Cumberland Fair - the beef cow show

G. loves working at the beef farm and halter training the cows there for her 4H project. What she has never been keen on doing is showing her cow at the fair. Her first (and only) experience in the show ring was at a showmanship clinic at a 4H event last summer. That experience did not endear her to the show ring. Her cow Sparkles, aptly named for her firecracker personality, was a feisty heifer who threw around her 1,000+ pound body during the show. But G. received a blue ribbon that day because she managed to keep a handle on that animal and never lost control of her. And as many people told her, that was quite a feat given the heifer's clear agitation that day.

Her 4H leader encouraged her to try showing again (a show ring appearance is considered an end of the year celebration for the project - sort of a dance recital performance for 4H) and a deal was struck to give it another try with one condition. G. wanted another cow for the show ring. She'd work with Sparkles at the farm but felt she needed to halter train a calmer heifer personality for her next public appearance.

So Bailey, a (now) 16-month old heifer was chosen earlier this year to be her show cow for Cumberland Fair.

G. walked Bailey every week all winter and spring around the farm and then walked her weekly through the summer pasture. She truly enjoys working with the large animals and it shows whenever I snap a quick picture at the farm.

The week leading up to the fair required multiple visits to the farm to clip and groom Bailey for the show as well as get her "show box" (supplies she'd need at the fairgrounds the day of the show) ready.

My normally easy-going girl was a nervous, grouchy wreck that week. Her dry wit reared in a not-so-pleasant way on more than one occasion when people asked her if she was looking forward to the show.

"Yeah, for it to be over."

The day of the show she and Bailey arrived with another 4H friend and her young heifer. G. was in high stress mode and her leader reminded her that "what goes up the lead (halter), comes down the lead." Meaning that if G. was stressed, she was going to stress Bailey, her easy-going heifer, as well.

So her 4H leader and several other people suggested G. and her friend L. participate in the clipping contest that morning. The contest involved grooming and clipping a small calf as if they were going to show it at the fair. The girls ended up with a young Belted Galloway. This little "belty" had long hair and required a different sort of grooming job than the usual Herefords the girls were used to working with. But they went right to the task and by the end of it, G. had forgotten to be nervous about showing Bailey because she really enjoyed grooming and clipping the belty.

A good distraction should never be considered over-rated.

G.'s first smile that day.

By the end of the clipping contest G. was back to her happy self 
chatting it up with her 4H leader's husband.

When it came time to walk Bailey in to the show ring G.'s nerves were back. But a couple of loops around the ring with a calm cow reassured G. that Bailey was not going to get crazy like Sparkles did. She and Bailey did three shows and by the end of it G. was thinking the show ring gig wasn't all that bad.