I'm Sure

That it is foolish. But I am starting to get excited for show season this year.

Blitz's Roy daughter, Gypsy Rain, is, I think, one of the best young calves I've ever had. She eats constantly like a starving wolf, and seems to be really growing well. I've measured her a few times and sent her sizes and weights on to a friend who shows really superb Holsteins, and he and his father think she is growing at an appropriate speed. Also, she is a gentle little kitten of a calf. If you sit with her on the divider of her stall, she will plop her big black head in your lap and go to sleep. She'd rather be hugged and cuddled than just about anything else.

Her half brother/uncle (Mandy, Blitz's dam, is his momma and he is also sired by Roy) is also a fairly well tempered animal, at least as far as a 4 month old and rather long legged big bodied bull calf can be. He does kick and toss his head a bit, but mostly he is content to just watch the goings on in the stables. Unfortunately there are no bull classes at any of the shows in the region. I still think I am going to break him to lead, or have my bf do it. Since I plan/hope to keep him until breeding age, then send him out to Dependabull for collection I figure being able to handle him easily is a real swift plan.

And I am hoping to do something totally out of the ordinary for me this year...and that is show one of my cross beef steers. He's out of one of Alan's heifers actually. But mom and dad after I spent three hours in the barn delivering him last November kind of turned him over to me. I tried selling him on Craigslist but got no takers. Now I am rather glad I didn't. Hes turned into a sweet square and very stocky built young steer. I've already talked to a couple friends who show beef to get all the info I will need for showing him. I'm kind of excited, I think he'll show light or middle weight class, but I will have to deal with that this fall.

I'm debating on what I will do as far as taking a milk cow or two. Blitz will be extremely stale, as she freshened in with Gypsy in July and I don't yet have her bred back (she is due in heat around the 26th, please cross fingers she cycles well and catches as I am using my last unit of Roy on her). I dont really want to try and bag a cow that is at 365+ DMI. Then there is Mandy, she's a very nice old girl, and would show as an aged cow. And bagging her doesnt do a whole lot of good one way or the other. Then again, at Altamont for the most part that doesnt matter. I guess it will all depend on how things look come August!