I know that the picture on the left is meant to be cute. I know that it's supposed to say something along the lines of, "I'm a cute cowgirl, and I love my steer." I know that the concept has gained popularity in the stock show world recently. But, I simply can't get over the subtext. Really? We're going to act like the combination of a primped, prepped, and prom ready girl leading around a castrated male doesn't speak to the realities of high school dating? I can speak from experience that it's much the same thing. So, when it was recently suggested that prom might serve as a metaphor for a stock show (Thanks Dad!), I thought I'd chase the rabbit down the hole and expound the metaphor. Without further ado: 5 Ways Stock Shows Reflect Relationships.
(Disclaimer: In the stock show world, women are described as cows. If you can't handle that, quit reading now.)
1) Prom is a Stock Show.
Prom is a rite of passage for American youth. It's a moment where young people cast off their daily awkwardness and can show the world their best appearance. It's at once a celebration of youth and an exhibition of our emphasis on physical appearance. It's also a thinly veiled mating ritual. In preparation, young women buy expensive gowns ($$$); color, cut, and style their hair ($$$); and apply copious amounts of makeup ($$$). They arrive in limousines ($$$), are paraded down a red carpet where parents take photographs and quietly lament, "My little girl looks all grown up." These actions are simply attempts to prove oneself as the most desirable mate in the group, and they cost a lot of money. But, dating is a marketplace (check out this article from The Economist), and prom is opening day, ringing the bell to begin trading in the adult marketplace. If it wasn't, prom would be just another dance on just another day. We certainly wouldn't spend the time and money that makes the spectacle possible. And, as we all know, nothing is more important on this special day than the hair. There's just something about a girl and her hair.
Stock shows are no different. We take cattle, in the prime of their youth, and "fit" them for show. The purpose is simple, to demonstrate their desirability as a mate. That's it. That's the purpose. In the agricultural marketplace we have to determine which heifers possess the right combination of attributes that will benefit our herd. We spend countless hours preparing for what may amount to a matter of minutes in the show ring. We spend small fortunes on fitters (stylists & makeup artists), custom feed (nutritionists), hoof trims (manicures), dyes (colorists), trucks & trailers (limousines). Even plastic surgery and body modification is an option. And just like prom, there's just something about a girl and her hair.
At a prom, or at a stock show, we are learning how to evaluate potential mates at their best. Any male on a livestock judging team has described a woman using judging terms. Perhaps she is "structurally correct" or displays "maternal characteristics." I'd venture to say that women that judge livestock do the same to men they see, though I've never witnessed this process. Perhaps he's "stout" or "powerfully built." Maybe it has more to do with his "disposition." No matter the case, evaluating mating partners, which is what livestock judges and anyone on a date is doing, is a universal process. When we talk about stock shows then, establishing this similarity is fundamental. Now, let's take the comparison a step further.
2) Dating is a Cattle Auction.
Prom is fun. Dating is serious business. At prom, we see our potential mates at their best. On dates, we see them in their natural state (or as close to it as is possible when not living together). There are many things that go into consideration on a date. What does the person look like? What is the person's reputation? What is the family like? Do they fit with me personally? Can I see myself with this person in 5 years? How much competition do I have for this particular person, and is the cost worth the benefits?
Similarly, a stock show is fun. Buying cattle is serious business. At a stock show, we see cattle at their best. At a sale site, we see them in their natural state (or as close to it as is possible when they're not out on pasture). There are many things that need to be considered when purchasing cattle. Phenotype? Reputation of the seller? Genotype? Do they fit my herd? Can I see them producing for me in 5 years? Who else is bidding? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
We do our research. We study. We evaluate our options. And, at the end of the day, we choose.
3) Marriage is a purchase at a sale.
This is simple. We pick a girl (cow) to take home to our family (herd) and build our future around her. We make a purchase (get married) and begin to reproduce. This brings us to the next similarity.
4) Sometimes offspring are gorgeous, and sometimes they're goats.
Don't take this the wrong way. We all love our children, but sometimes those offspring become productive members of society, and sometimes they don't. This happens for a variety of reasons. In the stock show world, we've all had cows that were stock show champions become mediocre cows. We've also had mediocre show heifers that went on to produce champions. Sometimes one cow will be a great steer producer, but her heifers always fall short. Sometimes the randomness is year to year, with a "great one" followed by "that one you hide on the other farm." People are no different. Some become presidents and CEOs. Some become criminals and degenerates. Sometimes this is generational. Sometimes it's caused by societal mismanagement. Sometimes it just happens at random. The point is, even if we marry the prom queen (buy the Supreme Champion), without work and effort, we aren't guaranteed a happy life.
5) Sometimes you buy the cow before doing your research and have to sell (divorce).
We've all known that guy who fell in love in high school or college, got married, had kids, and then realized that the girl wasn't his type all along. Maybe she didn't fit in with his family. Maybe they wanted different things from life. Maybe they didn't put the time into their relationship that was necessary for it to prosper. Maybe they just grew apart, expecting each other to remain the same person they were at prom.
We know the same guy in the stock show world. He falls in love with a heifer at a stock show. He buys her, takes her home, and it doesn't work. She's a Shorthorn and he raises Angus. She's a good purebred, but he wants to raise club calves. He can't spend the time finding the right mating or forgets to put out mineral regularly. He expects her to stay like she was when he bought her. Things fall apart sometimes.
