2014 is looking pretty solid

Yeah, it's been a few weeks. But if you know me, then you know I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. So - let's go over 2014 thus far.

Went to the great old PA Farm Show... and got the flipping viral plague. Thought I was going to die. Thank God for z-packs. Like seriously. BUT Farm Show was pretty fun. It was wonderful seeing all my old friends and spending time with my family.

Then came Denver. National Western, once again, did not disappoint. From start to finish, I enjoyed it so much. Being back on the backdrop (and in the ring) for ShowChampions makes my heart so happy.
But there is one part of Denver I really just have to brag about... or be giddy about... or whatever.

I am SO INCREDIBLY PROUD and HAPPY and EXCITED for team #BlinnWin!!! Not only did they win the carload contest, but they also were the champion team in the normal contest (that sounds so weird), AND our dear little Cody Doubet was high individual. So so so excited for every single one of these amazing bucs. BUT! Special shout-out to Tagg Taylor for A)being Blinn's low drop in the carload contest - and placing 8th - and B)not peeing himself during the awards banquet. I almost decked him. For those of you who were at our table - you know why. But, no seriously, so happy for this dude! Brice and Joe should be extremely jazzed for their team!! 

Anyway- I know this great group is going to continue kicking butt and taking names at the rest of the contests this spring! Love my #BlinnWin babes :) They deserve all the success in the world. 

So now that I am back from NWSS, I have about a week to "chill"... which includes picturing/videoing calves for the 2014 Texas Reload Sale (website coming soon), finishing editing, doing a bridal session, and two AMAZING senior sessions ;) Sneak peeks will DEFINITELY be coming soon!!!

Oh - and for all my wonderful show babies headed to Fort Worth - GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!! I will see y'all down the road in San Antonio!!!!

***

I'm going to try to post more on this... but, then again, I say that literally each time I blog.

We'll see ;)

But for now, I leave you with a cow yelling at you. Enjoy .....

Photo "Friday" / Home Sweet Home....Pennsylvania?

This one is going to be like my typical photo Friday... except on crack. If you follow my blog, you know the coach and I were in Pennsylvania last Sunday until yesterday. It's was a really great, busy week. I miss seeing my family and friends, so getting to catch up with everyone (including my brood ewes) was nothing short of wonderful.

So with that you are about to witness some of my favorite shots from the week. Most were taken at my county fair - where I got to wear three different hats ... official photographer, judges wife and (most crazy of them all) judge. I know, I know... I said I would never judge a show again for as long as I lived. But it wasn't bad. I survived. My champions were straight studs. Plus, I didn't even make a kid cry this time (yes, I actually have done that) so I'll count the experience as a win.

Anyway, let's begin with my babies.

Now, need I remind all you snoops that I DO NOT edit my livestock images. Aside from slapping a logo in one corner and occasionally taking off a halter or some crap - the literal kind - I do not, will not and think it's tacky and retarded to alter my livestock images. So critique away and call yourself a "photographer" because you put corny, cheesy and just plain ugly color techniques and "design" manipulations on your pictures... oh and while you're at it... get the H off this page. Go stalk someone else.

This is my parents' new buck, Spook..... I dig him. Thankfully, the coach is getting pretty good at helping me picture sheep ;)

My baby, Iris. 7 years old and still lookin' like a stud. This shot kind of sucks...but regardless... I love her... please ignore the POS in front of her. 

Meet Maddison, my AMAZING niece. I love her. So precious. Too cute for words.

I ventured into the horse picturing world last week, too. This shot didn't make the cut of final images selected (something about her nostrils not being as flared as they were in some of the other shots or something), but I still thought it was cool. Looks like I'm not too shabby at Arabian photography... kind of exciting... that is if I wasn't TERRIFIED of equine. Makes no sense. None. 

Welcome to the Lancaster County 4-H Fair ;)

One of my faves from the sheep show... it was one of the coach's first breeding sheep judging experiences. He did a nice little job, if you ask me. 

LOVE THIS!!!! He's so great with youth. I love him.

One of my favorite families of all time.... Ben Welk with his champion market hog. I kind of fell in love with this hog. But, I mean.... look at her. She's a stud. 

