My childhood holds a series of core memories — most of which involve a glass of milk and dairy cattle. In the fourth grade, my experience working directly with dairy cattle grew exponentially as I was introduced to the vibrant world of showing cattle at the local county fair.
Before I knew it, my ambition took over and I began expanding my herd of dairy cattle, creating a prefix and growing the list of shows I attended. My Christmas list was filled with show halters and a cattle blower; I mean, my dedication to the “show life” was second to none. As I graduated high school and left FFA, I stopped showing at local county fairs and shows, but I would be remiss if I did not credit that experience to shaping me into the person I am today.
Something about waking up at 5 a.m. for a week straight teaches a 9-year-old an extensive lesson about discipline — not to mention the responsibility associated with caring for several large animals at once, and the dedication it takes to continue showing a heifer in heat around the ring.
One of the first times I entered the showring, I was 9 years old and had my very first show cow, Lulu, by my side. I vividly remember going into her class, walking around in a few circles, and walking right back out with a bright blue ribbon. A few minutes later, I was called back in for the champion round, and after walking a few more circles, came back out with the same result.
You could imagine my excitement when I discovered I got to go back in the showring for Grand Champion. I went back inside and walked in a few more circles, but this time, I didn’t make the cut. I will admit I faced disappointment at first, but as I walked back to the barn, my dad asked me a simple question: “Did you have fun?”
Although I was partly upset, that question forced me to face the reality that I had an incredible time at the county fair. The blue ribbons were nice decorations, sure, but the experiences that I had heavily outweighed the results of the showring. Showing dairy cattle taught me more about life than most leadership experiences, and my time in the showring is one that won’t be forgotten.
Morgan Oliveira was the 2024 Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern. She grew up working on her family’s dairy farm near Hilmar, Calif. As a student at Cal Poly University, Oliveira is majoring in agriculture communications.
