Bringing It in Bashaw

I have returned home from four days competing in All Breeds, National Young Cattleman, and Western Canadian Team Judging at the Bashaw Agricultural Society Grounds. We kicked off the four days with the "Perfect Pitch" Wednesday night where participants were given two minutes to deliver a pitch to a panel of judges which they had prepared ahead of time stating their business idea and what sets them apart from the rest. Thursday began with the show team judging preliminary rounds and showmanship. Travis Hunter and I were one of five teams that advanced to the final round on Friday, while I also won Reserve Champion Senior Showman. Special thanks have to go to the Dietrich's of Redrich Farms for letting me borrow Ty's heifer and equipment after my animals were unable to be at the show due to an accident hauling them on Wednesday night. Also big thanks to everyone for the well wishes following my parent's accident! Although we are down two trucks my parents and cattle are fine which is by far most important =) 

In the afternoon we competed in the Business 101 competition where we had an hour to come up with a business plan and budget. Following that competition, we recited our own slam poetry, and then spent an hour mentoring the "Cow Camp" youth. Friday began with hands on competitions which saw tractors, tire air pressure, carpentry, plant identification, animal drug administration, rope halter making, tattooing, and a timed lawn tractor and trailer obstacle course. Travis and I then competed in the show team judging finals along with teams of Chad Lorenz & Ryan Hunter, Tyler & Katelyn Dietrich, Luke Marshall & Nicole Jones, and Sawyer Daley & Terra Chalack. Rounding out the day was the "We Are What We Do Challenge" where we had to describe to a judge what a million people could do that would change the world. That evening the results of the Western Canadian Team Judging Finals were announced... and Travis and I were the senior winners! Congrats to Brandon Hertz and Cassidy Matthews for also being the champion junior team!

Saturday was dedicated to the All Breeds purebred and commercial cattle show as well as the UFA Supreme Quest which Travis and I helped to judge/ring. The day finished off with the announcement of the National Young Cattleman junior and senior of the Year. Congratulations to junior Kyle Dodgson and senior Dakota Wilson for being the 2011 winners!


It was a great four days spent with the best cattle kids around! I'm already looking forward to next year!


With the last two weeks of August upon us I have lots of plans to finish off the summer right. Getting to spend some time with my friend Kyra after being busy all summer, going camping with Colin, celebrating my Mom's birthday, clipping and picturing cattle, and much more will keep me very busy until school starts September 1st already! 


Have a fantastic rest of your summer everyone!

Summer Adventures

I have had a very busy July and start to August! For a week in July we took a road trip across Saskatchewan to Moose Range Lodge, near the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border. My Dad's sister and her family used to manage the lodge many years ago and so my Dad's siblings, children, and grandchildren all made the trek out to the lodge for a week of nostalgia and fun on the lake! When we came back home we took a great day trip out to Ya Ha Tinda to see the most beautiful part of the world (in my eyes anyways!) and then Colin and I headed up north back to his place. 

On Wednesday we're heading to Bashaw for the All Breeds Junior Show, National Young Cattleman Competition, and Western Canadian Team Judging Competition. Many competitions will fill the four day event including pitching a business idea, mentoring a younger competitor, showmanship, business competition, slam poetry, show team judging, hands on ranch all-star competitions, speech about what a million people could do that would change the world, as well as conformation classes with cattle. I am taking my heifer and cow/calf pair to show and have qualified for the National Young Cattleman Competition as well as the Western Canadian Team Judging Competition with Travis. Stay posted for updates after the show!

The Results Are In!

9 days of conformation, showmanship, multi judging, team judging, marketing, interviews... cleaning stalls, feeding and watering cattle, washing, fitting, and clipping... and it's all in the books now! So here's how it all shook down for me:

Travis Hunter & Myself all set for team judging!

Provincial 4-H Heifer Show - Olds, AB - July 9th-12th

- Grand Champion Multi Judging (class of bull calves, yearling heifers, and cow/calf pairs)

- 2nd place "You're Hired" cover letter, resume and interview competition

- Reserve Champion Commercial 2 Year Old Cow/Calf Pair

- 6th Place Senior Aggregate

Summer Synergy Youth Livestock Showcase - Olds, AB - July 13th-15th

- Grand Champion All Other Breeds team judging with judge Travis Hunter

- Reserve Champion Overall team judging with judge Travis Hunter

- Senior Showmanship Final

- Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Heifer Calf

- Grand Champion All Other Breeds Cow/Calf Pair

- 5th Place Senior Aggregate

My Grand Champion All Other Breeds Cow/Calf Pair

Calgary Stampede UFA Steer Classic - Calgary, AB - July 16th

Calgary Stampede Heifer Jackpot - Calgary, AB - July 17th 

Grandstand scholarship presentation

It was a very exhausting but rewarding week as I was chosen based on my Summer Synergy scores in the conformation, showmanship, team judging, multi judging, and marketing (this blog!) competitions to be one of 27 senior participants to receive a scholarship. 10 of us seniors would be receiving $2000 from the Calgary Stampede, while the other 17 of us would receive $1000 from the Calgary Stampede depending on how we scored during an interview on Saturday at the Calgary Stampede. I am very honoured to say that I was one of 10 that received $2000 scholarships!! That afternoon I was also the recipient of a $1000 scholarship draw at the UFA Steer Classic!! I will definitely be needing that $3000 after I graduate next year to attend post secondary and pursue an Agriculture Degree. I am so very thankful that I was fortunate enough to win this amazing amount of scholarship money! I'd like to give a huge thank you to Calgary Stampede for putting up this scholarship money, the Summer Synergy Committee for organizing a great youth livestock showcase, and to all of you who have supported me and helped me out in my marketing competition by following my blog which ultimately helped me to be chosen to receive the $2000 scholarship!

9 days later... I survived!

But just because 9 days of showing cattle isn't enough excitement for me... I have a few other adventures I will be going on right away! First of all I will be heading to a family shindig at Moose Range Lodge on the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border with the family and Colin (can anyone say road trip!?), then I will be heading up to the north country (aka Colin's) for a wedding and some other summer fun, then it will be back down home for a couple days before making the trek to Bashaw, Alberta for the Junior All Breeds Show where I have qualified for the National Young Cattleman Competition, Western Canadian Team Judging Competition (with my champ of a partner Travis Hunter), as well as taking my girls (aka the heifer Kavik, cow Denali, and her calf Annabelle) up to show in the All Breeds show.

Hope everyone's summer is going well! Check back in August for more updates!