Blow Drying Cows & More Fun at Farmfair International

It's SHOW TIME!... at Northlands Farmfair International

As Edmonton's Farmfair International quickly approaches (November 9-13!) and I prepare for my very first visit to Northlands for this event, I feel the need to share my excitement! I am honored to volunteer my time at the Beef Advocacy Canada booth during one of Alberta's top agricultural shows as part of the Cattlemen's Young Leaders program and am so looking forward to the week ahead!

If you are interested in my adventures over the next week follow me on Twitter (@WhiskeyCreek_AB) or check out the hashtags #Farmfair and #CFR43, or the accounts @Northlands, @CFRedmonton for all the Farmfair International fun!  

While I have never been to Farmfair before, I have spent a few days in a cattle show ring in my day and all of the hype of this event has made me reminisce about my show days. I scrounged up a few old photos below from when I showed cattle in 4-H  as a youngin', so have a look and enjoy a good laugh on me!

While I giggled with my husband about my fashion choices, my mind wandered to the popular clubby calf photo that has been going around the internet discussing blow drying cows. While it is true (cattle showers do wash their animals, and dry them!) I thought it might be fun to discuss how and why cattle exhibitors get their animals ready for showing, and maybe how you might get ready for Farmfair too!

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Why Show Cattle?

Why do some cattle owners spend the time to wash and blow dry their animals, drive them to the city and enter them into huge livestock shows like Farmfair International? The answer is simple- to show off! Cattle breeders, whether commercial or purebred, use these opportunities to demonstrate the quality and characteristics of their animals, not to mention all the hard work and pride that goes into breeding cattle. Depending on the breed, you may see a dairy producer show off the superior milk production of their cows, or maybe an Angus breeder demonstrate the carcass quality of their beef, or maybe even a commercial breeder show off the hybrid vigor of their crossbreds for replacement heifers. That's the beauty of livestock shows- there is something for everyone! Whether you are a fellow cattle breeder, beef consumer or someone just interested in farm life, there is no better place to learn the ins and outs of livestock.

These shows give livestock producers the opportunity to see a tiny piece of many farms in a one stop shop. While I joke about showing off and bragging about your own cattle, shows like Farmfair International do allow producers to share ideas, learn from each other and discuss production methods that would otherwise never be possible. The 'international' part of Farmfair International truly is just that. People from around the world are invited to and attend Farmfair!

How Do You Blow Dry A Cow?

The how is a lot more complicated than the why. The first step to becoming a cattle shower is halter breaking the animal. This isn't near as scary as it sounds. It's just spending time with your animal, gaining their trust and working with them until you can lead them with a halter. Halters are made of rope, nylon or leather and comfortably fit around their nose and behind their ears. This allows the shower to have control of the animal but without harming them. Halter breaking often takes weeks or months, and involves a lot of one on one time. When I showed 4-H animals, I would start the process in September with my first show in January.

Showing my 4-H steer at a local show in my hometown

After gaining the trust of your show animal, the next step is getting show ready! I would start by clipping. I used very quiet electronic clippers to do the job. My hubs is still jealous that I used nicer clippers on my cows than on him! The point of clipping is to highlight the best features of your show animal. You can clip to varying degrees, but I typically concentrated on head, top line and tail head clipping. It's important to note that clipping does not equal shaving- just minimal trimming that emphasizes the best qualities, while still looking natural. (Disclaimer: I had some amazing friends and family that always helped me clip my 4-H steers! They did a top notch job and I am still very appreciative of all the hours of hard work they put in!).

Clay helping me wash my 4-H steer in May 2008

The final step to preparing your show animal for the big day is using hair products. Yes I said it, hair products, just like a gal with her hairspray! While similar to hairspray, we use products approved and safe for animals. This can include hairspray-like products, mouse, hoof polish and hair sheen, to name a few. Everyone has their own tricks of the trade. Charolais showers may use baby powder to make their white cows shine extra white. Black Angus showers sometimes use paintbrush hairs to add extra hair volume (yes, for real!). After the show, these products are removed with yet another bath and blow dry session. The best part is when your show animals show you affection and appreciation for all the attention you give them. Yes, they really do enjoy this process!

The third step is the funnest step in my opinion. It's bath time! Usually right before the show animals are washed with warm soapy water. This can be done in various ways. If you happen to have the facilities, you can use a wash rack- a building designed for animal washing with warm water supplies, drains and adequate heating. This is necessary during winter shows. Just like people, you wouldn't want to be wet and out in the cold! In the summer time you can wash your animals outside.

Next is the blow drying. Yes, we do blow dry cows. As said above, you wouldn't want to be wet and cold, and neither would a cow! There are large, powerful blow dryers called "blowers" that are used to dry animals. And just like girls know to blow dry their hair the way they want it to lay, we do the same with the cows. We blow all the hair forward, near their head. This gives the illusion of a longer body, and smooth conformation. It also keeps the animals warm and healthy after baths during the cold winter shows.

A friend of mine (left) helping me (right) 'blow out' my steer in a grooming chute

Get Show Ready!

So now that you have a crash course as to what goes into getting cattle ready for big shows like Farmfair International, you need get ready yourself! And if you are anything like me when I showed cattle, you'll spend weeks getting your cows ready, wake up early in the morning to get the best wash rack spot and the closest grooming chute, work on perfecting that tail head for hours, and then throw on a semi-clean shirt with a bunch of wrinkles and pinch your cheeks for color! Cattle exhibitors often spend all their time and effort pampering their livestock and run out of time for themselves. So don't be like I was (you can do better!). Head on over to the Ram Country Marketplace and grab yourself some fashionable outfits from the many amazing vendors that will be setting up shop. (You can get the full list here.) And even better, grab a thing or two for your friends and family. By the look of the vendor list there is no better place to get your Christmas shopping done!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Northlands. Opinions expressed are my own. Compensation was received.