Tennessee Polled Hereford Field Day
I expanded my horizons recently and I really liked it!
I was asked to go with the high school FFA kids to
judge livestock at the Tennessee Polled
Hereford Field Day held in Bryanville, Tn. It is about a 3 hour drive away. We left at 6:30 and then stopped and ate at the official stop for aggies…..HARDEES! We arrived to a beautiful little cove like
place. It was surrounded by corn crops, a white picket fence, huge oaks,
and a beautiful quaint barn! When we pulled in we went to start helping and that’s
when the work started! A man in a
cowboy hat approached us and handed us electric hot dehorners and rope! Our job
was to basically burn rope, but we also burned ourselves in the process! The rope was to be used later in the day.
After we did this, it was time to judge some cattle! There was
however a twist to this contest! Usually
for a
tie-breaker the officials pick a random class but not this one. We were going to “Pick-A-Pair”. Five cows and calves were separated and our job was to put the right cow and calf together for extra points if it came down to a tie! I only got two paired up right, but later learned that I did better than others. After the contest it was time to eat. We were in a different time zone so our stomachs had been growling loudly. Following lunch, we had the most delicious homemade ice cream. I would have to say that was the highlight of my day! I didn’t think anything could top the ice cream until we went into the barn and were instructed we were going to use the ropes we had burnt earlier to make rope halters! I love making halter. Two BEEF friends and I made around 25-30 rope halters all in about 45 minutes! When we finished the halters, it was time for some more good stuff! A breeding soundness exam! I have never seen this and it was AWESOME! I’ve only ever worked with the female part of the equation and it was neat to see what the bull does to give the information. We even got to see the sperm sample and identify the good and bad cells! At the end of the day was the Tennessee Beef Council’s presentation on all the programs they do, which is a lot! I was glad to see the farmers’ money being put to such great use. I can't wait to go back next year!
tie-breaker the officials pick a random class but not this one. We were going to “Pick-A-Pair”. Five cows and calves were separated and our job was to put the right cow and calf together for extra points if it came down to a tie! I only got two paired up right, but later learned that I did better than others. After the contest it was time to eat. We were in a different time zone so our stomachs had been growling loudly. Following lunch, we had the most delicious homemade ice cream. I would have to say that was the highlight of my day! I didn’t think anything could top the ice cream until we went into the barn and were instructed we were going to use the ropes we had burnt earlier to make rope halters! I love making halter. Two BEEF friends and I made around 25-30 rope halters all in about 45 minutes! When we finished the halters, it was time for some more good stuff! A breeding soundness exam! I have never seen this and it was AWESOME! I’ve only ever worked with the female part of the equation and it was neat to see what the bull does to give the information. We even got to see the sperm sample and identify the good and bad cells! At the end of the day was the Tennessee Beef Council’s presentation on all the programs they do, which is a lot! I was glad to see the farmers’ money being put to such great use. I can't wait to go back next year!
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