So let this be a warning to you stock show boys out there--to you judging team members and cattle farm kids. It's fine to fall in love at the stock show, but remember the lessons the cattle provide. She may not be the one with the hype. She may not be the most expensive, with the best "fit"ting dress or the fanciest ride. But, when you evaluate her character, history, and disposition; when she fits in with your family; when she can raise good children; when you can see yourselves together when her body is broken down; when you are willing to put in the work to keep her; that's the one worth the money. And remember, every woman deserves a great haircut.
(Disclaimer: In the stock show world, women are described as cows. If you can't handle that, quit reading now.)
1) Prom is a Stock Show.
Prom is a rite of passage for American youth. It's a moment where young people cast off their daily awkwardness and can show the world their best appearance. It's at once a celebration of youth and an exhibition of our emphasis on physical appearance. It's also a thinly veiled mating ritual. In preparation, young women buy expensive gowns ($$$); color, cut, and style their hair ($$$); and apply copious amounts of makeup ($$$). They arrive in limousines ($$$), are paraded down a red carpet where parents take photographs and quietly lament, "My little girl looks all grown up." These actions are simply attempts to prove oneself as the most desirable mate in the group, and they cost a lot of money. But, dating is a marketplace (check out this article from The Economist), and prom is opening day, ringing the bell to begin trading in the adult marketplace. If it wasn't, prom would be just another dance on just another day. We certainly wouldn't spend the time and money that makes the spectacle possible. And, as we all know, nothing is more important on this special day than the hair. There's just something about a girl and her hair.
Stock shows are no different. We take cattle, in the prime of their youth, and "fit" them for show. The purpose is simple, to demonstrate their desirability as a mate. That's it. That's the purpose. In the agricultural marketplace we have to determine which heifers possess the right combination of attributes that will benefit our herd. We spend countless hours preparing for what may amount to a matter of minutes in the show ring. We spend small fortunes on fitters (stylists & makeup artists), custom feed (nutritionists), hoof trims (manicures), dyes (colorists), trucks & trailers (limousines). Even plastic surgery and body modification is an option. And just like prom, there's just something about a girl and her hair.
At a prom, or at a stock show, we are learning how to evaluate potential mates at their best. Any male on a livestock judging team has described a woman using judging terms. Perhaps she is "structurally correct" or displays "maternal characteristics." I'd venture to say that women that judge livestock do the same to men they see, though I've never witnessed this process. Perhaps he's "stout" or "powerfully built." Maybe it has more to do with his "disposition." No matter the case, evaluating mating partners, which is what livestock judges and anyone on a date is doing, is a universal process. When we talk about stock shows then, establishing this similarity is fundamental. Now, let's take the comparison a step further.
2) Dating is a Cattle Auction.
Prom is fun. Dating is serious business. At prom, we see our potential mates at their best. On dates, we see them in their natural state (or as close to it as is possible when not living together). There are many things that go into consideration on a date. What does the person look like? What is the person's reputation? What is the family like? Do they fit with me personally? Can I see myself with this person in 5 years? How much competition do I have for this particular person, and is the cost worth the benefits?
Similarly, a stock show is fun. Buying cattle is serious business. At a stock show, we see cattle at their best. At a sale site, we see them in their natural state (or as close to it as is possible when they're not out on pasture). There are many things that need to be considered when purchasing cattle. Phenotype? Reputation of the seller? Genotype? Do they fit my herd? Can I see them producing for me in 5 years? Who else is bidding? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
We do our research. We study. We evaluate our options. And, at the end of the day, we choose.
3) Marriage is a purchase at a sale.
This is simple. We pick a girl (cow) to take home to our family (herd) and build our future around her. We make a purchase (get married) and begin to reproduce. This brings us to the next similarity.
4) Sometimes offspring are gorgeous, and sometimes they're goats.
Don't take this the wrong way. We all love our children, but sometimes those offspring become productive members of society, and sometimes they don't. This happens for a variety of reasons. In the stock show world, we've all had cows that were stock show champions become mediocre cows. We've also had mediocre show heifers that went on to produce champions. Sometimes one cow will be a great steer producer, but her heifers always fall short. Sometimes the randomness is year to year, with a "great one" followed by "that one you hide on the other farm." People are no different. Some become presidents and CEOs. Some become criminals and degenerates. Sometimes this is generational. Sometimes it's caused by societal mismanagement. Sometimes it just happens at random. The point is, even if we marry the prom queen (buy the Supreme Champion), without work and effort, we aren't guaranteed a happy life.
5) Sometimes you buy the cow before doing your research and have to sell (divorce).
We've all known that guy who fell in love in high school or college, got married, had kids, and then realized that the girl wasn't his type all along. Maybe she didn't fit in with his family. Maybe they wanted different things from life. Maybe they didn't put the time into their relationship that was necessary for it to prosper. Maybe they just grew apart, expecting each other to remain the same person they were at prom.
We know the same guy in the stock show world. He falls in love with a heifer at a stock show. He buys her, takes her home, and it doesn't work. She's a Shorthorn and he raises Angus. She's a good purebred, but he wants to raise club calves. He can't spend the time finding the right mating or forgets to put out mineral regularly. He expects her to stay like she was when he bought her. Things fall apart sometimes.
So let this be a warning to you stock show boys out there--to you judging team members and cattle farm kids. It's fine to fall in love at the stock show, but remember the lessons the cattle provide. She may not be the one with the hype. She may not be the most expensive, with the best "fit"ting dress or the fanciest ride. But, when you evaluate her character, history, and disposition; when she fits in with your family; when she can raise good children; when you can see yourselves together when her body is broken down; when you are willing to put in the work to keep her; that's the one worth the money. And remember, every woman deserves a great haircut.