a morning at the stock show

on friday we went to the national western stock show. we went mostly to see the miniature herefords, but we also saw some stock dogs, yaks, and bison. since it was almost the end of the show, there weren't a lot of animals left in the stock yard. there is a catwalk that you can see down into all the pens, instead of just walking through. the stock dog competition was neat to see. although josh thought it was slow going, and we had to try to figure out where the cattle were supposed to go. i'm sure it would be easier with a larger herd and more dogs. three to one was slow. one of the dogs got stepped on and had to stop.
after we walked through the stockyards for a little while, we accidentally went into the staging area of the barns. we were mostly in the way since we were trying to look at the animals, and everyone else was trying to get their animals ready for the show. so we went to the stadium and found seats. i discovered that i would be a bad stock judge. all the calves i liked best usually placed third or fourth. i guess that's because i liked the stocky, dark ones, and the judge liked the thinner ones with a more feminine gait. it felt more like 4-h since the judge had to explain how he placed each calf. the exhibitors came in all ages and dress: some kids and some adults, some in jeans and button down shirts, one girl in a down vest and long sleeved tee. it was strange i thought. but the calves were cute, probably because they were so small.
after i got bored (and irritated with the judge) we walked around the booths and stalls. most were crafts and food stuffs, but i did pick up some brochures for some head gates and feeders and a crew cab semi truck to share with dad next time i see him.