"What Makes Me Who I Am" by State Sentinel Lindsey Detraz
January Blog
It is the most underestimated time of the year again, calving season. When passing a cattle pasture most may think “look at all the cute little babies” or “that poor cow must be taking a nap”. For cattle farmers and livestock showers this is a much different ball game. Those calves are a brand new bag of ear tags, and that momma cow taking a nap turns into a dreaded 2am distress call. It may sound like a hassle, but for us, the party is just getting started. The next few months consist of pasture checks, vaccinating, weaning, culling, and--my favorite part--shopping for the next grand champion show project.
We always hear the basic things that livestock projects give to youth showmen; like responsibility, work ethic, showmanship, etc. Although these are all amazingly true, we never talk about the aspects that make a showman. Growing up surrounded by cattle, it seemed like every weekend we were working them, fixing fence, or moving them to more level ground for a storm coming. Those weekends soon turned into every day and night spent in the barn working with my animals prepping for the upcoming show. To my classmates this was a silly, stinky hobby, but to me it was not only a lifestyle but my future.
After 7 years of showing, my parish’s cattlewomen’s president Ms. Tweety Trahan approached me with what seemed like the most ridiculous question. She asked me to be Vermilion Parish’s Cattlemen’s Queen. My head spun for weeks thinking about how could a little country bumpkin like me be a beauty queen. After a lot of thinking, I finally gave in to her request and every day I am beyond grateful I did. At first, it was completely terrifying going through interviews, talking in front of people, and being the face of our parish’s cattle industry. I soon realized having this crown on my head may have made me look different, but even without it on I was the same person. I soon became a role model for the kids at the show barn, and the one they came to for advice inside and outside the show ring. It was not long that I realized what my cows have given me, it was not a crown or local fame, they gave me so much more than I ever could recognize.
Even though my reign of being Vermilion Cattlemen’s Queen had ended, I knew I was not finished advocating for the industry that has changed my life and many others. Of course, FFA was a big part of my life through all of this, but I now recognized this as a chance to bring recognition to the cattle industry and those alike that go unnoticed. As a result, I made it a point to compete in the public speaking LDEs, not to win, but to learn more about and acknowledge these industries and what they have done for people like me. I never thought that crown and that blue jacket would have taken me so far. Check out how this little country cow-loving bumpkin has achieved the impossible feat of talking in front of thousands of members and making a difference, and now you are reading her blog! So the next time you see that momma cow “taking a nap” in your buddy’s pasture, make sure to give them a call, that could be the start to their future.
