Showing cattle is a family affair, but not just with your immediate family, but your show family as well. One family that has expanded their family far beyond their circle is the Buck Family of Madill, Oklahoma. Jirl, Brenda and Baily Buck are the owners and operators of Buck Cattle Company, which began in the 80s with Maine-Anjou cattle, and they have since in the last 10 years added the Hereford breed to their herd.
One of the Buck Family’s favorite times of the year is junior national season. Buck Cattle Company has been attending a junior national for the last 20 years. They primarily exhibit at the Maine-Anjou and Chianina National Junior Show and the Junior National Hereford Expo, but they have attended multiple other breeds through the years as well.
Jirl says that his family’s favorite part of the junior national season is the preparation time leading up to it. With school out for summer, it becomes a more family-oriented time getting projects ready for the big week. Preparation for the junior national starts around March and April, when juniors have to start getting their animal’s hair coat shucked and growth restarted. With such an early start in preparing for June or July, the hype builds for the much-anticipated fun-filled week.
Buck Cattle Company is a firm believer in junior livestock programs. They have grown their customer based tremendously throughout the years, and their customers not only have become their partners but their extended show family as well. Their juniors are a vital part to their program and the week that they get to spend with them at the junior national is very important to them. During the week at the junior national families get to spend time not only together, but they also get to spend time with their extended families as well, that they typically do not get to do throughout the year.
The junior national is the largest breed show for just about every breed, and in turn makes it one of the most competitive and prestigious of all of the breed shows that occur during the year. It not only showcases the particular breeds, but it allows the breeds juniors to show off their talents outside of the show ring as well. Juniors have the opportunity to participate in contests such as judging, public speaking, salesmanship, quiz bowl, photography etc. during the week. These contest help to cultivate the young people for their future, no matter if they choose to continue on into the livestock industry or expand their horizons elsewhere.
Another one of Jirl’s favorite parts about the junior national show is getting to know people in the industry throughout the country. He believes it betters our youth to be people to get to know people better not just within their respective state, but throughout the country as well. “I think that is something that they can use for the rest of their lives. The ones that don’t attend the junior national miss out on that and the connections that they create across the country” states Jirl. These connections that juniors establish can just be other members of the breed association or those that work within the breed. They can help them get more involved by running for boards, getting in groups, and expanding their knowledge beyond their circle.
The Buck Family believes that our show industry does better based on the junior national show. We have the opportunity to learn about a particular breed, are able to learn more about the families that are within it and establish the connections to help grow and better improve it as well. With all that is going on in our country and throughout the world right now, there is so much unknown for what is to come in the next few months. One thing is for sure though, the fight in our industry does not stop. The preparation for the next show, whether that be a jackpot show for some or the upcoming junior national shows this summer, there is no giving up for those dedicated and devoted to making their projects great.
