Stock show kids are some of the most intelligent, hardest working kids around. This comes through in everything they do: in the show ring, sports, in the classroom. Sometimes, though, they need to miss school to go to the show. If you’ve ever struggled with explaining to teachers or principals the importance of showing livestock, if you couldn’t find the words to tell them how much the stock show kid learns from their livestock projects, here is the answer: The Stock Show Kid School Excuse Letter. Dear Teacher/Principal/School Administrator, Please excuse (insert child’s name) from school tomorrow. He/She will be participating in the (insert livestock show). We are fortunate…
-
-
4 Principles to Step up Your Showmanship
Recently, I helped with a Master Showmanship clinic for cattle, sheep, and hogs. As I prepared for this event, I came up with 4 principles across the board to step up your game. Showmanship is more than how you brace or how you hold a halter, it’s about your ability to present an animal in the most effective way possible. These 4 principles, once mastered, will help you step up your showmanship to the next level. Intensity. This is one of the more difficult principles to master. Intensity is about being focused on the actions you’re taking and making sure there is purpose in each of them. Being in the…
-
When You Reach The End Of Your Rope, Tie A Knot And Hang
Growing up, my 4-H livestock were a once a year deal. I would have the animals for three to four months, take them to my tiny fair and repeat the process the next year. The older I got, the more competitive my sister and I became. This lead to having anywhere between six to ten animals in the barn from January to October. Though this may not seem like much, for us this was an extreme shift from what we were used to. It took a toll not only on our wallets (sorry mom and dad), but also on our desire to keep going. We would start off the year…
