I got a call right after lunch from a goat legend. \u00a0Hadn’t talked to him in several months. \u00a0He wanted to know if I had heard any news about Joe Ed Helms. \u00a0My mind went “Shit!” \u00a0My mouth probably did as well. \u00a0IDK and don’t care what came out of my mouth at that point. \u00a0I knew that it was probably true. \u00a0I just didn’t want it to be. \u00a0I always liked that dude. \u00a0Joe Ed Helms is a huge part of the history of the show goat world.<\/p>\n
I won’t be able to put my thoughts into print–accurately. \u00a0But here are some parts that are rolling through my head.<\/p>\n
I loved those overalls. \u00a0Never saw him in a new pair. \u00a0Just a continual string of used overalls. \u00a0Never saw him wear anything but a free cap. \u00a0And if you commented on the cap, you got a commentary on why he wore it.<\/p>\n
I remember the days of Joe Ed & Kenneth Helms, Ralph Shafer, Tommy & Steve Morriss having a sale south of Sonora. \u00a0Shitty spray painted sign. \u00a0They would have some sales with a goat or two that would bring some jack. \u00a0Back in those days, a couple of Morriss goats would bring some money. \u00a0But the rest, not so much. \u00a0Ralph, yeah, one or two and Helms, yes. They had goats there. Then the rest were skinny, green and scary. \u00a0So, I bought several. \u00a0Then more the next year. \u00a0Then more the next year. \u00a0Joe Ed met me up front one year. \u00a0He looked me in the eye, shook my hand and said, “I’m glad that you are here. \u00a0We’ve got some skinny goats and they aren’t bad. \u00a0I know that they will sell in your price range. \u00a0We appreciate you being here.” \u00a0 JEEZ, thanks. \u00a0You are correct. \u00a0But\u2026..<\/p>\n
The first goat that I ever bought from the Helms crew, for my own kids, \u00a0was a wether that sold at the Lone Star Elite sale in 2008. \u00a0It was Kela’s senior year. \u00a0I gave more than I was used to. \u00a0And, and at that time, the amount that I gave was more than Joe Ed and Kenneth were used to getting for a damned goat. \u00a0$2,200. \u00a0Joe Ed asked me if he needed to verify if the funds were good on the check.<\/p>\n
By the way, that goat was named “Joe Ed” and he was reserve grand at the OK State Fair in ’08, res. div. 5 at the Tulsa State Fair (Kela also had champ div. 5). \u00a0 The wether was an actual S100. \u00a0Most of you clowns only know that buck as a sales point.<\/p>\n
In May of 2009, I backed out of being a partner on a buck. \u00a0In June of 2009, at Tommy Morriss’ sale facility, Joe Ed Helms asked me, “Did my son screw up spending all that money on that midget goat?”<\/p>\n
I looked him in the eyes and said, “No sir! \u00a0I’m the one that screwed up. \u00a0You better buy in because that goat will make you famous.” \u00a0I still do not know if he owned part of 191 or not. \u00a0No matter to me, but at least once a year since then, he and I have walked over to that pen and looked at 191 and shared sarcastic, shitty comments about the goat industry. \u00a0And acknowledged the living legend “191”.<\/p>\n
And when the first 191’s were hatched and available, I was there. \u00a0I took the wrong one according to Joe Ed and Kenneth. The hell I did! \u00a0At first, I wanted to name that goat “Jukebox Hero.” \u00a0Then, I got a partner. \u00a0He knew what the name “Jukebox Hero” meant to me. \u00a0But he wasn’t feeling it. \u00a0In typical Tyke fashion, “I like that name but I just want to name him Joe Dirt. \u00a0Not that Joe Ed is dirty. \u00a0But I’ve never seen him cleaned up and it just feels right.” \u00a0Dude, as always, Tyke was right. \u00a0Joe Dirt it would be and it fit. \u00a0There ain’t no cleaned up glamour shot of that buck and he did his job. \u00a0Much like his namesake.<\/p>\n
Joe Ed liked Kela. \u00a0He loved getting Tammy stirred up a bit. \u00a0He tolerated me but he really liked Duke.<\/p>\n
Talking irrigation wells, sweet potatoes, the goat industry, that stubborn son of his, politics in government and the goat industry, the value of an air conditioner in that kubota utv, the value of a dollar or why you don’t ever serve hot dogs at a labor day sale–pick a topic. \u00a0 I only seem opinionated. \u00a0That dude had his thoughts and they were right and you were wrong. \u00a0I loved it.<\/p>\n
My three favorite Joe Ed comments.<\/p>\n
3–“Do you think that you over-spent for that little goat?” \u00a0Joe Ed on Labor Day of 2012. \u00a0My reply–“No sir! \u00a0I’m just afraid that I should have tried to buy that one, J086 and that inbred bastard when I was there and they were all little. \u00a0Plus there is a little one that I want but Kenneth wasn’t going to price him.” \u00a0Those would become Rumour Has It, I 40, X Factor and 599X. \u00a0(In April of 2012, I knew to buy them all. \u00a0But at that time, that was a lot of money. \u00a0Hell, it still is. \u00a0I’d still do it if I saw a fleet like that again. \u00a0Regardless of species.)<\/p>\n
2–“You quit that John Deere gig? \u00a0You going to be like that fat, crooked bastard and just trade goats for a living?” \u00a0 \u00a0Me–“No. \u00a0I can make a go of it without being crooked or being fat. \u00a0But, it would help if you and your son sold me goats cheaper.”<\/p>\n
Joe Ed—“Do you know what it costs to raise these things?” \u00a0 Me–“Yes.” \u00a0Him–“Well, it ain’t cheap.”<\/p>\n
1–“You’ve got good kids. \u00a0I like that girl but she moved to California. \u00a0That boy is a worker. \u00a0I like him and he’s polite. \u00a0It’s a good thing that they take after that wife of yours.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I liked him and more importantly, my family liked Joe Ed Helms. \u00a0Rest In Peace my friend. \u00a0And prayers to the family.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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I got a call right after lunch from a goat legend. \u00a0Hadn’t talked to him in several months. \u00a0He wanted to know if I had heard any news about Joe Ed Helms. \u00a0My mind went “Shit!” \u00a0My mouth probably did as well. \u00a0IDK and don’t care what came out of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2783"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2783"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2790,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2783\/revisions\/2790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}