Lesson #3: Crowding Is For A Bon Jovi Concert...

Late last night I ran to get a few items at Walgreens. I finally got the boys to bed and just needed a few relaxing minutes out of the house.  Usually if I take my boys to the store it is more like going to the circus. So I am getting up all my items, taking my time, and then it happens....I step into the checkout aisle and this lady gets behind me. She is so close I can feel her breathe. I literally thought she would run over me... I am not sure what she thought she doing or what fire she was headed to, but I gladly asked if she would like to go ahead me...Praise the Good Lord she did!! I really can't stand people to touch me or get that close to me, especially when I don't even know them!! As I watched her checkout I began to relax again (now that I could breathe) and began to remember another experience where crowding was annoying me....

I was showing a full sib to Haberno and least to say she had quite a bit of an attitude! I constantly worked with her, but she is a little on the nervous side. (I guess some animals, just like us people, are just that way.)  I was showing her at the North American International Livestock Exposition when to my discomfort, dislike, and amazement the young lady with the calf behind me kept "pushing" us.  Now most of you already know what I am KINDLY trying to stay, but in case you are lost... she was on purpose making her heifer move closer and closer to mine to make her move. You see we were down to the top 2 spots and every time I got my heifer set up for the judge she would push her heifer forward, so mine moved again. This is an unprofessional practice...

When I came out of the ring the man I purchased my heifer from told me if that every happened again with her I was to push my heifer back into her and let the heifer kick the "grap" out of her or her heifer.  I don't believe he used as "kind" of language. He said it loud enough for his voice to carry over to her "group".  They quietly and quickly moved away from us....

The next day we showed again with the open show.  We were lined up and guess who was behind me...YOU GUESSED IT....the same heifer...but this time the dad was showing the heifer.  I won't forget this...my dad was on one side with a comb and Bobby was on the other...Bobby looked at that man square  in the eyes and in a ruff tone said...This heifer here will kick your brains out if you get close...so back off. 

No more problems....

Now please don't think I am encouraging any of you to "back over" anyone with your calf.  This is a rare case, but usually people who keep "running over" your calf during the show are because they can't control their calf not because they are intentional trying to "spite" you. 

So..What should you do if you are in the show ring and the animal behind you in running all over yours? Sometimes there isn't a lot you can do...but here are a few suggestions....

#1- If you are in showmanship....pray she gets pulled in last place and out of your way.

(One small hint here: Try to be second walking into the showmanship ring.  First isn't safe because you just dont' know if your animal is going to want to walk. Second is close enough to get the judges attention and usually not always, but usually the "high headed" cattle will be near the end....because that shower doesn't want that animal waiting for a long time, getting more excited, while waiting to go in)

#2 - In the market or age class...pull your heifer out of the line and move over to the right just little when you set her back up.  This way your heifer will not be directly in front of her. 

#3- If you see the animal behind you isn't very calm make sure you leave plenty of room between you and the calf in front of you.  That way if the animal behind you bumps you you can just move up a little without making a full circle.

#4- I always told people during line up to please be careful and not get to close to my calf because he/she could kick.  This way people were less likely to "crowd" me.  "Remember if they have legs they can kick..."

If my animal was more "high headed" such as the animal I told the story about earlier make sure you do let the shower behind you know...especially if it is a small child...we usually let the parent or the ag teacher of that child know because that way they could stress this to the child...SAFETY MOST BE A PRIORITY!!

Remember don't crowd me....I just might kick you at the local Walgreens! :)