Long days, lasting memories

Show season is in full swing.

On June 20, I was in Pipestone at the Minnesota State Holstein Show. As I only show Brown Swiss cattle, I went out and helped friends get their animals ready for the ring.

One of my favorite parts of cattle shows is the people. The show itself is important, but so are the friendships and connections to other dairy enthusiasts that come along with it. I have truly been blessed to have met some of the best people through the show industry and gotten many opportunities throughout life. Little me, who showed her first heifer at the ripe age of 2, couldn’t imagine how far I have come.

At the show, many laughs, inside jokes, meeting friends new and old, and hard work were completed. The show ring may be the main attraction, but the memories made in the barn are often what sticks with me the most.

Show day, as many show families know, is hectic. The days leading up were full of prep, keeping cows fed, clipping animals, and making sure everyone was mentally prepared for an early morning and the long day ahead of us. Success on show day, in my opinion, is determined by the effort put in long before stepping into the ring.

The day started at a dreaded 3 a.m. with heading to the barn, washing animals and putting down fresh bedding. The late nights and early mornings of shows may seem like a headache for others, but it’s enjoyment for me — most of the time. I am not in particular a lover of waking up before the sun rises, but for special occasions like this, I can be.

These mornings, I most enjoy standing on the wash rack with excellent cattle, talking to others and watching the sun rise in the background. There’s no better sight than that — well maybe watching the sun rise over a beautiful mountain.

As the day went on, heifers started heading to the ring. We had several calves perform better than we initially thought going into the day, which, in my book, is already a win. When expectations are exceeded, those moments can be just as exciting as winning.

For me, I enjoy being behind the scenes getting the cattle in the ring rather than being the one in the spotlight. Every successful show relies on a lot of work that happens outside of the ring and the weeks leading up to it.

The show concluded around 2 p.m., and our string walked away with some hardware and plenty of reasons to celebrate.

However, my day was far from over. After loading up and saying goodbye to friends, I headed east to Kasson for a wedding. With more than three hours of driving ahead of me and only three hours of sleep the night before, I had plenty of time to wonder whether I would make it through the evening.

Still, the combination of a successful show and celebrating with friends made for a memorable day. While the schedule of the day was exhausting, days like these are what the summer is made for.