Stock Show Time!

This time of year is National Western Stock Show time. We went to Stock Show every year from the time our kids were very young up until just a few years ago. Bob was on the yard committee for many years and just retired from it last year. For many years we have been members of the National Western Stock Show which entitles us to free exhibitor buttons and entrance buttons, entrance into the Club (a restaurant on the grounds for members) and other perks. Bob also has judged pens of calves down in the yards and our children have shown steers and competed in the Catch - A - Calf Program there. More recently, Danny and Kathi have shown some of their Lowlines there. I have many memories of the good times. Here are just a few of them.



Danny and Kathi get Charlie and Chimi ready to show at Stock Show

The first memory is not quite of stock show but is very memorable and quite unique. The first time I ever was to the stockyards in Denver (where the stock show is held) was on my honeymoon!!!! I was going to school at the time and we only had a weekend to spend in Denver. Most of Bob's visits to Denver involved the stockyards so he wanted me to see them. Nothing was going on in late November so we just looked at the empty pens from up on the bridge. That was 50 years ago last November!!!!

Another memory we dubbed as "the time we ate on the manure spredder". We always stayed with my college room mate Annie when we went to stock show. She and her husband Hank would go with us over the weekend. This time some of the neighbor kids wanted to go too so we loaded our 4 kids and I think maybe 3 or 4 others into 2 cars and we were off. Once there Bob and Hank said we'll meet you at the gate in a couple hours and they took off leaving Annie and I with the whole bunch of kids to herd through the trade show, stockyards, and show rings on a weekend for 2 hours! Of course the kids were hungry so we got them all hot dogs but it was so crowded there was nowhere for them to sit. We worked our way over to an implement display and seated them all on the manure spredder for lunch! Annie and I still laugh about that now but it wasn't a real fun experience at the time.

Another one we all laugh at is the time we went to the rodeo. We had split our kids up between the 4 of us and were walking around the arena getting some refreshments to eat during the show. Danny was around 4 years old and talked Hank into buying him a purple snow cone. Hank soon discovered his big mistake when someone joggled Danny's arm and the snow cone ended up upside down on Danny's head with purple syrup dribbling down his face and neck! Oh, where were digital cameras back then!

The last memory I'll write about today took place when Carla was a junior in high school. She decided to enter the Catch a Calf contest for 4-H and FFA members. Each night of stock show 30 names are drawn and the kids go out into the arena. I think they turn out about 15 calves that weigh around 375#. Each kid has their own rope halter and the trick is to grab one and hang on while it drags you around the arena until you can get a halter on it and lead it out of the arena. Well, Carla's name got drown so she was out there. We didn't have much hope for her getting one but she is totally competitive. She got hold of a steer and he did drag her around but she didn't turn loose even when one leg of her jeans split open and was flapping in the breeze! The deal was that if you caught a steer you had to take a donated steer home, raise it and bring it back to show at stock show the next year. She got her steer, raised him and showed him the following year and had a great experience doing it!




Carla and Kathi leading Charlie and Chimi to get water and exercise. Carla is showing Chimi but is not happy with the judge who didn't even look at Chimi!

These were taken at The Nile, but are typical of what happens at all shows. I sure miss our fun times with Annie and Hank at the stock show!