we are responsible for them until we are done showing. we feed,vaccinate, and show. we send pictures every chance we get just so he knows they are being shown and how well they have done. we keep him informed of all the shows we are going to and that way he can come if he wants. the papers are in the daughters name and he pays for re-registering the cattle. this has worked great for us, it has aloowed us to have better quality cows than we have been able to aford and since we are just starting out it gets us exposure along with him. feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] if you have any questions,

Dan

 

[txshowmom]

We have given heifers to junior exhibitors to show. They pay ALL feed and other expences and they keep them at their home. If they show the heifer all the way through calving (2 years) then we let them keep the calf and the cow comes back to us when her show career is over.

 

[Double A Ranch]

I didn't know people did this. My duaghter showed a limousin heifer this past year. It was her first time to show. We are looking for another heifer for her to show this year. It doesn't hafe to be a limousin but we want it to be a good one. This past year was kind of a test to see if she would like it & would work hard at it. She did so now we want to reward her with one that she can win with. Maybe this is something we should look into? How do you find ranches who will do this?

 

[txshowmom]

I didn't know people did this. My duaghter showed a limousin heifer this past year. It was her first time to show. We are looking for another heifer for her to show this year. It doesn't hafe to be a limousin but we want it to be a good one. This past year was kind of a test to see if she would like it & would work hard at it. She did so now we want to reward her with one that she can win with. Maybe this is something we should look into? How do you find ranches who will do this?

Just check around with people you already know who have show cattle. All the heifers we have loaned out have gone to people we know. Most ranchers are not going to give a heifer to a complete stranger in hopes that they willl take good care of them and bring them back unless they know you. Sometime a ranch will sell you a heifer and them buy it back when you are done showing it. By selling it to you they are risking nothing if you don't return the heifer or if you don't take care of it or it dies or something.

 

[J. Leigh]

I know of a girl on our show team that showed a heifer from a ranch that didn't really know her. If a ranch wanted to really check into a kid who wanted to show, they could talk to the ag teacher or the 4-H leader. Some ranches make you keep the calf at their place but that only really works if the ranch is located near the kids home. Just because a kid doesn't have all the connections to ranches doesn't mean he/she should not have the chance to show.

 

[rgv4]

The only heifer's that I loan out are to kids that have bought from me in the past, kids that I know how they take care of the animals. Most ranches are not going to loan out a good show heifer to a total stranger. I have heard of ranches with average animals calling the local ag teachers in search of a kid to feed the heifer out and show it a little for the advertisment. But these are few and far in between.

I do know of a ranch in north Texas that you have to give him money for what he thinks the heifer is worth, you take the heifer and show it, he holds the money, you have to sign a contract with him, then when done showing heifer, I'm not sure if you get all the money back or just some of it. Not sure what all he has in his contracts, but, his average heifer's start at $2500.00 A really good show heifer starts around $4000.00.

If you would have scrambled at Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio or your local county fair, you could have purchased a heifer with scramble certificates.

 

[TheBullLady]

We routinely work with FFA or 4-H'ers that can't afford to buy and feed a heifer. There are too many kids that want to show but are prohibited by the exhorbitant price of a show calf. What a waste! Please e-mail me and we'll see what we can work out.


[email protected]

 

[Double A Ranch]

Thank you to everyone for your help.

Money isn't really a problem but since we won't have any use for a registered female, except for a brahman which she doeswn't want to show. I don't know why excpet that maybe because we already have a bunch of them in the pasture with hereford bulls and she wants somethign different? That's why I thought maybe the borrowing thing would be a good idea. It's her calf and she'll have to do the wrok so we think she can pick what kind she wants. Maybe I'll check with the people we have bought bulls from.

TheBullLady I looked at your ewbiste and saw brahmans. Do you raise anything else? Thank you for helping the kids like you do. What a nice attitude to have.

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

Its too bad there arent a lot more people like you BullLady. Everything has to be about money to everyone, not about actually doing what is good and right.

 

[I Love Beefies]

My youngest daughter has a few more years to show and my husband and I were just discussing how much we are going to miss the show ring and the togetherness and the friends we have made that perhaps would like to "adopt" a 4-H or FFA student in the very near future.
We have learned over the years from doing the circuit that anyone considering "loaning" out a beef project should really research the individual and their family before jumping into a venture such as this... We know of a family that had a ranchers heifers showing them on the circuit and everyone knew they were loaners and were not taking good care of them, they were not feeding them proberly and would pump them the morning of the show and right before going into the ring to compensate of the lack of feed. This families reputation was so bad that no one would buy any animals from the ranch/breeder because they didn't want to be associated with this family.
The rancher received so many complaints and letters from people with in the breed and outside of the breed that he "repossessed" the animals and has since sold more animals now that he doesn't have this family showing for him than ever.
I spoke to him and he said he learned a valuable lesson and that was if you are going to go into the business of helping out a child and possibly help get your name out, to research and make sure you want this individual/family representing you, your breed association your animals and most importantly your reputation. And if the child/person doesn't have a vested financial interest in the animal they really don't have anything to lose if the animal get sick or dies. We have animals that range from $3,000 - $12,000 and you can be sure I'm researching the child/family and maybe even asking for a blood and DNA sample(just kidding). I'm by no means saying that everyone is like this but it sure puts a bad taste in everyones mouth because of the actions of a few people that aren't deserving of help.

