\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I’ve done some really cool stuff during my time on this planet.\u00a0 My bucket list is..well, unique.\u00a0 Let’s get real—I missed my chance at petting a koala.\u00a0 Instead, my daughter got to do that.\u00a0 I can ante up a bunch of cash and go shoot a damn warthog.\u00a0 I should.\u00a0 Probably won’t.\u00a0 And eating a penguin….what do I say?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 It has been a whirlwind few days.\u00a0 Get done, load up and head south.\u00a0 Do what we do and then head back home to do what we do.\u00a0 Thanks to the Dragon Lady for allowing me to do this and Duke for coming home to take care of stock.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I’ll be honest.\u00a0 I have wanted and waited for the chance to judge a Texas major goat show.\u00a0 Why not?\u00a0 There was a decade plus that our crew could beat your crew any damn day.\u00a0 I never used any politics, never got caught cheating (swapping out goats, drug tests, etc.)NEVER….we just excelled….wherever.\u00a0 Did I mention NEVER?\u00a0 Shows like state fairs, OYE, Tulsa, Phoenix, Denver, Kansas City.\u00a0 Lots of banners from goats that I bought and\/or raised!\u00a0 And we did it without any stench of wrongdoing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 About 2016, I realized that I was not going to get offered a Texas show.\u00a0 I get it.\u00a0 I’m not mad.\u00a0 I honestly get it and am fine with it.\u00a0 But why not Bryan Kennedy, Allan Poe, Mikey Thompson or Tommy Milligan?\u00a0 Seriously.\u00a0 Answer me why not?\u00a0 Okies have been super competitive at all levels of this goat game–buying the best, raising them, showing them, selling great ones, etc.\u00a0 Let’s just keep recycling judges.\u00a0 \u00a0Anyways………\u00a0 I get it.\u00a0 However, I dare a stock show to step outside the political arena and just keep it real.\u00a0 Most politics at a stock show start at the top.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0It isn’t the same but for damn sure it is.\u00a0 I just got home from judging the San Antonio Jr. Ag Mechanics Show.\u00a0 I judged at A Texas Major.\u00a0 It ain’t the same.\u00a0 I know it.\u00a0 I didn’t get paid a damn $.\u00a0 With hotels, gas & meals for the Dragon Lady and I……it cost me just under a smooth grand.\u00a0 Which I am fine with.\u00a0 I never had a week at Okie State that I spent a $1,000 bucks and I came away with I don’t know….maybe $50,000 worth of learning.\u00a0 Priceless.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 I was on a team that judged trailers.\u00a0 These trailers had to meet DOT inspections, plus measure square, plus look good plus be functional plus the kids must be able to talk welding processes, bill of materials, paint and electrical.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, go back and re-read that previous sentence and imagine judging a stock show and having the showman answer every question from 1 to 3 judges–nutrition, genetics, speed of the treadmill, who aired it, loineye area, etc. etc.\u00a0 –while being judged in class.\u00a0 I’m not even going to comment further as you readers think about the stuff that you have witnessed near a showring.\u00a0 Some of these kids couldn’t pick their animal out of a crowd of 2.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Gotta get back on track.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The San Antonio Jr. Ag Mechanics show is beyond describable.\u00a0 Pictures do not do it justice.\u00a0 Almost 800 projects displayed\u00a0 in numerous barns.\u00a0 Most are professional quality.\u00a0 Try starting the day with a 16′ flatbed trailer built by six 8th graders that could talk the tensile strength of the MIG wire AND the type of primer and paint that they used.\u00a0 Did they have help?\u00a0 I don’t care. Those stock show kids have help as well.\u00a0 These kids were on point at 8 am and Tammy & I went back to visit them at 6:30 pm.\u00a0 They were still on point.\u00a0 They didn’t place.\u00a0 But very few of you ass clowns that read this could build a trailer as good as these kids AND you dang sure couldn’t talk it like they did.\u00a0 It was impressive.\u00a0 The kids, the projects, the show….all of it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There isn’t enough time for me to write all my thoughts about this experience.\u00a0 Anybody that truly knows me, knows that I grew up a livestock junkie.\u00a0 As a parent, I would rather not talk about the stock show game.\u00a0 As an ag teacher, I have a lot of issues with the current livestock showing industry.\u00a0 As a teacher, parent, supporter…..I am liking this ag mechanics deal.\u00a0 And Texas is ahead of the game.\u00a0 Way ahead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There is NO SINGLE PERSON on this planet that understands the value of the livestock show industry more than I.\u00a0 I am a product of the stock show industry.\u00a0 I do not care about a banner.\u00a0 I care about the journey.\u00a0 We have problems and WE need to fix it before the problems are exposed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I was listening to a presentation about a trailer as I watched some San Antonio premium sale (slick sheared) steers were led by,\u00a0 Those were good livestock.\u00a0 We probably ought to slick shear ALL goats.\u00a0 It made sheep better, steers better and it will cost on some sales at first……who cares.\u00a0 Make em all better.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I need to stop.\u00a0 It’s hard to tell my direction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Glad to have the opportunity.\u00a0 I saw things that I was glad to see.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I’ve done some really cool stuff during my time on this planet.\u00a0 My bucket list is..well, unique.\u00a0 Let’s get real—I missed my chance at petting a koala.\u00a0 Instead, my daughter got to do that.\u00a0 I can ante up a bunch of cash and go shoot a damn […]<\/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\/4707"}],"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=4707"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4711,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4707\/revisions\/4711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}