'Sup homie?

It does not get ANY CUTER than this little lady! She made our week/weekend!!!! And yes, we show dairy steers in Lanco... we call them "baby beef" or "dairy beef". Their purpose is to prepare 4-Hers for "big" steers..... so typically, the cute, adorbs little showmen flock to this club.... and I love it. 

You remember the picture I posted Monday? Well, this is the corn field across from my parents' place.... yeah.... the crop is lookin' pretty solid this year. 

I finish with the loves of my life. Iris is on the far left with two of her daughters by her side. I love this shot. I don't care how much crap I catch for raising sheep, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am 100% a cattle girl at heart (yes, it's true) and I will be for the rest of my life... but I would not trade my momma Iris for anything. I miss my babies already. 

Hope you enjoyed a few of my fave shots from PA. More posts will be coming soon, I promise.

Oh, and it's good to be back in Texas :)

Photo Friday : another Saturday edition

.....because I got lazy last night. Sorry. I think I'll have to do two separate blogs today just to catch y'all up on what's been going on... It's hard to keep up with us. We need our own reality show or something just so we can look back and remember everything that happens in a day's time. It would be like the show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Except with substance. And cows. And no babies named after the coordinates on a map. Not clever, Kim K, not at all.

Anyway... Photo Friday strikes again! And, like I promised, it's not one of my own! Only prob is I really don't know who took the pic....

But, holy hereford, how could I NOT use this pic?!?!? Yesterday - instead of blogging - the coach and I were at the Belt Buckle Bonanza in Waco... which got my blood pumping for the Spring's Major Show Season (YES that deserved capital letters). So, I got inspired for this edition of photo friday. The internet is amazing. You can search just about anything and get the neatest pics and stories. This gem came from googling "champion slap". It is from Houston, circa :: ?? Late 1950's-ish probably. How killer is this, though? I mean, A) winning the Houston steer show is definitely cause for a giddy-girl jump. and B) LOOK AT THAT FROGGIN' HEREFORD! I love old timey steer/cattle pics. Watching our industry change via snapshots always amazes me. The 50s and 60s are easily my fave. They look like adorable little puffs of fluff. The above champ is no exception... complete with the straightest hock I've ever seen. This little midget was #fluffycows before #fluffycows were #fluffycows. And those jeans..... I mean COME ON! Hashtag :: awesome. The best part is - this might be a dude showing. And for those days he was a rad stud for rocking those painted one pants. Oh, this is way too much greatness for one frame. Can't take it.

So perfect. So hilarious. So awesome. The butt shot of all butt shots.

Uhhh. I still die. If you say this picture doesn't entertain you than you don't have a pulse.

End of story.

How am I ever going to top this?

My Coach's Moment

In light of those silly little social media hashtags given for each day of the froggin' (ribbit, ribbit) week, I have decided to take a spin on #mcm, or Man Crush Monday. Each Monday, the coach will choose the topic of my blog. I mean, I may give him a little bit of grief on this here blog, but I love the man and value his opinions more than anyone else's... and he really is my forever #mcm. So why not dedicate #mcm to more than just an Instagram pic?

So here it is. The first #mcm - and in this case I mean #My Coach's Moment. Joe chose the title. I wish I could take credit, but I can't. He's such a smarty pants.

#MCM : Cute little girls with bows and cute little boys with fohawks.

Now, now... don't worry. We are NOT with child. And this is NOT some creeper type post. What the coach is referring to is cute little girls with bows showing cattle... same with little guys and fohawks. When I told him about #mcm for my blog, he immediately thought about back to this past weekend at the Golden Spread. If there is one thing that will make the coach smile bigger than Texas, it's when a cute little girl comes into the ring with a huge bow in her hair, dragging behind her a kick ace steer or heifer. It's like an instantaneous reaction that he wants to put them first. Same holds true with the fohawk. I may be partly to blame for this. The first show he went to go judge without me tagging along, I told him not to just use the 'cute little girl with the big bow in her hair' for showmanship. It was definitely a joke. The coach is absolutely wonderful with kids, especially younger ones. They make him literally light up. It's precious to watch... however, I worry that he will use one of those cuties, just because they are cute. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that... sort of. If they deserve it, then by all means give them the blue ribbon. Anyway, now whenever he does use the cutie with the bow, he goes on the mic and tells the story of me saying don't just use them. It can be embarrassing... I sometimes can feel the angry eyes of nearby mothers who think I have no soul. I do... I really do.... it was a joke.... he is even joking on the mic, I swear!! And this past weekend showed that.

