Barbwire: The Shows Will Go On

By Barb Lumley

The shows will go on

A good friend and I had a long discussion the other day about Holstein history and Holstein happenings. The subject of showing Holsteins came up and we are both looking forward to the upcoming Holstein and county fair dairy shows. One of the things we talked about was the people who criticize the breeders who like to participate in dairy shows and who breed their herds for type. There are those who insist that you can’t breed for type and get high production. I personally bred for type and had cows who made top records, many who produced 200,000 to 300,000 pounds of milk lifetime. I had three cows in my small herd who lived to be 18 years old and were classified Excellent. And I loved showing cows! In the early years clubs were formed for registered Holstein breeders with the support and encouragement of the Holstein-Friesian Association of America. Their purpose was to educate breeders about registered cattle and to encourage them to purchase registered Holsteins. Meetings were scheduled that included speakers, youth activities, picnic dinners and entertainment. The meetings were often held at a well-known Holstein breeder’s farm, giving him the opportunity to show off his herd and the bloodlines he was following. Eventually the decision was made to hold shows at these meetings and also prior to the Holstein consignment sales. Both the Holstein Club shows and the shows held at county fairs were very important in the early years, as it was a means to advertise a breeder’s herd and an opportunity to sell from the herd and especially to sell young bulls. One of the most important results of holding Holstein shows was the opportunity to meet and get to know other breeders. Lifelong friendships formed over the years. Participating in shows became “family affairs”. Youth were involved not only as junior Holstein members but in 4-H and F.F.A. in their home counties and in state fairs. Many of them were and have been friends through their entire lives. Some of those friendships led to marriages! I have so many memories of showing at the Ohio State Fair years ago and I am sure many others do also. You didn’t just move in Holsteins, you moved in the family! That included the kids, show boxes, show clothes, work clothes, towels, bedding, food, drinks, small refrigerators, chairs, the show equipment and more. In the “good ole days” you stayed for a week. You got everybody and everything settled in, then you went around greeting old friends and meeting new ones (you had already been yelling back and forth with some of them as you worked). For the next few days you concentrated on preparing the Holsteins for the show. And what a show it was in those days! Then the shows were over, the ribbons given out, champions selected, some people agreed with the judge, some didn’t. It was time to visit with old friends, get better acquainted with new friends, look more closely at some of the Holsteins, talk about bulls, learn new things and just relax. For a few years one of the traditions at the Ohio State Fair Holstein show was for the owner of the Grand Champion Cow or Grand Champion Bull to have a party with everyone in the barn invited. Several years ago the owner of the Grand Champion Holstein Bull was a very well- known young breeder from a north eastern district in Ohio. The party was planned, everyone gathered in the area where his Holsteins were tied. There was food, snacks and “beverages”, however there were certain rules concerning which “beverages” were allowed. Everyone was laughing and talking and having a great evening, when someone noticed that an Ohio State Highway Patrolman had entered the building. In those days the Highway Patrolmen were always on the fairgrounds and checked all the buildings. Suddenly blankets were being thrown over ice chests, bales of straw being moved around and everyone was sitting up straight and trying to look “cool”. He stopped at the crowd, spoke to everyone, looked around and started to walk on down the aisle. The owner, who had enjoyed several “beverages”, stopped him and in a loud voice said, “Come on down here, I want to show you my Grand Champion Bull!” He then proceeded to enlighten the patrolman on the winnings of his bull and the complete pedigree! When he finished, the patrolman thanked him, told the crowd to have a good evening and went on his way. The sighs of relief could be heard all over the barn! This is just one of my many, many memories from showing Holsteins. The friends and memories are the most important part of the show ring. My friend, Bill, and I both agree that we feel a little sorry for the people who never belonged to a breed organization, never attended the meetings and picnics, never went to or took part in a dairy show (you don’t have to show a dairy animal, there are other ways to become involved). They and their family have missed so much! Bill and I both would have enjoyed meeting them and hearing about their herd. We also agreed that had it not been for the shows and registered Holsteins Bill and I and our families would probably have never met! Show season is here, the shows will go on! The whites are ready, the kids are excited, the grown-ups look forward to seeing each other and the Holsteins will be beautiful. Come join us!

Ad deadline for the September/October issue of Ohio Holstein News is Sept. 1