Unforgettable Experience by Aubree Beenken
For many of our families the summer is filled with baling hay, fixing fence, going to cattle shows, and a hundred other tasks that need to be done on the farm. While most days become very long and tiring, it is always exciting getting ready for another show. Of all the shows that are
attended during the summer months Gelbvieh Junior Classic is the best.
Junior Classics are not just “another” cattle show, it’s a reunion of friends and family, a time to test your true knowledge of the industry, exhibit the cattle you have spent months working with all while creating memories that will stay with you forever.
Preparing for junior nationals seems like an endless process between time spent in the barn getting cattle ready, loading everything in the trailer, capturing the perfect photo, and studying for quiz bowl it feels like you may never be fully prepared. You start getting cattle ready months before junior classic actually arrives and you begin contest preparation as soon as school ends for the summer. The moment you pull out of the driveway, hoping you remembered everything, you are filled with a mixture of anticipation to see friends and anxiousness for how the events of the week will play out.
It was exciting watching all the families pull into Stillwater and begin to unload their trailers, knowing that we had a week packed with fun contest and events for all the juniors. While the first day was spent settling in and catching up with friends, Monday kicked of early with sales talk contest in the morning and quiz bowl in the afternoon.
As the contest were underway it was encouraging to see the older members help the younger members whether it was with words of advice, a pep talk before going into a contest, or a helping hand with fitting an animal. While every junior will remember their junior classic experience a little differently, they will never forget the time someone took out of their day to help them. The week of junior nationals is not just about showing cattle; it’s about gaining life-long skills and learning to appreciate hard work.
Junior classic gives juniors unique opportunities. Junior classic empowers juniors to go beyond their comfort zone and test their skills. The friendly and encouraging environment created by the parents, junior board, and other peers makes it easier for juniors to try something new and more challenging. In one week spent at junior nationals we can give juniors the knowledge, skill-set, and inspiration to become emerging leaders within the Gelbvieh breed.
No other week in the year can compare to the unforgettable week spent at junior nationals. It’s a week surrounded with juniors that have the same passion and love for the Gelbvieh breed, and the drive to work with others to improve and grow the breed. By the end of the week exhaustion starts to set in, but no matter whom you speak with they don’t want the week to end. The Oklahoma and Kansas Gelbvieh Associations did a phenomenal job of hosting the Dirt Road Classic and making it a week that will never be forgotten. Thank you to everyone that helped put on a successful junior classic event!