C (2:30)

Yeah, I'd agree. And I said it. When these two come in class, we got them down to those two. Actually. There was three really good steers in that heavyweight class. There was a good red and white steer that was third. Yeah, yeah, in that class. And those three were very, very good cattle. I told Kendall that kind of came and I said it over the mic. Everybody always wants to know, oh, what are they going to pick? What are they going to pick? What are they going to like? I thought class allowed us to really show people that you don't have to have a certain type and kind. They just have to be good. And that's something that I think I've always instilled in all my judging teams. And, and, and I think Kendall would agree with that. This was an instance where those were the three best cattle, I thought, in the breed, and they all hit in one class, but they were all very different in type and kind. And I thought our champion. I'll be interested to see the carcass results because his back was ginormous, his balance and his look, and he wasn't the heaviest boned. And I talked about that in the class, but he was a steer that I thought, and we'll get to the grand drive later. I thought he actually came back and looked even better in the grand drive five days later than what he did in his breed. I just thought he was a really good steer. Had a lot of unique things about him, but he was one of the five or ten most memorable steers for me from a handling perspective of all the steers that we had throughout the week.

A (3:49)

Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (3:51)

Yeah, I would totally echo what Blake said, and honestly, I thought I would have to adjust my eye a little bit to slick your cattle. I'm used to haired cattle, but, you know, that grand steer, I mean, when they say a good slick steer is going to hit you like a ton of bricks, I mean, his handle quality was unbelievable. I mean, you didn't even really have to handle him to see it, see that he was going to handle like a man. And he did. And just like Blake said, I thought, you know, he did all those things and he still balanced the best. I mean, length the neck, length the hip. He was really sound, too. He was good footed and just fresh. His finish was almost perfect. I thought. And yeah, I mean, we started off on a very strong note, I thought,

A (4:33)

and in my mind that that heavyweight class you talked about, that trio there was that red and white paint. I thought that red and white paint resembled your second place quite a bit, but probably a little different obviously from what y' all state. But I thought those two were extremely similar in their type and kind.

C (4:49)

I would agree they were both a little bit bigger bodied cattle. Maybe a little more soft as the flank than the steer used. But, you know, the, the second place steer needed to move just a shade different on his rear skeleton, on his rear feet. And the steer we ended up putting third just didn't have quite as much eye appeal. But yeah, I would. They were a little too a pair of beefier made steers, but still had good things about them. Just didn't have the look and the presence and the attractiveness of the steer we ended up using in the mains, right?

A (5:16)

Exactly. Yes, sir. So then the Charolais happens and obviously that, that Charle, the champion in my mind was the elite of elite. That solid gold steer. I mean, his structure was incredible. He was extremely soft at the surface, but again had an ultra big rib cage. And his substance at the surface definitely matched his mass up high from what y' all had said. Just a real good representation of what a slick steer needed to look like. And then that reserve was that white calf. In my mind, he resembled him in a lot of ways in terms of the angle to his shoulder, levelness of hip and the use to his hind leg. But just talk to me about kind of the dynamic of the Charolais breed. You said in the, in the breed drive, it was just an extremely impressive division.

C (6:00)

Yeah, it was. And honestly, there was a middleweight calf. He won. The second class was a really fresh, good handling, very attractive steer that I thought was real proportional and real balanced. And I thought that calf was definitely in play once we judged him. And then we got to a really good class of heavyweights. But I'll be honest with you, I thought there was give and take in the heavyweights. I thought there was four or five steers, you know, depending on where you wanted to set some priorities and some parameters you could swap them around. There was a pair of steers in third and fourth that I was really drawn to when they come in, and I think Kendall was too. Maybe they didn't end up moving quite as well, but they matched up very well with each other. But at the end of the day, our champion Charlize steer just out moved the rest, his hind leg construction, the way he sat to the ground, I thought was as good as anything we had. And then the steer that was reserved was really, really fresh again. One of the five to ten best handling steers that we had all week, in my opinion. Just incredible back shape and rib design. He was just needed to be tweaked a little bit on his rear feet. But I thought that heavyweight class, you know, Kendall and I, we walked five or six of those there a couple of times, and I thought it was very, very competitive. I don't know, you know, as you remember back on it, I thought you could justify doing some different things. But we ended up. That was a nice place to kind of draw a line in the sand for structure. And that's something that's important to both Kendall and I. So I thought that steer definitely was a nice piece to our puzzle.

