Sort & Cull

REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- Last week I had the pleasure of judging a cattle showmanship contest with my daughter. Any time I get to spend time with her in the showring it's a good day.

My kids have had many of the same opportunities to learn life lessons in the showring as their parents and grandparents have had. Lessons of hard work, determination, focus and drive.

Let me take you back to 1982. I was so excited to be heading into the showring for the first time with my steer, Bill. Cattle looked a lot different in 1982 than they do today. I grew up on an Angus farm and my dad decided to purchase me a steer from a neighbor for my first year in 4-H. At county fair, Bill stood 60 inches tall. He was a burnt orange colored Chianina cross with black points.

Bill wasn't going to win grand champion at any show. He didn't have enough muscle nor enough fat cover, but what he did have was personality and he and I were a team. We didn't place well in the actual show, but all the hard work I had put in at home with him got us to the top of the showmanship class. From that day on, I was hooked. I knew that cattle would be a part of my life.

Fast forward to 2008: My daughter, Kassidy, walked in the ring for the first time with Snowflake. We knew she had some natural instinct and skill to make the cattle do what she wanted. Little did we know just what a fun ride it would be to watch her and her brother, Klayton, show for so many years. Many years later and many showmanship wins under Kassidy's belt, I can honestly say she became one of the best showmen around. It was due to her passion to work with the animal and gain the knowledge and skill to make each calf look its very best.

When I was asked to judge showmanship at one of the largest jackpot shows of the year, I was honored. And when they asked me to find an associate judge who could help me in the ring, Kassidy was my first choice.

Many livestock judges will say they prefer to judge the cattle and not the kids. I am not among that group, and I think it would be safe to say that Kassidy isn't either. Judging showmanship is an evaluation of the skills of the showman and not how good the animal is. We enjoy it because it shows the dedication the showman has taken with their project to be able to present it at the best of their ability.

Even if the show judge doesn't prefer your calf to win the show, you still need the skills to be able to present it properly to give it the best shot to win.

Being raised in the show cattle industry, I learned a lot of my skills from my dad. Those pointers were handed down to my children just like any family heirloom. While I never had the opportunity to judge with my dad, I am honored to get to judge with my daughter. I think she felt the same.

"Judging the showmanship contest with my mom was such a special experience. I truly believe the only way to get better is going through the ring the day before you show your animal and listening to feedback, not just to make you better but to show off your project and your hard work. We enjoyed seeing the dedication each exhibitor brought to the ring. It was fun to talk through our decisions together. Sharing that moment with mom made the day even more meaningful," Kassidy said.

So, if you get the chance to share a special moment with your parent or child, take it and cherish it, no matter what the opportunity is. And if you can share your skill to the betterment of others, it's even better. This was an occasion I won't soon forget, and I hope we have the chance to judge together again.

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @JennCattleGal

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