Which should we take?

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ffamom

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My sons has two he could show in the Ft. Worth Stock Show. One is a young calf. Even though she has been shown several times, she has always been the only one in the class. His older one is a cow/calf pair. Neither are good enough to be grand or reserve. The best we can hope for is a class winner and maybe a reserve division. David Lett or may is it is David Jett from OK is judging. Which do you think we would have the best chance with?
 
Not sure how we can advise on which animal has the best chance of doing some good with out ever seeing it or the competition. Maybe some pics of them would help?
 
I guess what I'm asking is...if you have two animals of equal quality, do you think a cow/calf pair has a little better chance? She is good with a really good calf at her side.
 
ffamom":16e4ol8q said:
I guess what I'm asking is...if you have two animals of equal quality, do you think a cow/calf pair has a little better chance? She is good with a really good calf at her side.
What is the competition gonna be like for either.
 
If your cow calf pair is good, and her udder is good, I think you would have a better chance with them. The judges tend to like a good pair, mostly because it shows the cow is productive! Younger calves are hard to place in the "final drive" because they are immature and will never be filled out as well as a mature or older animal.
 
We haven't seen the younger calfs competition. She will be in the youngest class. So we have no idea how she will do. A division championship will be tough with the youngest animal if she even wins her class.
As far as the older one goes, I think the lowest we should place is 3rd in class. She could possible do better depending if the judge puts more merit on the calf. I don't think she has a shot at the division. The grand and reserve should be in the senior division if the "big dogs" bring their older cattle.
Pros & Cons
The older animal will be easier to handle and my son will probably have one fun with her. She may not do as well, but she will eat, drink, and lead without a fuss. The only pain will be her calf that is 4 months old. He will just require additional time walking and nursing.
With the younger one, you have to practically beg them to eat and drink. There is always the fear of them bolting at the strange noise. On the up side, her competition is unknown. She has a shot at winning her class and possibly a division.
What does my son think? He claims he doesn't care. Either will be fine with him
 
I think they cow/calf pair would be a better option. Seems like overall less stress on everyone involved, and you think your son would have more fun with the older one. Plus, in my experience you are more likely to win a division with an older animal rather than the youngest in the class. JMO

Ryan
 
I agree with Ryan. Not only will she be older but she's also got a calf at her side...showing that her parts work! I go with the cow/calf.
 
If you are planning on showing the young calf again, you could take her to get her used to showing. Is there a way to take both, cow/calf pair and the calf?
 
Ft. Worth and Houston will only allow you to bring one jr. heifer. He will be able to show them both at San Antonio, Star of Texas and San Angelo.
 
If you take the pair you will have more time to work with the younger heifer before the other shows. Plus, you will get the calf at side some good show experience before the other shows.
 
You could always take both but only show the cow/calf pair. Then you could bring the younger heifer and bring her through the motions of a show (washing, tying out, and all that) to get her used to the noise and commotion, and then ty her up during the day. That way when you get ready to show again, it won't be so foreign to her.
 
TurnThatCowLooseMaw":1auls725 said:
If the calf is usually the only one in its division that would be the one I would take as its a shoe in to win.
And who did you beat. Really prestigious hu.
 
I would go with the cow calf pair, but check your class breaks. You will probably have less competition. Usually your older classes span 1-2 months where some of the youngr classes span several months. I would also want to be at the top of the class breaks. I also think the older cow calf would have an edge for division or overall. Not many babies get used in the scheme of the big picture, but I do not have knowledge of the judge. Someone said that one of the judges judged at Fall classic. I'm not sure we did not make it this year.
 
This is a hard one to call since I know what other heifer's are out there. Plus, isn't your other son showing the April 04 heifer? That would put that heifer and the cow/calf pair in the same division, but, then I can think of 4 or 5 other heifer's that are also in this same division, I think you know which ones that I'm talking about. 3 of the 5, I know will be there. The heifer that won the Fall Classic, will it be shown or will she go with one of her other breeds? Who knows? As far as actual class, there may only be two maybe three in it.

The younger calf is the 5/05 right? There won't be much competion for her in her actual class, most have just been picked up in the last month or so or are now just being picked up, but, there is 5 or 6 months age difference in the division.

David Jett, the judge, he didn't judge at the Fall Classic. Was he the judge last year at San Antonio? If he did, the junior simbrah show was a disaster. Some of the really good heifer's he put second and third in the class. In fact the heifer that won houston was second in class a San Antonio, beat by a heifer that should have never beat it. Basically, the judge at San Antonio last year liked black cattle.

Like I said this is a hard one. Good luck to your boys which ever way you guys decide to go.

We don't do Ft. Worth, it and San Antonio are too close. We do San Antonio because of the Superbowl. Are you guys doing San Antonio?

mom
 
Do any of the juniors also show open classes? Or is it even allowed?

What is the "superbowl"? That's pretty bad.. I breed Simmentals and Simbrahs and don't even know what it is. :oops:

I'm excited about San Antonio, this will be my first year there. I've done Ft. Worth and Houston, but as mentioned in an earlier post, they are too close together for me to hit all of them. Unfortunately have to work to support my "habit".

ffamom.. come by and see Pedro!
 
BullLady,
I'm so excite to hear that Pedro is going to SA. We often wonder how grown and changed. I'm so thrilled to hear that he is still a bull. I hated the thought of him being a hamburger.

The Superbowl is a breeder sponsored show. You breeder kicks in a $1000 then you are eligible to show. Ours doesn't so we never have shown there.

Juniors can show in the open show. Usually, even if they have a pretty good animal, the adult exhibitors will place higher. Why? Who knows. The only catch to an adult showing a jrs. animal in open is that it could disqualify them for other breeder shows. At the Simbrah Sensation, if an adult shows a jrs animal, it can't be shown in the jr show.

Good Luck at SA.
 
ffamom,

I've actually got Pedro at my place right now. I've been working with him for Linda.

I told you he'd go to a good home! :) He's going to be a herd sire for them, and I bet he's going to be a good one! He's a whale of a calf!

Hope to see you at SA!! Please come by and say hello!
 

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