Thank Goodness for Stock Show Dads

Could we really do it all without the stock show dads? This Spring I stayed home to calve while the boys were all at the jackpot shows. Thankfully, my dad came up to help me.  

I don’t know how it is at your place, but around here things always wait until Frank leaves to break, get sick or die.  

So, as you can imagine, I needed a hand. The only person I really wanted helping me was my dad. Anyone who knows my dad knows he helps everyone, it’s just how he is.   Today I want to pay tribute to all of those stock show dads out there…

Here’s to the Stock Show Dad

Thanks to the dad who jumps in the driver’s seat with his sunflower seeds and George Strait to keep him awake for the long drive home from a jackpot on a Sunday night. All of the showmen and even mom sleep away while he drives…even though he started at 4 that morning and fit all day with his kids by his side.

Here’s to the dad who works extra shifts and extra hard to be able to take time off to get his kids to the show.

Here’s to the Builder

Here’s to the dad who started by converting an old building on his property into a make-shift pen for his daughter’s first calf.  He pours a slab for a wash rack by the second year. A mud hole resulted from the rubber mats she used the year before. The whole family is enjoying the project when the third year rolls around.

He has to add pens for the little brother who is now old enough to show and wants a steer too. They need a bigger stock trailer to haul all of the gear that they’ve acquired over the past few years in addition to the cattle that he has to drag to every show.

The next trailer will have a ramp because he’s tired of breaking his back while loading the chutes and boxes.

He has built a barn, a cooler, runs, and perimeter fence by the time the third kid graduates.  During countless hours of helping his kids and he’s been a huge influence in their lives. They learned to work for what they want and to appreciate what they have.

He loved every minute of it.

Here’s to the Motivator

To the dad who scoops his little girl up and dusts her off after she gets stepped on and drug through the gravel.  He tells her he’s proud of her grit and convinces her to get back out there because she can do anything.

Here’s to the dad who makes sure that his son can show the best cattle they can possibly afford. He teaches him that it doesn’t matter that they don’t have a fancy rig because, after all, the show is held in the show ring…not the parking lot.

Here’s to the Stockman

Here’s to the dad whose kids have trailed him on the ranch and in the show barn.  His kids benefit from learning from a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of his passion.  

The Stockman teaches things like animal husbandry, evaluation, feeding, fitting, and clipping.

He puts clippers in the hands of his kids, knowing that it’s likely a hole in the making. He knows that putting clippers in those little hands is the only way that kid can learn to be great.

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We Can’t Forget the Grandpas

Here’s to the grandpa that doesn’t miss a show. Though his back hurts him from an old injury, he won’t miss the opportunity to take his grand-daughter to the show.

Oh, and the grandpa who drives everyone crazy to know how the show is going in the event he can’t make it to the show.  To the grandpa that doesn’t miss an opportunity at the backdrop, even if it’s not “his kids” in the picture.

Here’s to the dad whose kids are grown

He knows his grown kids still need his help and guidance. Even though they have their own kids.

Here’s to the New Stock Show Dad

The new dad has so much his future with his family. He’s building a program. He’s making breeding decisions with the goal that one day those little guys will have great success. No matter that right now, they are still in strollers.

Finally, to the “city dad” who starts this stock show adventure without the faintest clue what is ahead… Congratulations on jumping off a cliff with your kids, it will be an amazing ride.

To all of the stock show dads out there, you are loved and appreciated.  

Happy Father’s Day!

If you liked this post, check out our article:

Stock Show Mentors

It’s A Family Affair

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