Someone once told me ,
“Raising show stock isn’t always the best way to raise livestock, but it
is a great way to raise your kids.”
With spring progress shows and county fair season
approaching, animals being groomed daily and feed rations being perfected to
get the perfect condition on your show stock, I think we need to take a step
back and remember one of the truly important things to teach our youth at livestock
shows: good sportsmanship.
Whether you show only at your county fair or at big shows
like the National Western, the rules of show ring etiquette are the same across
the board.
Share these simple rules of show ring sportsmanship with your fellow showmen,
their parents and club leaders. It never hurts anyone to have a refresher
course on what 4-H, FFA and junior cattle associations are really all about: GREAT KIDS and GREAT LIVESTOCK!
S – Shake Hands
I don’t care if you were tenth out of ten, or first out of
fifty, shake hands with the judge after the show. Thank them for their time. If they gave you
good tips on showmanship, animal selection, or any other advice, thank them for that too.
Shake hands with the winner. We have all been to a show;
there is ONE overall champion and ONE reserve champion selected. Congratulate
them on their big win even if they aren’t your best buddies. Part of healthy
competition is accepting that you might not always be the winner and being humble about your victory when you are.
On the opposite side, if you have had a good show and finish
on top, congratulate others on their accomplishments as well. Take the time to tell a class winner you liked
their animal, or that they did a great job in showmanship. Good feedback can be
very motivating; especially if you are an older, more experienced showman
telling a first-year junior they did a nice job.
One of the important hands that you need to shake – that
often goes overlooked – is the person or committee that organized and hosted
the show. The behind-the-scenes work that goes into an event like that takes
weeks upon weeks to put together. Make sure you thank them before you leave, or
even better, when you get there!
H – Help Your
Neighbor
When the steer in front of you puts on his brakes and won’t
move forward, reach ahead, twist his tail and get the train of cattle back on
its tracks. Not only will the showman with the stuck steer appreciate your
help, but also the judge will see your courtesy in the show ring and it could
bump you up a ribbon placing in showmanship.
Help your neighbors in the barn too. Clean walkways, stalls
and having no equipment obstacle courses are so important when fair-goers walk through
the barns to view the livestock. If you see an animal “relieve themself” in the
walkway, get off your lawn chair, grab a scoop and take care of it. It doesn’t
matter who is on the end of the halter, take a second out of your game of Candy
Crush and help them out. They likely will return the favor.
O – Own Your Actions
IN and OUT of the Show Ring
Ownership of actions may be the most important rule in this
guide and may also be the hardest for some to digest. This applies to parents, showmen
and spectators alike. There is so much emotion at livestock shows that gets
misread because of the actions people take or reactions it causes people to
have.
Maybe you thought your hog should have placed higher than
the one that won your class. It’s okay to be disappointed, but pitching a fit
is not going to change the judge’s opinion or the show results. All it is going
to do is make you look like a poor sport.
The same goes for someone that won the whole show – it’s
okay to celebrate your hard work paying off. Accept the congratulatory remarks
from other showmen, their parents and spectators, you have done well, but make
sure you are humble about it.
Your actions reflect on you, your family and even your 4-H
club, FFA chapter and state association. Make your people proud regardless of
ribbon color – own your actions!
W- Work Hard BEFORE
the show - not only AFTER you have arrived.
Nothing is harder to deal with in showmanship or day-to-day
in the barns than unruly critters. If you put in your time, daily, at home,
your heifer or steer won’t be the one in the barns knocking over fans and
running all over you during showmanship. Now, I won’t say I never had a super
tame animal at home that got to a show and to say the least “FREAKED OUT.”…..But,
9 times out of 10, the time you put in at home with that animal rinsing,
blowing and practicing showmanship will pay off at the fair.
M – Market Yourself
and Your Animal as a Package Deal
In showmanship – the judge is looking at YOU and how YOU
prepared your animal for the show. In a breeding or market class – the judge is
looking at the quality of the animal. However, this doesn’t mean your
showmanship style should be different. The woman that taught me the most about
showing livestock once told me, “Show like every class is showmanship.”
Meaning: present the animal and its best features every time you are in the ring
and the rest is easy.
A –Accept the Judge’s
Opinion on Show Day
As I said before, not everyone is going to walk away with a
trophy on show day – this isn’t Mutton Bustin’. Listen to the judge throughout
the day and the reasons he gives after placing each class. Listening to the
judge is ESPECIALLY important in showmanship. He may give you tips to present
your animal better the next time you come into the ring for market or breeding
class.
While you may not agree with everything the judge does –
very seldom does everyone agree on ALL of a judge’s selections, but be courteous,
they were hired to judge that show and you need to let them do their job.
Remember that on another day with another judge, the results
may have had a different outcome. But this is not another day and the judge is
not someone else. His or her opinion is the one that matters in the ring that
day – accept their choices and congratulate the winners. If you have done your
part to make your animal presentable and well behaved in the ring, you still
get to chalk up a personal “win” for yourself in my book.
This is an important rule for parents to remember too. Your actions after the Champion is selected
are just as important as your kids’. Congratulate the winner - whether it is a class winner or the Overall
Grand – and keep encouraging your kids and the other showmen to work hard in
and out of the show ring. A pat on the back never hurt anyone.
N – Nice Guys Don’t
Always Finish Last
The people you meet and the friends you make will be one of
the most important souvenirs of your showing career. In fact, they will become
part of your “stock show family.”
Remember to be NICE – trust me, it won’t kill you. When you
see a young showman stuggling or maybe that needs a good tip on hair training,
setting up their animal or even as simple as getting their number in their
harness, help them!
Juniors look up to the seniors. Be a good role model, be
mindful of your actions and remember to have a good time.
If you have been given the opportunity to show livestock,
you are privileged. Use that privilege to be a good showman, a good friend and
to be a good sport in and out of the show ring.
To the parents out there making sacrifices so that your kids can show livestock - thank you. After all, it may not be the best way to raise livestock, but it is definitely a great way to raise your kids.
Spray it on the stain. Scrub with a brush (or towel). Let Dry. STAIN GONE!
