We've all been on social media, and we all have a friend who has a different kind of animal as a pet like a goat, pig or maybe even a cow. When they are not with their friends, every other selfie is with an animal who has a name and a type of food that he/she prefers. Did it ever cross your mind as to why they may have that animal or what that animal has to do with their everyday life? I was active in my FFA (Future Farmers of America) organization all four years of my high school career. I participated in our floriculture team and I was also a public speaker. While being in this organization I also attended a few of our county livestock shows but never have I seen behind the scenes at that goes into livestock showing.
The amount of time and effort children and teens take out of their day to build character within themselves and bonds with their animals is amazing. Parents and children attend livestock sales or are fortunate enough to raise their own animals, they load the trailer and take their new friend home. These animals receive various names depending on the way they look or how they act, they are pampered (washed, blow-dried and clipped), they are worked (walked, set up, repeat) and all around a best friend that changes a life and earns a special place in your heart.
Not only do these kids gain a new friend, they also gain the greatest experience a young adult can benefit from and pass on into their next chapter of life. This sport teaches them that dedication and hard work pays off in the end. It shows them independence because once you step in that show ring it's all on you. The words that your parents said is all you have and now it's time to put those sleepless nights and endless hours of working and training to the test.
I asked my husband what did showing livestock do for him and how did it change his life. He replied to me with, "It shows you teamwork skills, you're both relying on each other and if one of you is weak you're both weak. They learn your touch, your gestures, and even your noises you make to get their attention, just like you're learning them they are learning you. Showing my goats taught me to appreciate the little things in life, but also taught me to have a certain type of drive about anything that I do."
As an outsider looking through the glass, you just see animals in a ring being looked at, touched and pulled out in a certain order. Patience, dedication, hard work and sleepless nights are the last thing that comes to mind, but once you're exposed to this world and lifestyle, it teaches you things you didn't know about yourself. I never showed, and if I could do it over again, I would. This sport builds character, dedication, and drive in children that will stick with them for a lifetime, and I know first hand because I married a showman. It's funny what that odd friend can do when it comes to shaping and molding such a young mind that will hold such experiences and values for the rest of their life.