A (7:28)

Yes, sir, for sure. Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (7:30)

Yeah, I mean, again, I agree with everything that Blake said. I thought that heavyweight class, me personally, I mean, I had some challenge with it just because, you know, there were four or five really good steers, but they were all really different, like, just. Just different kind of cattle. And, you know, we realized, you know, champion and reserve, they're not cookie cutter, they're not real similar, but they're both good cattle. And we were totally good with that. And, you know, I think Blake said it at the end of the day, you know, as long as you describe the differences and the things that we saw, you know, that's all we could do. And I thought 100% that steer, that one was sound structured, he was awesome footed, he still handled good. When you get to that high quality class, you know, they're all going to be stout, they're all going to have muscle, they're all going to be pretty fresh. It's the little details and personal preference. And I thought, sure, that class had some challenge, but 100% where we landed was what we stuck with. Structure and build and still tacking on all the basics. So very good, very good class, very good breed.

A (8:33)

Well, I think then another very, very competitive breed came next, and that was the Simmental division. And obviously, y' all went first and second out of the heavyweights to use for grand reserve and that grand champion semi. I mean, that thing was so outlier for the breed, in my opinion. Obviously, y' all stated he could have been a little more amplified at the surface. Like probably not the stoutest featured thing you'd ever seen, but I thought in terms of his proportions, from the side, his balance and symmetry was just second to none. And then obviously in my mind, just watching the breed drive, I honestly thought y' all were going to go and use the middle for reserve, so I thought that there was probably some give and take there. Talk to me about the dynamic of it and kind of what Yalls thought process was.

C (9:16)

Yeah, the champion scimitar come in class, and Kendall and I looked at each other and said, well, this is going to be pretty simple. I mean, he just hit us both like a ton of bricks and, you know, a little bit like the main. I think I talked about that. You know, he wasn't the biggest bone, but hawks up that scimitar to that point was his look and his body shape and his proportionality I thought was maybe as unique as we had seen to that point. He did need just a freckle, more bone, but, boy, his look and his and his just his quality was undeniable. And you're right, we really like that middleweight steer in his class. I thought he won this class very easily. But at the end of the day, when we got back out there for reserve Scimitol, you know, for lack of a better term, he just fit inside of that second place heavy in terms of just muscle and spread. So we ended up going with the second place heavy there. But we thought that was one of our first initial, pretty close calls, was for reserve Scimitol between that middleweight and that second place heavy.

A (10:16)

Kendall, what was your thoughts on it?

B (10:18)

Yeah, I mean, I remember that Scimitar steer hitting me very hard as well. His handle was probably as good as anything that I had in that first day. I mean, his back and his loin and his feet, hip were so good, and his balance was so good from the side, his chest to flank. He definitely could have used more bone, but just freshness, market fundamentals. Still having a show steer look. And just like Blake said, that reserve was a little closer for us, but I think just in terms of totals of width and still looking good and still fresh, I. I thought that that's where we landed on the reserve semi, but for sure, a tough call.

A (10:55)

So then there's a lunch break after the semi drive. So, Blake, did you get them out and do y' all get something good to eat and they feed you good?

C (11:03)

That was one of the best parts of the show, was not only the cattle, the kids we worked with, but the hospitality. And they started off with a bang with us on Monday. We had a tremendous lunch.

A (11:12)

Awesome. Awesome. So then y' all come back and obviously all the American breeds are coming through. They start off with the Sim Bra division. And honestly, that Sim Bra was very unique. It was that dark brindle colored steer. And then obviously reserve, you'll use that, that red and white paint. Talk to me about the dynamic of the, of the breed as a whole. Obviously the Brindle kind of just put everything together to the best of its ability. That red and white paint, y' all said it wasn't just as husky as that. That Brindle steer that would, that won. It obviously didn't come with the same amount of mass and dimension, but honestly just replicated him in terms of foot quality and just motoring and being as agile on the move.

