Jr. Beef Expo

This year AFC sponsored the ultrasound portion of the Jr. Beef Expo. They ultrasound between the 12th and 13th rib on each steer to determine common traits such as: ribeye area (REA), backfat (BF), rump fat (RF) and percent intramuscular fat (%IMF).  We put the results of each steer in an equation and determine the winner. There were around 20 steers entered into the competition this year. It was a fun experience being able to congratulate the contestants on a job well done and hand out awards. They compete in a  handful of different categories so it was nice to see some that may not have won in the showmanship class or heifer class to win the ultrasound class.

On top of helping helping out with the ultrasound class, I got to help a friend from college take pictures of the entire event. She did an amazing job! She's such a sweet soul and has a passion for photography and agriculture. My main job was to make sure the cattle had their heads up and ears forward for pictures, which started out a little rough, but I slowly figured it out. Thankfully Reba has a lot of patience! Overall it was a fun, and long, few days. I know the contestants work hard year round to get their cattle ready for shows and events and it paid off, if they didn't win their class they definitely got some constructive criticism.


One of our co-op managers, his wife and their two girls were there. Both girls show and I'm so thankful they took me in and showed me what it was like "behind the scenes". We had pancake breakfast in the barn, talked about what happens to their steers when the show is over (they auction them off for halves) and they showed me what it takes to get their cattle ready (they must know what they're doing since they won a few classes). I am so thankful for them and their hospitality.
"The backbone of success is...HARD WORK, determination and perseverance." -Mia Hamm



All of that being said, this was my first actual 'cattle show' to be involved with. I didn't grow up showing cattle or livestock of any kind. But to see the families come together and the contestants make friendships that will last a lifetime is so humbling. Someone was always helping someone else, there weren't complaints from kids or un-sportsmanship behavior. Staying up until 11:00 pm to wash and feed your calf, then getting up at 3:00 am to make sure it's fed, clipped and clean before the show day starts makes for a long day, especially since the ones showing are all under 18, but each one did it with class and most with a smile on their face. Showing a 1200 pound animal isn't easy, but they sure made it look fun. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to not only see the show first hand, but to catch up with Reba and watch the next generation share their love for agriculture.

xoxo
Samantha