3344 TR My favorite memory

A memory that I will never forget took place on February 12, 2003. It is a memory that is makes me laugh, cry, feel warm, is from long ago and is as peiouse as gold to me. Growing up I was always around animals, farming, and ranching. So it was no surprise when I started showing market steers and breeding heifers when I was nine years old. This is a very expensive hobby and my parents did the best they could. I usually had between three and four projects going every year. We hauled to shows all over Texas. I did well at the small shows but it was a different story when it came to the majors. The major shows in Texas consist of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, the Fort. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Houston Stock Show and Rodeo, and the Austin Stock show and Rodeo. The major shows are very competitive and there is a lot of money invested in these animals. I worked my tail off every year hoping to at least get placed. At most of these shows usually only about 12 people out of a class of sometimes 50 get placed. It is extremely difficult. After awhile I started to get discouraged and wanted to give up and try something else. It was getting harder for me to see other kids when the big money when I knew they hadn’t worked nearly as hard as I had. A lot of people with money hired hands to take care of there kids animals and to work with them and get them ready for these shows. For a lot of kids the first time they handled there animal was walking into the ring. Even if you don’t spend ridiculous amounts of money to buy one animal you can still win when you know how to properly feed and work them. After six years of never placing at any of these shows I began to loose site of my goals. However, February 12, 2003 that all changed for me. I had a good steer but I was almost sure that nothing would come of it because my brother-in-law who usually helped me and guided me through all of this was at a show in Denver. I was on my own. At the major shows they have weight limits for each class and if you weigh out they place you in another class that you don’t want to be in. when the Simmental class was called to the holding arena I was nervous even thought I had done it so many times before. When the gate opened I believe I was the first to walk in. The judge is not only judging your animal he is also judging you and how well your showmanship is. I walked in and the judge was really looking hard at me and my steer. I had my eyes glued to him and I couldn’t believe it when he pulled me. So I walked out into the middle of the arena and waited for all the others to walk in. He continued to pull them as they came in and then some after they were all stopped. Once the judge pulls all the cattle that he sees as “market ready” he then excuses all the others from the ring. I forget how long it took him to place us all, it seemed like forever. When it was all said and done I came out in first place. I was so excited I could not believe that I had finally placed. The best thing is, that’s not the best part of the story. I was in a heavy weight class so immediately after we were all placed and released they brought in the first places from all the other Simmental weight divisions. After lining us up and looking carefully at each animal the judge walked up behind my steer and gave him a big slap on the butt indicating that I now had the Grand Champion Simmental for the 2003 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. By the time I got out of the ring I as almost in tears. I had finally done it. Not only had I placed but I won my whole breed. Hundreds of people had come from all over the country and I had been chosen. My hard work had finally paid off. The next night all of the breed champions gathered back in the ring and the judge picked an overall and reserve grand champion of the entire show. The sale money is usually $100,000 for the overall grand champion. The SBC center had just been finished and we got to be the first ones to bring our animals in. The judge decides who he will choose before we ever get in there. He picked when we were all back in the small arena. We walk into the SBC Center and lined up. The judge walks around a few minutes and then starts walking my way. He walked up between me and another girl and stops, takes one look and shakes her hand. She had the new grand champion steer. I was really disappointed at first because I new she was definitely one of those kids who didn’t work to get what she had won. After a couple of hours I was fine. I had realized that I left there that night with more than I ever expected to. I had accomplished what I had been striving for. After the sale Saturday morning I walked away with a $10,000 check. It was not the $100,000 check but it was good enough for me. The last two years of high school I went on to place first at San Antonio, and did very well in Houston and Fort. Worth. The memory I have burned into my mine from that evening is something I will never forget. It taught me to try harder and to never give up on your dream.