Almost Showtime

This weekend we did the last little bit of prep for our first show of the fall show season. Farmfair is always the kick off to the fall shows, and it happens to be right in our backyard at it is only 1hr away. 

Because it is the first show of the season it seems like it takes a bit more work to get ready for then any of the others. Once the last show is done, everything usually just gets thrown off the truck and trailer as it is -30 outside and we want to get inside and to sleep after a long drive home. It becomes a game of hide and seek when the next year rolls around to find all of the show equipment again.

There are also the tasks like getting stall signs made for each animal, painting all of the steel that we will use, and making sure you have enough halters since dad usually steals some to tie gates with during the year.

Getting everything together

 Aside from gathering all of the equipment, we still need to be working on cattle. This past weekend the temperatures finally plunged some, and so washing cattle in the open was out of the question. We did our best to work their hair and do some clipping to lighten the work load once we get to town.

Dad clipping on First Date

 We also work with the ones that have not been to a show before. Because the animals will be in the city for 5 days, they have to stay tied up the whole time. We try and get them used to be tied up for extended periods of time, teaching them its ok to eat out of a feed tub and a water pail aposed to a water and feed trough.

Rival and Play Date hanging out in the barn

We will see how well we did with the preparations as today Mom and Dad will be taking the cattle into the show. I will join them tomorrow to help out for rest of the week, and "the Eng" will even join us for show day to take part in his first cattle show. Wish us luck and I will try to post some photos and results later this week!