Agricultural Shows

reilig

Do any of you guys do the show circuit?

When we were kids, we used to to bring sheep to the local shows. My communion money was spent on a pedigree texal.

I'm prepping bulls for sale at the moment, and quite enjoying the leading, washing, brushing and feeding and it's something that I think I want my kids to experience.

I think it's very important that kids have a responsibility. It's also important that they learn to win and lose.

So I'm thinking that now is the time to get it together for the next couple of years. I have pedigree cattle and I have a couple of cows that breed exceptional calves. For showing in 2015, now is the time plan breeding.

Again, it's not a profitable venture, but it gives great satisfaction!

Anyone got views or good stories to tell?

Conmaicne Mara

reilig wrote: »

Anyone got views or good stories to tell?

Used to with ram hoggets. Did alright locally, rosettes came home. One show I came second in, the man who came third has his photo beside sore loser in the dictionary as he didn't speak to me for 6 weeks after :pac:

I don't think they do the commercial farmer any good, lots of rams are pumped up, altered and adjusted for the show. We've had serious health issues with rams bought from shows.

Mad4simmental

Anyone got views or good stories to tell?[/quote]

We youst to do allot of them with pb Charolais bulls calves and cows. Looking back at it I loved it. I youst to love walking around looking at the diffrent breeds and chatting to a few young lads that were my age that had the same interest in stock ect.

I think twords the end of going to shows we just did to many shows and hadn't anof help to prepare all the animals (you'd think they were in peter-marks) and we just got burnt out and sick of it. Love to go back and just do two or three a year now that you brought it up ha.

Stock judging on dairy farms was another thing I loved. We never had dairy cows but I got a few trophies for that to.

GrandSoftDay

Would love to be at it if we had stock good enough to show and the facility's to wash and halter train them. Costs a fair few bob to get into good pedigrees though and there is a lot of minding in them. A good experience for the young lads no doubt reilig.

hugo29

reilig wrote: »

Do any of you guys do the show circuit?

When we were kids, we used to to bring sheep to the local shows. My communion money was spent on a pedigree texal.

I'm prepping bulls for sale at the moment, and quite enjoying the leading, washing, brushing and feeding and it's something that I think I want my kids to experience.

I think it's very important that kids have a responsibility. It's also important that they learn to win and lose.

So I'm thinking that now is the time to get it together for the next couple of years. I have pedigree cattle and I have a couple of cows that breed exceptional calves. For showing in 2015, now is the time plan breeding.

Again, it's not a profitable venture, but it gives great satisfaction!

Anyone got views or good stories to tell?

when we were younger when used to go to the shows, used to love watching the dogs in action, gathering the sheep, Bonniconnlon was always a great family day out (better than knock:D)
fair play to ya reilig making the time for it

Muckit

I think the most important thing would be to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Will you or the kids get most out of it? Hopefully both. There's a lot to any competition/shows and totally agree it is good to have children and indeed adults involved. Just ensure that they have a genuine interest themselves.

It could be sport, music or otherwise. It could be one of the lads is into baking and then to enter a cake in the marquee might be more appropriate than pulling a bull around.

Know from when l was growing up trad music was the thing my parents pushed us into. It was scor and music concerts galore. I didn't get great personal enjoyment out of it at the time but have come back to it now as an adult, the music/singing that is, not the competitions.

As a young adult it was modified car show circuits. Plenty of spraying, shampooing and polishing involved, not to mention time, money and weekends up and down the country dodging briars and potholes.

Cattle took my fancy in recent years but as people have said, you get sick of it all after a while and it's time to move onto the next thing. That's not to say to regret having taken part.

As you put it reilig competition helps you realise you will not always come out on top, even though you have given your all. You have to be happy with your best. Always will be better and worse than you. As the song goes 'and in the end the competition is only with yourself'

Bellview

Did a lot of shows in mid to late 90's and over that time loved it as there was a sense of fun in the ring. Then along came new money and what was a bit of Craic got a lot more competitive. I then gave up for a number of years due to work etc. in the last few years I have gone to a few shows again and the new money boys are gone!

Miname

I had one limo heifer i thought would win prizes so i spent ages trying to halter train her. I spent a lot of time being dragged around so resorted to tying her high up on the tractor and driving her around. i never got her to any shows. she would have been better suited to hurdles i think. ah well shes burgers a long time now.

tismesoitis

used to show a few holsteins about 10 years ago or so with varied success probably more downs than ups but did collect a few red rosettes against tough competition at the same time. Really enjoyed it and this year will be our 1st time returning to the show ring this time with a couple of Parthenaise calves. Just goin to go to about 4 shows this year Tinahely Athlone Tullamore and i think there might be classes for parts in the Bonny baby show in mountrath in april! Plan is to get the little ones involved in a small way like yourself Reilig will do them the world of good!!

Base price

I used to do a lot during the 90's and into the noughties. I met some great people over the years involved in many different breeds.
My sons took an interest in showing and loved to show in young stock classes.
My favourite show was the Spring Show in the RDS even though it was pure hassle/cost getting into it with traffic, parking, accommodation etc but you were there for the best part of a week and it was like another community.
Many a nights craic was had listening to stories along the cattle lines.
Some wonderful characters around in those days, great stock men and women.

Mac Taylor

"I'm prepping bulls for sale at the moment, and quite enjoying the leading, washing, brushing and feeding and it's something that I think I want my kids to experience. "

Reilig, we would go to a good few shows during the summer but in a viewing capacity only. How much time are you investing and have you any tips for starting the haltering process. Would love to give it a go!!

Bellview

Mac Taylor wrote: »

"I'm prepping bulls for sale at the moment, and quite enjoying the leading, washing, brushing and feeding and it's something that I think I want my kids to experience. "

Reilig, we would go to a good few shows during the summer but in a viewing capacity only. How much time are you investing and have you any tips for starting the haltering process. Would love to give it a go!!

Catch them as young as possible otherwise you could have a hard time training animals like the limo heifer mentioned above