Manifolds, Manolos, and Manure
I’d love to tell you that we’ve wrapped up another year of fairs, but I’m not entirely sure that’s the truth. Instead, let’s say we ended a chapter.
Our blue-eyed girl walked at four fairs this summer. Her big-little-brother graced three show rings. Our most recent fair was bittersweet for all of us. It marks the end of a handful of animals’ tenure on our show string.
Sparkledust, Sandi, and Potato walked for likely the last time. Sparkledust will become a milking cow in 2025. Sandi doesn’t have the overall look to compete at a higher level. And Potato is a summer yearling. With a mid-July birthday, she’s a little too young to breed in time for her to compete next year.
Sparkledust and Potato’s tenure in the show ring is a hard one for me since my blue-eyed-girl bottle fed them from day one. She chose their sires. She helped deliver Sparkledust. And both of them were raised on our farm.
Dobby and Donut may or may not return to the show ring. Dobby is my blue-eyed-girl’s spring Brown Swiss yearling. Despite being a well-bred calf, she struggled last year but walked her way to a second-place finish in Showmanship. This year, she stood top of her class and was Reserve Breed Champion for the 4H Show. My blue-eyed-girl’s other Brown Swiss is a lot like Dobby was as a calf. A little too small. Too short. But angular. She’ll be one to watch next year.
Her awkward field mate, Donut is my big-little-boy’s favorite girl. As a spring Ayrshire yearling she walked her way to Junior Champion. Last year she was Calf Champion. Donut was our entry into the world of Ayrshires, she wasn’t selected for her all-star genetics or how she walked but instead for her personality. She’s a kid’s animal. More accurately, she thrives on little boy germs. Hugs. And treats.
Others in our show string will walk again. Pippa has walked at all four shows after we bought her at an early spring auction. She has been a struggle. She would look great one day and the next she would look too thin. Most recently, she stood top of her class and was Honorable Mention of the Red and White Holstein show but the week before the judge placed her near the bottom citing concerns about her weight. This was a win for this yearling and my blue-eyed-girl.
They also walked their way to Senior Showmanship Champion. In a class deep with her friends and peers, they set feet. Answered the judge’s questions. And traded animals. Had the day been as hot as most years, we probably would’ve lost showmen to heat exhaustion, but since it wasn’t the judge worked the top four showmen until he was confident in his placing.
In a moment of weakness, we picked up our first Guernsey calf. Candidly, I don’t know much about Guernsey animals, but Lightbulb is tall. Long. And well put together. She and my blue-eyed-girl walk themselves past Junior Champion to junior show Grand Champion and open show Reserve Grand Champion. Together they earned themselves a spot in the show ring for Supreme Grand Champion. Lightbulb is one that may walk again this year, but at Madison, Wisconsin for the world’s largest dairy show.
Rounding out our show string is arguably the prettiest calf we’ve ever raised. Despite an off birthday, she’s tall. Long. Well put together. Delicate. And striking. Her maternal aunt is a two-time champion at World Dairy Expo and her sire is one of the top Ayrshire sires in the world. With my big-little-boy in tow she walked past Junior Champion all the way to Reserve Grand Champion for the junior show and Honorable Mention Supreme Junior Champion of the junior show. She too may walk on the colored shavings at World Dairy Expo this fall. Like his Ayrshire heifer, she wasn’t chosen for her genetics or looks but her personality. She’s kind. Playful. And snuggly.
With another fair in the books, we want nothing more than our two kids to want to milk the cows. Drive the tractors. Farm. Just like their dad, grandfather, and great grandfather before them.