 

[txshowmom]

My youngest daughter has a few more years to show and my husband and I were just discussing how much we are going to miss the show ring and the togetherness and the friends we have made that perhaps would like to "adopt" a 4-H or FFA student in the very near future.
We have learned over the years from doing the circuit that anyone considering "loaning" out a beef project should really research the individual and their family before jumping into a venture such as this... We know of a family that had a ranchers heifers showing them on the circuit and everyone knew they were loaners and were not taking good care of them, they were not feeding them proberly and would pump them the morning of the show and right before going into the ring to compensate of the lack of feed. This families reputation was so bad that no one would buy any animals from the ranch/breeder because they didn't want to be associated with this family.
The rancher received so many complaints and letters from people with in the breed and outside of the breed that he "repossessed" the animals and has since sold more animals now that he doesn't have this family showing for him than ever.
I spoke to him and he said he learned a valuable lesson and that was if you are going to go into the business of helping out a child and possibly help get your name out, to research and make sure you want this individual/family representing you, your breed association your animals and most importantly your reputation. And if the child/person doesn't have a vested financial interest in the animal they really don't have anything to lose if the animal get sick or dies. We have animals that range from $3,000 - $12,000 and you can be sure I'm researching the child/family and maybe even asking for a blood and DNA sample(just kidding). I'm by no means saying that everyone is like this but it sure puts a bad taste in everyones mouth because of the actions of a few people that aren't deserving of help.

Well said and very tru I might add. What breed was it that you were talking about. I know of more than one family that got their cattle "repossesed".

 

[I Love Beefies]

I rather not say.... Sorry Txshowmom.. I will tell you this the breed is usually the first, possibly the second or perhaps the third or maybe fourth breed in the show ring in the American division. That being said I hope you understand.

 

[rgv4]

We have learned over the years from doing the circuit that anyone considering "loaning" out a beef project should really research the individual and their family before jumping into a venture such as this... We know of a family that had a ranchers heifers showing them on the circuit and everyone knew they were loaners and were not taking good care of them, they were not feeding them proberly and would pump them the morning of the show and right before going into the ring to compensate of the lack of feed. This families reputation was so bad that no one would buy any animals from the ranch/breeder because they didn't want to be associated with this family.
The rancher received so many complaints and letters from people with in the breed and outside of the breed that he "repossessed" the animals and has since sold more animals now that he doesn't have this family showing for him than ever.
I spoke to him and he said he learned a valuable lesson and that was if you are going to go into the business of helping out a child and possibly help get your name out, to research and make sure you want this individual/family representing you, your breed association your animals and most importantly your reputation. And if the child/person doesn't have a vested financial interest in the animal they really don't have anything to lose if the animal get sick or dies. We have animals that range from $3,000 - $12,000 and you can be sure I'm researching the child/family and maybe even asking for a blood and DNA sample(just kidding). I'm by no means saying that everyone is like this but it sure puts a bad taste in everyones mouth because of the actions of a few people that aren't deserving of help.

Well put and very true. I think that I know what family you are talking about. I would think that most everyone running the circuit would probably know this family or one just like it that has had heifer's taken away from them.

A couple of years back, I had to pull a heifer back, they just weren't feeding her. Then were b1tching and complaining about always being last in class. When I went and looked her over, nothing but skin and bones. So I went home got the trailer and drove the couple of hours back and picked her up that day.

 

[dguess7]

Sorry that some people are that way. We show other people livestock and we take care of there livestock just as it was our own. this has worked very well for us and for the people that we partner with. we have some stock and when our kids get done showing and we our waiting on the grand kids to get big enough. we will let kids use our stock just like we have been granted the oppertunity and fortune to have this done for us, we will keep a eye on them and we would like to get a ag farm started at the school or be able to start one at our place, we believe the school would be better. I guess what I am trying to say is help the kids that want the help and get them involved in something that is GREAT!
sorry so long winded.

DAN

 

[TheBullLady]

Double A.. we have Simbrahs and Simmentals. Acutally don't have any Brahmans other than the cow herd.. we run reg. Simmental and Brahman cows with a reg. Simmental bull. I won't get into the why we don't show Brahmans thing.. beating a dead horse.

We've never had to repossess a calf.. and have actually had very good luck with "loaning" them out. I've even sold a few, and after the girl / boy got older and didn't want to show anymore, had them call and I've bought them back. Of course, I go to the shows if I can.. I love to cheer them on! Also, if they are working with an ag teacher, there's no excuse for them not to be taken care of.

We've met some great people and made some lasting friendship with people who needed calves! We've been very lucky to find such good people.