23 Southwest Highways & Fields
Most people who attend the fair and rodeo never take in the livestock shows themselves, except for perhaps a quick trip into a barn to have a look at the show animals, until the bellowing, the manure underfoot, and the inability to relate to this odd activity of showing off an animal that is not a pet steers them back to the midway. But for those who travel across the state or even the country to show off their prize animals, the livestock show is really the heart of the whole event. The chance to win a belt buckle you can show off every day of the year that proves that your knowledge and hard work earned you the right to own that buckle is a huge motivator.
But it is not just about winning. Competitors, especially the kids, love the show for itself, surrounded by the animals they know and respect, sharing stories and tips with other exhibitors, basking in the camaraderie of folks who may be very different but for the love of these animals. Competing in a show means you are at times frantic when preparing for the next class, your ears straining for an announcement over the garbled loud speakers that your turn is coming up while you do your final grooming and saddle or halter or feed your animal. At other times you have nothing at all to do, but can’t leave in case your next class comes up sooner than you thought it might, and so you pace between the show barn and the stalls; in the show barn you watch others competing for awhile, but return to the stalls, concerned that your animals might need something. Then you get anxious that you might be missing something in the show, so you rush back again, never at peace until it is all done.
Barrel Racing
Calgary Stampede, Alberta
-Cszmurlo
Buckle Down at the Livestock Show
heart of the whole event. The chance to win a belt buckle you can show off every day of the year that proves that your knowledge and hard work earned you the right to own that buckle is a huge motivator.
But it is not just about winning. Competitors, especially the kids, love the show for itself, surrounded by the animals they know and respect, sharing stories and tips with other exhibitors, basking in the camaraderie of folks who may be very different but for the love of these animals. Competing in a show means you are at times frantic when preparing for the next class, your ears straining for an announcement over the garbled loud speakers that your turn is coming up while you do your final grooming and saddle or halter or feed your animal. At other times you have nothing at all to do, but can’t leave in case your next class comes up sooner than you thought it might, and so you pace between the show barn and the stalls; in the show barn you watch others competing for awhile, but return to the stalls, concerned that your animals might need something. Then you get anxious that you might be missing something in the show, so you rush back again, never at peace until it is all done.
Llama Obstacle Course
San Angelo, Texas
-Susan Decker