The annual Fat Stock Show in Fort Worth, Texas is an event to which I look forward each January. The 'special other' reminds me frequently that I am nothing but a redneck. I love the country sights and sounds too much to be anything else.
Nothing says T-E-X-A-S quite as much as a longhorn steer. The horns on this old boy easily spanned 8 feet.
Baby goats were in a pen for picture taking. Many little children were photographed with these babies that day.
Another area especially for "city children" (who might not otherwise get to see this sight) featured farm animals and their babies. Here a momma sow and her piglets awed the crowd. I counted 14 babies.... no wonder momma was sleeping at the opposite corner of the pen!
Last year I was charmed by a cute little boy who told me all about his rabbit. This year I was again stopped by a little boy asking "would you like to pet my rabbit?" Something tells me it was the same boy. I didn't want to share his entire face since he isn't mine to show, but when I asked if I could take his picture with his rabbit he smiled "for the camera" like a seasoned expert at showing.
Walking into the cattle barn, one is immediately struck by how busy, loud, and crowded the place is. Country music blares from multiple boom boxes. There are the sounds of cattle mooing, people laughing, workers yelling to each other as they prepare the animals for show, and the whirring sounds of the hoses, clippers, and vacuums perfecting the appearance of the livestock.
The sheep have been competing in the adjacent barn.
The goats were just finishing a day of events as well. Notice the Fort Worth police PICKUP TRUCK!
This cow was very protective of her 12 day old calf. Calves accompany their mothers to the show ring if they are not yet weaned.
This is one of the largest bulls I've seen. It is thrilling to walk in such close proximity to the animals. At times one has to stop to allow a cow or bull to pass as he or she is being led to the ring or to the bathing area. A young bull can get rambunctious if he passes a cow he wants to know better (i.e she is in heat). It is good to be ever mindful of what is going on in case you need to get out of the way in a hurry.
Getting the cattle ready for show. They are showered in one end of the barn, then taken to a special "gate" where they are blown dry, fluffed, trimmed, smoothed, and in every other way made to look special so they stand out to the judges.
This shot tickled me. All the cows were laying the same way, facing the same direction, tails curled under the same way.
A shorthorn.
Another sight that tickled me. There was a white cow, then a brown cow, and finally the brown and white animal. Vanilla, Chocolate, and Swirl.
In the show arena. I am always very impressed with the judges at these events. They explain in detail the positive and negative attributes of each animal, explaining also why one is superior or inferior to its competition. The judge usually also gives suggestions about what the owner needs to work on to get the animal up a level for showing in the future.
One barn has nothing but herds for sale. They advertise how many females are pregnant, when they are expected to calf, etc. These animals are more afraid of humans and more skittish; unlike the show animals who are used to interaction with humans.
This was a beautiful stallion. The breed is a Gypsy something Registry and the horses are not unlike Clydesdales. They have feathered feet, very long manes and tails, and some sported long hair under their chins, reminding me of billy goats!
The final sights of the day... the midway.... and the colors in motion.
Here is the train station for Amtrak, the TRE (Trinity Rail Express between Dallas and Fort Worth), and also the Greyhound terminal. The architecture is delightful.
Until the next adventure....
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