We all get caught up in who won what.  It matters, but it doesn’t always matter.  But that is for a different time and place.  However, some things make you stop and think.

I grew up in a place that has amassed a pile of football wins and state championships. They have also gathered several softball titles in recent years.  Go back to the 80’s and Shattuck won a bunch of choir and band titles.  Tammy grew up in an extremely strong basketball program at Arnett.  6on6.  They won a lot.  We get it.

Local book face has been blowing up with some sore losers posting crap about the mighty Indian football team and coaches.  There are lots of posts about numerous state championships.  All well earned.  I’ll back these coaches.  If Duke had wanted to be an athlete, I’d send him anywhere with these people.  There is NOT a more demanding ag teacher that deals with a fleet of hard headed, winning coaches and we have ZERO problems sharing kids!  NONE!  That isn’t how it normally works..but somehow, it does in Shattuck.  Why?   I do not know. But it works.

No matter the state that you live, a state championship matters.  Athletics, stock shows, whatever.  It matters to some more than others.  But, yes, it does matter.

I am well aware that there is some rhetoric that I never won a major goat show with my own kids.  You would be correct.  Of course, that kind of conversation normally comes from someone that has not won much of anything.  But, I strongly agree, Kela nor Duke won Tulsa nor OYE goat shows.  That is my fault and nobody else’s.  Those kids dang sure did the work, showed them properly and helped others win.  But, I managed to not do it right.

However, both of our kids have won national titles.  Yes, national.  No matter how you measure it, one only needs to go to our basement and see the plaques and banners.  We raised two different kids. But we are equally proud of both of them.   Kela won a 2009 national FFA agri-entreprenuership award.  They don’t do this anymore, but she won it and came home with a good check.  Duke won the Arizona National Livestock Show in the ag mechanics division in 2018.   Notice, the “national” in the name of the show.   Oh, he also won the barrow show at Phoenix in 2012.  Which would make him a 2 time national champion.

And just to set the record straight, Kela did show a grand wether goat at the State Fair of OK.  Granted, that ain’t OYE or Tulsa.  But, she also showed the grand champion pen of broilers at Tulsa.  And I guarantee you that those birds were way more profitable than any goat that we showed.  Actually, that isn’t true.

In 2004-2005.  Kela showed a wether from Don Lenhart and Sonny Wagner that was a sickly little bastard when I picked him up.  He was a triplet and I had already bought the other two wethers, so they gave “Rascal” to Kela.  She and I nursed him back to health.  He was grand at the 2004 State Fair of OK, won a class at Tulsa and was the first ever grand wether goat at Woodward District in 2005.  His triplet brothers also won classes at Tulsa and Danielle Litzenberger had the reserve grand at Tulsa that year with one of them.

Sonny gave Kela pick of his herd in 2005.  And I quote, “That black headed girl gets first pick of everything.  Her damn dad doesn’t get any say.”  Fine.  She came out of the pen with a tag # for a paint hipped goat.  I remember thinking,  “You did good girl!”  How good?

That goat won several jackpots, was in the grand drive at the State Fair of OK and the Tulsa State Fair, was the first ever grand wether goat at Enid District and was Reserve Grand at the 2006 OYE.  He sold for $16,000 at the OYE premium sale.  Yes, we liked that goat.

My favorite state championship in our house, I have to think about it for just a minute.  Duke won several ag mechanics titles.  Kela won a pile of CDE contests, including the first ever Opening/Closing ceremonies state contest.  We’ve had success showing stock but….without a doubt…..my favorite win.  Kela winning the State FFA Agribusiness public speaking contest in 2008.  In 3rd place was a long time rival/friend that she had never beaten before that night.  And the girl that ended up 2nd…it was the only time that she did NOT win a state title.

You can read this and think “That arrogant bastard is bragging about his own kids.”  One, you would be correct.  Two, it’s my blog.  Go elsewhere and read about your own kids accomplishments.  I would love to hear about them, but….I do brag about lots of other kids on this deal.  More than my own in all actuality.  If nothing else, there are grandparents that like reading this stuff.

Actually, I would like to be bragging about something else.  But I can’t.  Way2Cool.

I think that I will end this blog with my favorite quote, “Try not.  Do or do not.  There is no try.”

How does this fit the Kelln piece of paradise south of Fargo, Oklahoma?   Basically, if a kid wants to try something, Tammy and I are game.  And we ain’t going to just try it, we are going to do it right.  Showing pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, calves, welding, speaking, judging, working, hunting, fishing, chasing goals, having fun, whatever.  If you’re going to do something, do it right.

Dang, I like those Star Wars movies.  I just wish this light saber actually cut.