The end of another B.E.S.T. Season

The End of Another B.E.S.T. Season

4/10/2017

Another B.E.S.T. season has come and gone.

In some ways it feels like we were just beginning, and in other ways, it felt like the season would never end.

The beginning of the season went really quickly and we were handling the busyness very well.

The end of the season proved to be more of a challenge. We had several back-to-back show weekends and several back-to-back Sunday shows. It was taking it's toll on all of us, but we trudged through.

Once again, we attended every one of the B.E.S.T. shows this season.

While most people spent Black Friday in the mall, we were busy loading the trailer and heading to Lima, Ohio for our first show. Lima is always interesting and exciting. You never know who or what is going to show up.

This year we were pleasantly surprised to see the Miniature Breeds growing. There were at total of 6 Miniature Hereford heifers and 3 Miniature Hereford steers at the Lima show.

Over the course of the season, we had a total of 7 heifers and 3 steers that participated in the Miniature Breeds division.

Still not big numbers...but some growth.

That is all we can ask for.

Slow and steady wins the race.

The B.E.S.T. season consisted of 8 different weekend shows beginning in November and ending with the Ohio Beef Expo in March.

It is always hard to push through the cold winter months and keep people and cows healthy and in tip-top shape for the entire season.

Definitely a challenge...but one we gladly take on.

There is constant change and struggles, but pushing through only makes us stronger and better.

Whatever challenges we are facing...everyone else is facing too.

When it has rained all week...no one else has worked their cows either.

When it has been below freezing all month...everyone else shows up to the show with a dirty cow too.

When you are battening down the hatches to brace for the winter storm one week, and pulling out the fans in 60 degree weather the next...so is everyone else.

When you see one cow with ringworm...you had better take a close look at your cows, because they probably have it too.

When one cow wants to run around the show ring...you had better hang on to that halter...because friskiness is contagious.

My point is...we are all in the same game together.

Those that come out on top are the ones that can learn to adapt and change quickly and never give up.

One of the things we love about the B.E.S.T. program is showing against the same cows all season.

Cows grow and change at different rates and times.

One week a cow may be going through a growth spurt and grow legs and lose all their mass. The next show a particular cow may be off feed because of the drastic temperature changes. Some cows just take a little longer to mature.

The best cow on that day wins, but that cow might not be the best cow at the next show.

The points accumulated throughout the season, allows for these "off" weeks while still crowning an overall season winner.

It has been a fun season with lots of back and forth.

We have seen all the cows (and kids) grow and mature. It is amazing to look back at pictures and see the difference in just a few short months.

The season has ended and Charity came out on top as the Miniature Breeds heifer winner.

J.T. Popick finished second with Bee...

And Amber finished third.

It was a great year of competition and friendship, and we wouldn't trade it for the world.

The season will officially come to an end with the B.E.S.T. banquet in May.

We get to join together around a big long table with family and friends to celebrate the accomplishments of the year.

We have so many memories and stories that no one can ever take away from us.

We have laughed a lot...especially about plungers and bomb squads...cried, frozen, been starved and been stuffed, been exhausted...and some...jacked up on Mountain Dew.

But, through it all...our show family has grown in numbers and friendship.

And that is what really matters.

This is Us - our life, our story, our farm