Young Children and Brahman Steers
Jeff Young children have no business showing Brahman cross steers.
It doesn’t matter how calm you can get your calf. Anybody who knows Brahman cattle knows they can be the most dog gentle cattle in the world if you treat them right, it just takes time.
I don't personally have the patience to do it right. We’ve had calves that were flat out nuts while I was trying to mess with them. Then they get sold and turn into kitty cats once they got in the hands of the right young lady who likes to sit with her calf all summer.
No, the problem with Brahman cross show steers isn’t that you can’t tame them.
The problem is that, significantly more so than in any other breed at a show, you can’t trust the rest of your class to do the same.
Several years ago we sold a calf that the family busted their tails calming and got him right for the county show. It didn’t matter. Two calves in front of him a steer busted loose on the way in the ring, plowed through the line of kids entering the ring behind him and managed to pry three other steers away from their owners before running through a crowd.
Similar shenanigans happened yesterday in Austin. The folks on the camera were kind enough to stay focused on other things but at certain points it might as well have been a pig show. One calf bursts loose triggering other calves and it becomes quite dangerous.
Hoge played it professionally but, for safety reasons, also made a point to ask the crowd to not applaud kids as they exited the ring.
What was truly impressive was watching young men and women manage to keep their calves calm when you know they're leading a ticking time bomb.
And that’s why the Brahman steer class should be left to young men and women and not children. The person on the halter needs to have nerves of steel that can only be built with experience.
It’s not you, it’s them.
eb12345 commented 3/25/2015 8:55:33 AM
We have a 7 year old that shows both horses and cattle. While our animals don't act perfect, it's almost to the point we won't let her show at the county fair, due to the fact that most of the cattle seem to have been pulled out of the feedlot pen the week before fair, and the horses aren't much better.
Tallcool1 commented 3/25/2015 6:22:26 PM
I second the previous comment. It seems that every year at the county fair, there is some sort of a train wreck.
I don't have a problem with a nervous calf that has clearly been in a good home but he is just edgy. I have a problem with feedlot cattle being brought to town on a halter that they CLEARLY are not used to being on.
Good post.
I don't have a problem with a nervous calf that has clearly been in a good home but he is just edgy. I have a problem with feedlot cattle being brought to town on a halter that they CLEARLY are not used to being on.
Good post.
There commented 3/27/2015 10:36:38 AM
Also in case you didn't catch it, How many Steers get shown by someone else just because the owner/showman can't physically handle that particular calf? It doesn't bother me (as much) if it is a family member, BUT more and more you see a kid standing at the fence while a "Ringer" showman is out there showing that calf that the owner/showman can't handle.
Lorie Kempen commented 6/3/2015 2:52:58 PM
1/2 Blood steers are special. My girls cut their teeth on these cattle. I don't have the biggest girls, but they do have nerves of steel. My oldest showed in the class in Austin. She controlled her steer, but couldn't wait to get out. This is breed that takes a special hand. Very proud what my girls have accomplished in this arena.