4 Wiley Farm
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise

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

We Got to Show

11/23/2020

0 Comments

 
Last week we were able to travel to Louisville, Kentucky to attend the North American International Livestock Expo.  

That may seem like an ordinary year for us...but this year has been far from ordinary. 

After the National Western Stock Show was cancelled, we were pretty sure that NAILE would also be cancelled.  However, the show was to go on.  

We submitted our entries, ordered all the awards and made plans to head to Louisville.  The closer we got to the show, the more the Covid numbers increased.  
Picture
But, we were fortunate and the numbers in our state were low enough that we were still able to attend.  

Not long after we arrived at the show, the rumors started flying that the show was going to be shut down.  We had worked too hard and come too far to be shut down...again.  
The first rumor was that the show was going to be shut down on Monday.  Monday came and went...and no shut down. 

Then the Governor was going to make a big announcement on Wednesday...one day before the end of the show.  The NAILE office had a backup plan and said that if they had to, they would open all the arenas and run the shows until midnight to get us all through the ring.  Fortunately, the shut downs weren't scheduled until Friday, so we had one more day to finish the show.
Picture
Through all the news, rumors and Covid changes, things back in the barn were pretty normal.  It was good to be back around people, see old friends, meet new people and just feel normal.  
Picture
Wednesday was the junior show.  Isaac didn't have any animals entered in the junior show, so he kept himself busy with his Regional Ambassador duties and handed out the awards.  
4 Wiley Mountain Candy
Walker showed Candy Cane.  We just took her because we could...but we never really expected her to do much.  We were just hoping for middle of the class.  

Turns out we must not have been paying much attention to her in the barn.

​She won her class...
Reserve Grand Champion Heifer 4 Wiley Mountain Candy
And then went on to win Reserve Grand Champion Heifer in the junior show.  We were not at all expecting that!

And yes...you now get a winning fist bump instead of a hand shake.
Picture
And Isaac got to hand his little brother a belt buckle.
Picture
Next up was showmanship and Isaac won second place in senior showmanship. 
4 Wiley Mountain Candy
Walker won first place in intermediate showmanship.

We were then on a mission to get animals fed and back to the hotel as early as we could.  Chase had driven through the night to come help and only had a couple hours of sleep.  We needed him fresh and rested to get the bulls ready for the next day.  
Picture
Thursday was the open show.  

Daniel kept himself busy as one of the ringmen, making sure all the cows kept moving. 
Miniature Hereford Final Drive
Once again, Candy Cane won her class and moved on to the final drive.  She didn't win, but it is always an honor to line up with the best of the best. 
4 Wiley Sir Wesson
Next up was the bull show. 

This is where we put all our hopes and dreams.  Smith and Wesson are two awesome bulls.  Unfortunately, their show career has been disrupted because of Covid, and to be honest, we didn't know if they would ever get to show again.  

Smith and Wesson spent the summer out in the field servicing our girls.  Isaac and Walker have worked their tails off getting these two back in show ring condition.  We really didn't know if we would be able to get them back to where we wanted them...but we did it.

Chase tagged along with us for the week and did an amazing job getting these guys dialed in.  Show day is always interesting for our family.  Since we run the show, mom and dad are stuck in the show ring and the boys are on their own back in the barns.  Thankfully, we had three responsible teenagers who managed to get it all together and present some amazing looking animals in the show ring...and they even had their back numbers on.  
4 Wiley Sir Smith and 4 Wiley Sir Wesson
Smith and Wesson are always in the same class since their birthdates are only one day apart.  Show day just happened to be Smith's birthday.  

These two have gone back and forth their entire show careers.  Last year, Wesson won the class...but this year it was Smith that won.  
Grand Champion Bull 4 Wiley Sir Smith
Walker then got to experience the thrill of the Grand Champion fist bump.  Just look at that smile.  

4 Wiley Sir Smith won Grand Champion Bull at the North American International Livestock Expo!
Grand Champion Pair of Bulls
Smith and Wesson then had to go back into the ring for the pair of bulls class.

I never tire of seeing these two animals and my two boys in the ring together.  

I don't know that we will ever have another two animals that have been as much fun to show as Smith and Wesson.  Who would have dreamed on those cold nights in the barn two years ago, where the journey would lead us?
4 Wiley Sir Smith Grand Champion Bull
In a year of so many disappointments, we had a week of unbelievable excitement and success.  

The "Covid break" was good for all of us, but I was a little worried that the boys were struggling to get back into their groove. 

I don't think we have to worry about that now.  

The show fever is back!  
Picture
We want to give a special thanks to the staff of the North American International Livestock Expo.  They did not have an easy job this year.  Covid made everything much more difficult and uncertain.  They did an amazing job keeping us all safe while still allowing us to do what we love.  

We made it through the show and back to Ohio before any more of the shut downs.  We are back home, savoring the memories of an amazing week, catching up on laundry and rest, and preparing to transition back to remote schooling.  

Thanksgiving is a few days away and we certainly have so much to be thankful for.  

You might also like...
2019 NAILE
2019 Ohio Beef Expo
2018 NAILE
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Let's Connect

    Picture

    Author

    Hello!  I am Heather... the city girl turned mom to manure loving country boys. My husband and I both grew up in the city, but spent weekends visiting grandparents in the country.  We are first generation farmers who learn best by almost always doing things the hard way.  I hope you enjoy following along with our adventures down on the farm.

    Shop Our Farm

    Archives

    January 2025
    March 2024
    October 2023
    September 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    10 On The 10th
    Books
    Calving
    Character
    Everything Else
    Food
    Hay
    How To
    Photography
    Showing
    Things We Love

    RSS Feed

    Popular Posts

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

The Cows

​Why Minis?
Our Winners
For Sale

The Family

Home
About Us
Contact Us
Disclosure

Follow Us

Blog - Down on the Farm
Instagram
You Tube
Facebook

Associations

​Miniature Hereford Breeders Association
American Hereford Association
Ohio Cattlemen's Association