I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and has a good New Year’s. Now that we’re going into the new year, we need to once again start praying for rain and snow. We desperately need snow in the high country, the Rocky Mountains. I’ve got that funny feeling that we are in for a dry 2022. We had a pretty good summer in the southwest part of the country and made a lot of feed, but now I would say that party is over—hope I’m wrong.
The stock show season is starting; the Cattlemen’s Congress will be starting early in January, and the National Western will be starting up at the same time. Last year, the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) was shut down because of COVID-19, and the Colorado governor wouldn’t provide a waiver. Then, Oklahoma City laid their new show on top of the National Western, and all the breed associations took their business to Oklahoma City.
However, the National Western has decided to move forward, and there will be pen bulls and females on display. The herd bull display will go on, and then there are several junior breed shows going on. There will be full-scale junior events and the junior market livestock sale. If you come to Denver, I don’t think you will be disappointed. I have been told the show will be exhibitor friendly.
It will be interesting to see how the National Western performs this year. The new livestock arena and sale pavilion are a long way from the stadium show arena and Hall of Education on the hill. The National Western facilities are going up rather quickly. There will be construction for several more years, but it will be a great facility when it’s completed.
For you exhibitors, you will find it easier to unload and load out. There will be plenty of electricity and water available. The arena and sale facility for the pen bulls and females is brand new and ready for commerce. The Livestock Exchange Building is there with a new railroad crossing in the front yard.
It’s interesting to look at the history of livestock shows. Shows were the principal way to market cattle back in the 1920s. Visual appraisal ruled the show ring and valued livestock. Today, there are only a half dozen livestock shows left. The cattle industry started moving in a different direction in the 1950s, with the new idea of measuring cattle for growth traits and calving ease. Now we have expected progeny difference measurements for every trait that can be measured. Then came DNA to support the selection system. Visual appraisal is still used when it comes to phenotype.
When it comes to stock shows and commercial beef production, they couldn’t be further apart. It’s like they are two entirely different industries. I am constantly amazed at the enthusiasm that young folks display in the show ring; older folks seem to get pretty wrapped up in the purple circle of the moment.
Denver’s pen shows are perhaps the most valuable aspect of the NWSS, as it is the only show I know that puts on carload and pen bull shows. A commercial rancher can come to Denver and see many different breeding programs. The irony is that most of the nation’s leading registered breeders don’t exhibit cattle at shows.
The NWSS has become a victim of urban sprawl and urban decay, right at the intersection of two major interstate highways in the center of Denver. It has always been difficult to get to, and there are not many cheap hotel rooms to be found. The NWSS is essentially in the middle of an urban redevelopment project. The city of Denver has invested to the tune of $1.3 billion to redevelop this part of town, while trying to keep the Western heritage alive.
When this project is completed, it will be a sight to behold. It will be the best livestock exposition in the world. And there are a bunch of willing partners like Colorado State University, Denver Water and Denver Zoo. There are a bunch of community and industry leaders making this venue a reality.
I remember the stock show being a great place to see all your friends and customers. But, let’s be real—it was a filthy, unhealthy place to hang out. Hopefully the stock show crud is gone forever. But for those of you that have had the stock show crud, I bet you have a good immune system to keep COVID-19 at bay. — PETE CROW
