\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 This afternoon, I had been checking some student projects, driving and thinking.\u00a0 As I pulled back into the house, the Dragon Lady was placing a sprinkler in the front yard.\u00a0 One of those little sprinklers that just shoots a cone of water up & into the air.\u00a0 No moving parts.\u00a0 This provoked numerous thoughts through my skull.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0First, I wish that I had been the one to patent such a simple thought and simple tool.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Second, this has been an abnormally moist summer in NW OK.\u00a0 She hasn’t had to run a sprinkler much, if at all.\u00a0 In the garden, yes.\u00a0 But, the buffalo grass lawn has managed to stay green all summer and here we are nearing the end of August.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 And third, I remember being at a goat sale in June of 2011.\u00a0 It was HOT!!!\u00a0 \u00a0WAY effing hot!\u00a0 \u00a0It was in Junction, TX at the fairgrounds.\u00a0 Corrugated tin roof on top of the fairgrounds.\u00a0 I don’t remember the exact temperature but it was well over 110 degrees F.\u00a0 And the F stood for effing HOT!\u00a0 \u00a0They had placed two of those cone shaped sprinklers on top of the tin roof and was just letting the water run.\u00a0 Anything helps.\u00a0 Mikey Thompson, Allan Poe, Braden Schovanec and myself rolled into this set of goats and started perusing the offering.\u00a0 Mikey asked what I thought of the set.\u00a0 I wiped the sweat out of my eyes and said, “I’m buying 1 and done.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said, “There is one that you want or there is just one worth buying?”\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0I said, “I’m buying 1 and I AM DONE!”\u00a0 \u00a0He said. “Lot 1?”\u00a0 \u00a0 I replied, “Yes, lot 1.\u00a0 He’s good enough to win a division at Tulsa.”<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The auction started.\u00a0 I had my running shoes on and was planning on having to spend some jack for this wether.\u00a0 I also had sweat running in my eyes and down the crack of my butt.\u00a0 \u00a0The bidding on lot 1 started and I waited to bid.\u00a0 The bids stalled at $700.\u00a0 I bid, then bid, then bid and then bid until I had bought lot 1.\u00a0 For $1,300.\u00a0 I watched the sale until lot 4 sold and then I paid out and went to my pickup and sat in the AC.\u00a0 It wasn’t long until the rest joined me in the pickup.\u00a0 I should have stayed hooked on lot 4 a bit longer.\u00a0 But the heat was clouding my judgement.\u00a0 I bought what I wanted and I was done.\u00a0 I made Braden go load the goat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Lot 1 was the first Yogi kid ever born.\u00a0 He was a bit big for the sale offering as he was a Feb. born wether at a June sale.\u00a0 He wasn’t cute at that time and he was also a bit skinny but the parts were there.\u00a0 That goat did go on to win a division at Tulsa.\u00a0 And also, be named the grand wether at Tulsa 2011 for Halie Schovanec.\u00a0 Yes, a decade ago.\u00a0 Lot 4 was bought by some dude named Glen.\u00a0 That goat went on to be grand or reserve at KC that year.\u00a0 I always liked feeding a Bob Allen goat or two.\u00a0 I’m not alone.\u00a0 Just a random memory triggered by a sprinkler.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Back then, good genetics combined with a proper feed program and a stellar showman is how banners were hung.\u00a0 Now, hell, I’ll be honest.\u00a0 It’s been a couple of years since I fought the good fight OR hung a big banner.\u00a0 I’ve just been in ag teaching mode.\u00a0 I will tell you this—the ag teacher waters (not a parent who is also an ag teacher route) are way safer, cheaper and morally easier to navigate than the hyper-competitive, breeder, jock, parent waters that currently reside in today’s major show rings.\u00a0 Actually, that statement is wrong.\u00a0 These waters are harder if trying to be successful in the show ring.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Recently, I was discussing goals with a stock show family.\u00a0 I had a parent ask me what it took to win a major show today.\u00a0 I truly answered, I’m not sure.\u00a0 Their next question staggered me but made me think.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 “Is the quality of animal as important as who the breeder\/fitter is behind it?”\u00a0 I answered that depends on who is judging.\u00a0 I’m not wrong with this assessment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Then they asked this.\u00a0 “Is it more important to have the right air pump, feed additives or a social media presence with a given animal and showman?”\u00a0 \u00a0Uhh, ooff, I got nothing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 This dad continued, “I trust your judgement of livestock and ability to feed any animal.\u00a0 But, I’m afraid that there is more to it and I don’t want my kid(s) to be a part of the extra-curriculars.”\u00a0 Dude, I get it.\u00a0 Neither do I.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Damn!!!\u00a0 \u00a0These questions are getting harder to answer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I don’t know of a simple way to fix all the problems.\u00a0 The quickest way to fix it–simple.\u00a0 Get some LIVESTOCK judges with balls.\u00a0 Doesn’t matter if they are male or female.\u00a0 Get some judges that like good stock, not counterfeit, no politics and that’s it!!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I only know how we will feed goats in Shattuck.\u00a0 Which means nothing in the rest of the world.\u00a0 We will feed and show for Woodward District.\u00a0 That is our main objective.\u00a0 Budgets, study genetics, proper feeding and try to out-show the others.\u00a0 That’s it.\u00a0 We will get along.\u00a0 Some years better than others.\u00a0 Like Buckwheat says, “It will be O-TAY!!\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 OYE?\u00a0 Well as much as I have loved watching our kids\/friends\/students in that grand drive, as an ag teacher and a has-been, I guess we will just stick to our guns and hope for the best.\u00a0 It is what it is.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I’m not bitching, whining or complaining.\u00a0 I’m just stating real world statements about the show industry.\u00a0 You can say that I am old, out of touch or past my prime.\u00a0 You would be mostly correct.\u00a0 But at least we had a prime and our prime lasted for more than a decade and most likely was better than any of your prime.\u00a0 OOOHHH!!!!\u00a0 I can sense the hostility inside me starting to boil.\u00a0 Turn the burner down.\u00a0 No matter what you think of me, I do have my finger on the pulse of the general public.\u00a0 And even though, all of us in the industry want to know about the high $ ones and the winners, the general public is who buys 90% PLUS<\/strong> of all show stock.\u00a0 They are the $200 to $2,000 market.\u00a0 If you lose that market…….only a breeder will understand that value.\u00a0 They pay the bills.\u00a0 The Lamborghini buyers make it fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In other words, our system is upside down.\u00a0 Much like our government.\u00a0 The breeders\/fitters\/judges worry about the high end market.\u00a0 Yet, the majority of the market is funded by blue collar people with a budget.\u00a0 Sure, there are exceptions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Basically, we just need a sprinkler to wash away the old and bring some new life into the system.\u00a0 I’m just not sure that we have good enough sprinklers.\u00a0 So, I will just be happy and keep on keeping on.\u00a0 Cheers!\u00a0 And have a good one.\u00a0 If any of this offends you, so what.\u00a0 I’m right.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sometimes, I write too much.\u00a0 Other times, not enough.\u00a0 Not sure where tonight lands.\u00a0 Don’t care.\u00a0 It can be hazardous trying to worry about crossing a line.\u00a0 But, it’s like she said, “Turn the damn music down!”\u00a0 \u00a0And that is how to know when it’s done.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 This afternoon, I had been checking some student projects, driving and thinking.\u00a0 As I pulled back into the house, the Dragon Lady was placing a sprinkler in the front yard.\u00a0 One of those little sprinklers that just shoots a cone of water up & into the air.\u00a0 No […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4508"}],"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=4508"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4546,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4508\/revisions\/4546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}