There was plenty of adorbs little ones dragging some stellar prospects into the ring... but a few really honestly made MY heart melt. Sometimes, the coach will look up into the stands at me - partly to see if I am paying attention or just reading, and partly to see what my reaction is to a certain calf... or in this case a certain exhibitor. There were two that come to mind. The first was the MOST PRECIOUS little guy I have ever seen with a super cool looking lightweight Maine steer. He couldn't have been more than 7. And he was rocking to fohawk. And he was shorter than his steer. And it was SO CUTE! I looked at Joe with eyes that said, if you don't put him first, you are walking home. He got the hint... that and the steer honestly was awesome. It made him smile. Who wouldn't smile? The second 'awe' moment came with a little lady that I am quite used to seeing in the ring. She is easily the most incredible little thing that ever hit the show steer world. If I ever have a daughter (please, God, just don't) I want her to be just like this little wonder. Holy fluffy cow is she not just adorable? She hauled in the coolest little simmi steer.... and again, I looked at Joe.... and again, he listened to my unspoken words. I still think that steer was one of my favorite from the whole show. I really belief it's partly because of how precious she is. No, she wasn't wearing a bow - but how could ANY judge miss her? I mean seriously?!?!

When the coach gave me the topic I kind of laughed, but he proves a really big point : cute kids sell. A calf looks twice as quality when it is being stuck by a young, innocent looking showman. You can't not love them. Most of the time, a steer will work better for them, too. They pose less of a threat and really become (pardon the cheese) their friend. Call me a show mom-in-training, but this is the biggest thing I am looking forward to when we do have children. I mean, who honestly can resist this sight???

Yet another reason I refuse to judge shows.

I heart quality livestock photography

This will most likely be the title of a few posts... But in light of majors season - here's 'I heart quality livestock photography' post número uno.

First off, I am a huge supporter of ShowChampions. For those of you who know me- you know why. For those who are reading a strangers blog - I owe everything I know and all my success to Bruce, Dave and Allan. I love them.

With that said, I'm a huge fan of hotshots. Most breeders don't recognize the value of a great hotshot. Think about it. 98% of livestock look 100% better in the ring or loose in a pasture or lot then they do at a backdrop. The backdrop is a necessary evil that is so unnatural for most stock. But then again, the backdrop is what everyone works towards. Necessary evil. Ah well.

Anyway, the other reason I love hotshots is because when I'm stuck at home or on the road working, I can still see what class winners or breed champs look like. Which brings me to my blog's point:: taking pictures of livestock requires you to know what livestock are supposed to look like. Just because you have photography experience does not mean you take awesome livestock pictures... So when I went to see what my pal Jonathan McAnulty's home raised steer looked like ( before he literally JUST won grand at San Antonio ... I'm serious I started this blog before he even entered the rodeo arena ) I was pleasantly surprised... No, surprised isn't the right word... I was flat impressed. Kassie Johnson, you nailed hotshots over the past two days!!! Nice work!!! I appreciate quality livestock images over just about everything in life and you made my day. ( By the way, this came at little surprise .. have you seen her cattle? the girl knows how to breed a great one ) From Jonathan's expressions, to making Emily June's steer look awesome and to making my Niece's steer 'little Mac' actually look like a class winner in the AOB's (which he was! Made the lap in ftw, gets the brand in SA... We'll take it)

Here are some examples of what I'm talking about... I like visuals ::

Nothing better than this

EJ superstickin' Heavy Hitter. 

Emily June's face is priceless. I adore her

Emma in champ AOB drive... looking pretty solid!!!

I tip my hat to you Miss Johnson! And to all quality livestock photographers out there. We are becoming few and far between.

Oh and CONGRATS JONATHAN!!!!!! SO SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!



JAR