Show Us Wot You Got

“Bring her to Thornton-Le- Dale,’ said the big brusque North Yorkshire farmer as he slapped Crystal on the rump. Any other site and you may be wondering exactly what I mean?

This particular Crystal was a 300-kilo heifer who my nephew and I had saved from the slaughterhouse. I say saved, it wasn’t like the Iranian Embassy Seige but we did break the law. Once a beast has been sold to kill there is no going back. We decided she would make a great show beast and so it was a grey area haha. Upon our return, my sister and brother-in-law, noticing the punched ear, ran around the fold yard screaming. “We’re all going to jail,’ as I remember.

This was to be our first major year of showing cattle and the total was nineteen Championships, Crystal was the first. Of course in those days (the 1980s) cattle were ‘fluffed’ up so they resembled teddy bears. Whereas today it’s more natural.

We took Crystal to Thornton-le-Dale show and Mr Peckitt true to his word gave her the Championship. Crystal herself did well out of the deal as my nephew couldn’t bring himself to send her for beef so she lived to a ripe old age and spawned several calves.

Of course, this was years ago and my nephew (red hat) now has a butchers shop with his son, he’s the one on the left and also the one doing free deliveries during the lockdown. But as you can see from the above photo livestock health and safety has always been a massive priority.

The showing life was grand. As I mentioned last week there was a lot of work, breaking in for instance. Have you ever been dragged around a barn by a 3-400 kilo animal for half an hour? Then there were the miles of walking, the washing, the blow-drying and the soaping up. It wasn’t just for grown-ups the kids loved it too xxx