Last weekend was beautiful for November… sunny skies, highs in the mid to upper fifties. It would have been a perfect weekend to finish up the porch or dig carrots and potatoes. Instead, I spent the weekend with Sissy at a 2-day version of Stock Show University’s Grad Program.
Stock Show University is an educational clinic open to all stock show youth. Clinics are held across the country through out the year and range from hour-long clinics to comprehensive, in-depth 2-day clinics (called the Grad Program). ‘Professors’ in the business focus on animal selection, showmanship, feeding, daily hair and animal care and show day grooming/clipping. The Grad Program are intense, 2-day clinics that cover everything listed above.
A clinic was within driving distance and several of Sissy’s cousins were going. She wanted to as well. So, at 4:45 on Saturday morning, we loaded her heifer on the trailer and started on the hour long drive to the arena hosting the clinic.
The arena hosted a haunted house last month… not everything was picked up yet.
The days were split between ‘classroom’ type presentations and time for Sissy to have hands on experience working with her heifer while getting pointers and assistance from a ‘Professor.’
Taking the calves back to rest in the trailer before sitting in ‘class’
The first portion of the clinic was focused on Sissy’s favorite portion of working with her heifer… hair care – washing, combing, drying, brushing, more combing, more drying, more brushing. Sissy has been doing this with all of her calf projects over the years, so she was comfortable with it and quickly picked up on some of the tips and tricks.
Dry, dry, dry
From there, things got a little more challenging for Sissy. The clinic went in to clipping and fitting a calf. Two things Sissy has never done before. The clinic was designed to have parents hand over the clippers and fitting supplies to the kids as a learning experience and whatever happens… happens. It’s only hair – and Sissy’s heifer has all winter to grow back any mistakes, so it wasn’t a big deal to me – parents with kids that planned on showing their calves in a couple weeks weren’t quite so relaxed.
‘Gluing up’ a leg
After a bit of instruction from her ‘professor’ and some encouragement from me, Sissy took a can of adhesive and started ‘gluing up’ a leg. (For those of you that aren’t familiar with showing beef cattle just know that there’s a beauty pageant aspect to it that requires a lot of makeup, hairspray, and hair cuts. Knowing how to use that makeup, hairspray, and clippers can make a good calf look great – misuse can make a great calf look horrible.)
Deep in thought before clipping.
If it took a bit of encouragement for Sissy to use the adhesives, it took twice as much to get her to use the clippers. Per Sissy – “Glue washes out. I could make her seriously ugly with this thing” – referring to the clippers. But in the end, Sissy came to the clinic because she wanted to learn – and after reassuring her that she wasn’t going to ‘ruin’ the heifer – she really got into it. Slowly and steadily she trimmed away. Planning out each pass with the clippers before she took it. And, asking a lot of questions as she went.
The finished product.
It may have taken here a lot longer than it should have, but for her first time using a clippers and fitting a leg I was impressed with the end result. More importantly, Sissy impressed herself – and had some fun doing it.
