University of Tennessee Block & Bridle: Rock Top Classic
A few weeks ago was the yearly Rocky Top Classic Cattle Show. This year it was back at the Brehm Animal Science Building at UT. The last time they had it there I was in the fourth grade. They have been remodeling it for, I don't know, SIX years! Everyone was hyped up about the heated show barn and the warm water. The barn where we were tied out was cold and the show ring was hot. So it was a day of extreme temperatures for the cattle and the people! My mind didn't stay on the temperature situation for long because on this day, my youngest sister, Elli-Ruth would walk into the show ring leading a heifer by herself for the first time.
She has shown since she was a little one, but always with me and always with a rather large heifer. This year we have a heifer that's just her size. I got up around three am to feed and iron her show clothes, BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. I woke her up around five. No little kid wants to get up that early but stock show kids aren't normal. I just mentioned Claire, her heifer's name, and Elli jumped out of bed with excitement! Once we were ready, we went out into the frigid black morning. I can't explain how good it felt to have Elli by my side going to a show. She has normally just showed up in time to walk in the ring. We stopped and got some Hardees for breakfast on the way to the show. To stop there on a show morning is kind of like a tradition. She told the order taker lady where we were going and what she was going to do. It made me giddy with joy to hear the excitement in her voice. After Hardees we headed to David's (he helps fit my cattle) to pick up Claire (Elli's show heifer) and my other heifers! After that, we got on the road and were headed to Knoxville. When we got there we had to get to work. Elli is only eight so I let her go run around in the ring. One of the wonderful things about a shows is that we are all family! Kids and Adults work and play side by side and everyone watches out for everyone else. We got everything rinsed and fed and then Elli comes running in telling us she is late and we must get down there! I let her lead Claire down to the show ring and I swear I could have cried!! I went in the ring with her but let her handle the halter and stick on her own. Claire has a temper sometimes so I wanted to be close by if she needed me. I took a camera to take pictures! Elli-Ruth did fantastic! She is still in the Pee Wee division but this summer she will be able to officially compete in showmanship! After the Pee Wee division came the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. There were three heats of Senior showman, I was in the second. I ended up showing Claire just because I already had her ready! I had the smallest heifer in the ring so I kind of stuck out! I got called out into the final heat but ultimately my friend, Taylor Green, won showmanship on this day. She has always looked so good in the ring. Next up was the breed show. The show moved fast so I didn't have to wait a long time on the Simmentals to show. Jess, a march calf, won her class. Oppy, a January calf, otherwise known as my Holstein, won her class of like six or seven and then won the show. Claire, also a March calf, got second in her Commercial show class. I ended the day with a nice cup of coffee and seeing my heifers buck and play when we got home!
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| Elli and Claire in the new arena. |
She has shown since she was a little one, but always with me and always with a rather large heifer. This year we have a heifer that's just her size. I got up around three am to feed and iron her show clothes, BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. I woke her up around five. No little kid wants to get up that early but stock show kids aren't normal. I just mentioned Claire, her heifer's name, and Elli jumped out of bed with excitement! Once we were ready, we went out into the frigid black morning. I can't explain how good it felt to have Elli by my side going to a show. She has normally just showed up in time to walk in the ring. We stopped and got some Hardees for breakfast on the way to the show. To stop there on a show morning is kind of like a tradition. She told the order taker lady where we were going and what she was going to do. It made me giddy with joy to hear the excitement in her voice. After Hardees we headed to David's (he helps fit my cattle) to pick up Claire (Elli's show heifer) and my other heifers! After that, we got on the road and were headed to Knoxville. When we got there we had to get to work. Elli is only eight so I let her go run around in the ring. One of the wonderful things about a shows is that we are all family! Kids and Adults work and play side by side and everyone watches out for everyone else. We got everything rinsed and fed and then Elli comes running in telling us she is late and we must get down there! I let her lead Claire down to the show ring and I swear I could have cried!! I went in the ring with her but let her handle the halter and stick on her own. Claire has a temper sometimes so I wanted to be close by if she needed me. I took a camera to take pictures! Elli-Ruth did fantastic! She is still in the Pee Wee division but this summer she will be able to officially compete in showmanship! After the Pee Wee division came the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. There were three heats of Senior showman, I was in the second. I ended up showing Claire just because I already had her ready! I had the smallest heifer in the ring so I kind of stuck out! I got called out into the final heat but ultimately my friend, Taylor Green, won showmanship on this day. She has always looked so good in the ring. Next up was the breed show. The show moved fast so I didn't have to wait a long time on the Simmentals to show. Jess, a march calf, won her class. Oppy, a January calf, otherwise known as my Holstein, won her class of like six or seven and then won the show. Claire, also a March calf, got second in her Commercial show class. I ended the day with a nice cup of coffee and seeing my heifers buck and play when we got home!
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