What is our Why? Why do we do what we do?

Where to start when beginning to blog on a cattle focused site.....

Well firstly our blogs will come with a warning.....

It will be raw, authentic and from the heart...

It will be our perceptions and our experiences and our views from our chair

How & Why we do things may be different to others - and that's sooooo OK - we aren't saying what we do is better - NOT AT ALL! We are just keen to share what we do and I suppose our "uniqueness" and just who we are. We just yearn to improve our cattle, our showing and ourselves each and every day. Be kinder.............. Be helpful........ Be "us"......... mixing with our tribe of amazing people and making memories.........

So here goes!

Why do we do what we do?

To be honest we have sometimes asked ourselves the same thing....

- when it's dark and it's cold at 3am at Ekka or when its so freakingly humid its like walking through treacle....... (Thanks Kent Ward for that analogy) and starting at 4.30am you have to swap clothes and shower by 7am ....

- cattle are slipping on concrete at a show

- ringers won't get out of bed or are whingeing that its too early, too cold, too hot, too much work or whatever

- when your Artificial Breeding program doesn't work as well as you hoped

- when someone of the public does something so downright unbelievably stupid that it puts your animal, their life and you at risk

BUT.....

you forget all about it when....

- you stand back and see a line of cattle that you are so proud and satisfied with from your selected matings

- baby calves - MY HAPPY PLACE!

- the cattle site you created looks pretty darn cool and unique

- the cattle that you are showing be it your own or clients - JUST LOOK BLOODY GOOD! presented well, in good condition, shiny and just "schmick"

- when you can look out and see green grass and fat shiny cattle

- bulls selling well through the ring

BUT again there are a couple of things that trump and make it all REALLY worthwhile

- THE $2 RIBBON - yes you read correctly!

we have a competitive/not competitive view in the show ring, we go out to win - definitely!

You will see us with our own cattle or clients up for championships and we will go team member against team member to fight til the end to beat each other (and blow a kiss to my better half when I win LOL) and every $2 ribbon or the like is appreciated and valued whether we win or not.

Not because it is a ribbon - its because it represents so so much more.....

There is a show committee that also have put in such a huge amount of work for us to even have the privilege of attending this show!

The time, the commitment, the energy, the sacrifices and expense to get that animal there, the genetics behind the animal, the literal blood, sweat and tears . Of course it's nice to get bragging rights and have a nice trophy on the shelf but its so much more than that.

And THAT is why we congratulate others because whether or not you or they win, it has all cost so much just to make it in the ring, and we admire anyone giving it a fair dinkum crack.

Our view is also that as long as our cattle are presented well , our team is presented well and our site is presented well, if the judge likes different styles of cattle etc that's OK - it really doesn't matter if he doesn't put the cattle we have presented up in the ribbons. (LEt's be honest we all have been there when "we" think it's blatantly obvious there has been a complete cluster) but that's showing!

Because at the end of the day many, many times it is those around the ring or those back at home that hear the "Goss" about how "you were robbed" of the championship or place LOL is what gets more attention and marketing benefit than if you actually won the class - IT's SO TRUE - WE HAVE experienced it!

And that's why when we instruct at Junior Stock Show Camps we encourage "showing to the end" so so much. It's all the other people that are judging...

- AND in addition to all the wonderful things above....

most important of all it's the................

THE MEMORIES

This is why at the end of the day of the marketing, the ribbons, etc etc we hold so close to our hearts showing cattle....

We have shown cattle since our early teens, we both were away from it for a few years for different reasons but always had a yearning to get back there - sometimes your heart/gut instinct knows where you should be no matter what..... we just have to be prepared to follow that.

But when going through some tough times and up a few "dry gullies" the fond memories are what we all hold dearly, some of our best and truest friends are those that we met way back then and still are very very dear friends who make up our support team and tribe. We have also made lots of "new" friends again who may have given up showing for a while or are new to it that all have become integral parts of the "tribe" and we have each other's backs.

Some we may not see or talk to all the time, but we know they are there if we need them, some involve fairly regular phone calls to see how we all are through trial and tribulations whether it be health, family or weather challenges, and some are part of the "catch up at the next show"..... but it all is amazing to have that network.

We help each other with such simple things as setting up camp, leading cattle, checking on each others, picking up the poo piles, all just because..... we may be competitors but there is a certain comradery that comes with being on the show circuit.

We have made some awesome memories when we were young and now we are so excited for our children and young team members to be making amazing memories also. And do you know what one of the super cool things are about that part also?

Our kids are now showing, partying and making memories with our friends' kids.....

NOW THAT is where you can calculate, budget look at the costs etc - to your little heart's content AND NOTHING can outway or put a price on those memories of our own and our kids.

We will go into some of the great things that showing brings in another blog and just how amazing it is for work ethics and values in our kids and our team - but that's another time.

So..... as I write this we have about 23 fresh breakers plus our own that we are working on across 4 different breeds and you know what - ITS BLOODY AWESOME! So grateful, so blessed to be getting the chance in this life to do what we love....