Cowpoke Corner Kennels and Ranch

I have seen this graphic all over Facebook and Pinterest, and trust me I have tried googling to find the creator, so if it is yours let me know and I will give you credit!

But, honey, I have to tell you - there are times you have to let go of the rope! 

Meet Dallas, she was my first show heifer. And this is me, circa 1996. Nice huh? Can you say awkward and gawky? Ha! I bet my face would have been less sunburned had I worn my hat the right way! 

Well Dallas - or the Big D - as we often called her taught me to “Let go of the rope!”

In the process of halter breaking her I would take her out to her pasture for walks. One day during peak irrigation time we headed out, the water was getting a little deep in the field, maybe knee high, but it was hot and I thought heck, get a little swim and walk my heifer, double win! 

Turns out Big D wasn’t up for a swim that day, she headed back to drier pastures and I hung on to the rope - for a little while. She drug me through the water and I came up choking, spitting and pulling crawdads out of my hair. Only to look up and find a truck load of high school boys stopped on the road watching my humiliating heifer-walking-turned-water-skiing-adventure. 

Groan. 

Moral of the story - let go of the rope.

Yep, wasn’t winning any fashion awards that year! 

Here is my show steer Freshman year, still no fashion awards but I did win reserve grand champion market beef over all for the Big Horn County Fair that year! Yay me!

County Fair and showing animals was a family affair. My brother Jared showed steers a couple years. 

And remember my hunky brother Matt? Yeah he was hunky even when he was 11.  Here he is giving his steer a bath under the tree in the yard.

My sister showed steers and sheep and horses too, but I couldn’t resist sharing this picture of her and a live water snake from when we were kids.

Can you say country?

Bring on the next generation of show steers, country kids and county fair! Meet “Wild Eye.” My Little Cowgirl’s 4-H steer. 

We started halter breaking him a few weeks ago.

Little Cowgirl was so excited to get to pet him! She says he’s VERY soft. 

I thought about doing an informational blog post about “How to Halter Break a Steer. "

Instead I will just show you this picture and let you connect the dots. 

At least I know when to let go of the rope!

And before I say good bye, I better show you a puppy picture, this is the blue merle male, he’s the cuddler. The pups are just 9 days old and ready for their second photoshoot! New photos are up! 

Thanks for joining me on this walk down memory lane! 

Come back soon! ~ Erin