Downhearted about showing cattle

LimmySimmy1993

How ye all,

Just feeling down about show cattle. I have always been keen on it since I was a lad (I am 23 now) but my dad and brothers didnt have any time for it. I went to young breeders open days whenever I could but I had no calves of my own so couldnt really practice much. I have maybe done 7 shows in total over the last 6 years with heifers I bought in and came home with a prize at all but one show...then again the only 1st place I got was when I was the only one in the class.
I just feel like I have ****e cattle compared to other people. I spend loads of time with them and I got my trailer towing licence last month so I can go by myself. I do enjoy shows but a lot of the other breeders dont kind of talk to me at shows as if I am only a joke and they know they wont be last. I have a young bull at the moment but I dont know if he is good enough to show or Ill just go out and look like a fool.

Its what I have wanted to do since I was little and now it feels like I am in too deep and I will never be any good at it. Not sure if its the feeding of the stock I have to improve on or if my stock are just rubbish.

Its kinda hard to chat to my friends or my dad about because theyll think I am silly. They think I am silly for taking them to shows anyways.

Thanks,

Kevin

lab man

wat breed

KatyMac

If you actually enjoy it then keep at it, don't mind your dad or your friends. Everyone needs to do something they love every day. And so what if your cattle aren't in the top percentage yet? As you do it longer you will get better at it. There is no-one showing cattle that started off knowing everything.
Also, as you go around to shows you will get to know the other lads/lasses at it and you will become 'one of them' eventually - especially when you have an animal that beats the rest hands down!

BENDYBINN

Good on you..go and enjoy yourself and learn.....everyday is a school day as they say....

Say my name

Put up a picture of the bull on here, without the ear tags visible obviously.

There's some knowledgeable posters on here on what to look for in an animal.

anthony500_1

If you enjoy it stay at it. Who cares what anybody else thinks..so what if you have the worst animal on show, so long as you enjoy the prep work and the taking part then the winning will come in time. I know nothing about showing cattle but from other hobbies it's all about enjoying yourself. Not everyone can be in 1st place but it could be you on any givin day. As the lotto says "if your not in you can't win"

Sheep breeder

LimmySimmy1993 wrote: »

How ye all,

Just feeling down about show cattle. I have always been keen on it since I was a lad (I am 23 now) but my dad and brothers didnt have any time for it. I went to young breeders open days whenever I could but I had no calves of my own so couldnt really practice much. I have maybe done 7 shows in total over the last 6 years with heifers I bought in and came home with a prize at all but one show...then again the only 1st place I got was when I was the only one in the class.
I just feel like I have ****e cattle compared to other people. I spend loads of time with them and I got my trailer towing licence last month so I can go by myself. I do enjoy shows but a lot of the other breeders dont kind of talk to me at shows as if I am only a joke and they know they wont be last. I have a young bull at the moment but I dont know if he is good enough to show or Ill just go out and look like a fool.

Its what I have wanted to do since I was little and now it feels like I am in too deep and I will never be any good at it. Not sure if its the feeding of the stock I have to improve on or if my stock are just rubbish.

Its kinda hard to chat to my friends or my dad about because theyll think I am silly. They think I am silly for taking them to shows anyways.

Thanks,

Kevin

The fun has gone out of showing over the last number of years with the same fellas showing and judging and no encouragement given to young or new exhibitors, the judging is the person and not the stock.
Look at the local shows the way the numbers of stock is decreasing year on year. Back twenty years ago we done a lot of cattle and sheep showing and had great fun and craic and made great friends at the game then and are still very friendly with these people today and it was all about the promotion of the breeds. Now it’s all about the breeder and not the breed, judges are hand picked and give the rosette to who suits them and get the favour back at there local show.
Advice is to keep going at your cattle and go to local merchant and get a bit of advice on the feeding of show stock.

Who2

Keep at it, never mind what others think. Try a few local suckler farmers that breed good stock, any that likes breeding will more than likely have at least one annually but like myself has no interest in all the prepping or grooming and traveling, you might be able to come to some sort of arrangement.

LimmySimmy1993

Sheep breeder wrote: »

The fun has gone out of showing over the last number of years with the same fellas showing and judging and no encouragement given to young or new exhibitors, the judging is the person and not the stock.
Look at the local shows the way the numbers of stock is decreasing year on year. Back twenty years ago we done a lot of cattle and sheep showing and had great fun and craic and made great friends at the game then and are still very friendly with these people today and it was all about the promotion of the breeds. Now it’s all about the breeder and not the breed, judges are hand picked and give the rosette to who suits them and get the favour back at there local show.
Advice is to keep going at your cattle and go to local merchant and get a bit of advice on the feeding of show stock.

Thats what I feel like and a lot of new people I see are relatives or neighbours of people currently showing. I know nobody and very few people talk to me as if I am not worth the effort. I enjoy it and I cherish the rosettes I have. Hate to be the laughing stock or the "easy competition" for other folk.

LimmySimmy1993

Say my name wrote: »

Put up a picture of the bull on here, without the ear tags visible obviously.

There's some knowledgeable posters on here on what to look for in an animal.

Ill get a photo of him. He is a limousin but I also bought an Angus bull for heifers at a sale in May and I want to show him, I think he is a nice Angus.

Lady Haywire

LimmySimmy1993 wrote: »

Thats what I feel like and a lot of new people I see are relatives or neighbours of people currently showing. I know nobody and very few people talk to me as if I am not worth the effort. I enjoy it and I cherish the rosettes I have. Hate to be the laughing stock or the "easy competition" for other folk.

Stand your ground! If you're winning rosettes you're competition to them & that's why they can be a bit standoffish. Just be nice to them, shake their hand if they beat you or you beat them. That's how i got more involved with showing. There's still arseholes around the showing ring who want nothing more than to win so won't lend a hand.
Generally if I'm at a show & I see someone looking a bit lost I'll help them out, i got that when I first started showing & think it's nice to return a favour and encourage others if I can. I'm still shíte at clipping though :pac:
Where in the country are you Kevin?

LimmySimmy1993 wrote: »

Ill get a photo of him. He is a limousin but I also bought an Angus bull for heifers at a sale in May and I want to show him, I think he is a nice Angus.

I'm sure you know your stuff but just remember an angus is supposed to look like an angus, not a limousin. That's where I used to get it wrong, wanted a big arse on everything. There's a style type for each breed & if you watch a judge for a few classes you can get a gist of what style animal he's looking for.

LimmySimmy1993

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Stand your ground! If you're winning rosettes you're competition to them & that's why they can be a bit standoffish. Just be nice to them, shake their hand if they beat you or you beat them. That's how i got more involved with showing. There's still arseholes around the showing ring who want nothing more than to win so won't lend a hand.
Generally if I'm at a show & I see someone looking a bit lost I'll help them out, i got that when I first started showing & think it's nice to return a favour and encourage others if I can. I'm still shíte at clipping though :pac:
Where in the country are you Kevin?



I'm sure you know your stuff but just remember an angus is supposed to look like an angus, not a limousin. That's where I used to get it wrong, wanted a big arse on everything. There's a style type for each breed & if you watch a judge for a few classes you can get a gist of what style animal he's looking for.

Thanks for the support. You sound like a nice person and very helpful and not judgemental. Do you have Angus? I think you're right- I want everything to look like commercials. I think though my cattle are always too small or not fleshed enough. I am in west Galway which is a sparse spot and off the beaten track.