C (11:55)

I remember Kendall and I, Jeff, we judged a lightweight class. We got to the middles and then we got to the heavies and we, she and I, marveled. We thought the Simbraws was as deep of a breed as we'd had to that point, just in terms of consistency down through the classes. And then that Brindle calf walked in and he, like a lot of steers that we're going to talk about tonight, he was a two stepper. He took two steps in and we pulled him. And honestly, we never really looked back after that. He was a. I thought he was a very easy breed champion. He just kind of combined all the things that we discussed thus far and he was just a no excuses, no holes kind of a steer. There was three really good calves in that heavyweight class. There was a nice calf. We ended up putting third. It didn't maybe have quite as much look, and if I remember, I didn't go maybe quite as good, but I thought just a real solid meat and potatoes kind of steer then that was our reserve Simbra. But I'd be very complimentary to those exhibitors. I thought that was a very, very deep breed.

A (12:50)

I think I've written down wasn't as good and used to his hind leg. That third place steer just didn't have quite the extension out of his front end. But Kendall, what were your thoughts on it as well?

B (13:00)

Yeah, I mean, when those ear cattle, that first class, that lightweight class hit the ring, I mean, eared cattle to me or American cross cattle are just intriguing as a whole, and I just love them. I wish I could have them in Colorado because I'd have a whole herd of them. But I think that that breed hit the ring and we were just kind of blown back a little bit. We pulled, I don't even know, like, we pulled a lot of a lot of steers in that first lightweight class because they were so good. But that, yeah, that champion, I mean, first off, his color's awesome, but second off, he, he just had so much quality. Just from a balance perspective. He just pulled it all together so well and he was still fresh and heavy muscle and that's that reserve so practical, was maybe not quite as unique, I guess from the side in his pieces, but just, just a good fat steer and structure and muscle. And I remember that little girl was one heck of a showman.

A (13:56)

Absolutely. For sure. Well, then the, the Brahmins happened. And just being my background, I've been fortunate enough to show quite a few of them. And I'll be honest, I thought I had a pretty hammer one my senior year, and I saw the one that went in the ring this year, the one the Brahmins, and I thought, that's arguably one of my favorite Brahmin steers that I've seen in my lifetime. Not that I've lived very long life, but I love that steer. And I honestly, you talking in the grand drive, the lightweights kind of set the tone for how strong it could or would be. And that was a really good built steer that had a lot of look and attractiveness from this profile. And obviously the middleweight was just as good in terms of his proportions. From the side, he was a shapely steer, but you studied his pin set and coin and he probably just wasn't the stoutest one. But he matched everything up high in terms of shape and right behind his shoulder. And so then the heavyweights obviously happened. And that steer that was extremely unique in terms of just his foot quality, the way he utilized his hind leg and his levelness from the side. But he matched everything from down low, up high just in terms of his mass and dimension. I mean, that was a really big rib steer and he still just looked extremely fresh in my mind for being a Brahmin steer. Obviously the reserve was the brindle and obviously just long necked, real good proportion steer. Talk to me about the differences in dynamics. I absolutely loved watching that breed.

C (15:16)

We did too. The Brahmins were very good. I thought all three classes were good, but I'm telling you, this champion walked in and I pulled him. I didn't even ask Kendall. I mean, there was a few times where, well, I didn't need to ask her because I knew what the answer would be. But she looked at me and said, is he that good? And I said, he's better. I haven't judged a lot of Brahman steers. I've judged a lot of Brahman cattle, but I'm just going to tell you this forthright. That was probably my favorite steer from the first day when we judged was the Brahman and what he represented for his breed and the outlier pieces that that calf brought to the table made him extremely memorable. And I don't know who raised him. I don't, I don't. But they need to try to make another one that looks like that because he was a very, very, very strong contender for one of the top two spots at the end of the, of the show, which we'll get to. Incredible calf. Very, very, very memorable and just a very unique piece of livestock. And not to take anything away, we had a good heavyweight class. There was. It was six, seven deep. And that steer that ends up reserve, I mean, we'd have been thrilled to have him as our champion, but he was a very, very good calf too. But this one, that wins the Brahmins, absolute hammer stud.

A (16:30)

Kendall, what was your thought?

B (16:32)

Yeah, I mean, if we didn't have that champion, that reserve is one heck of a Brahmin. He is very, very good. But just like Blake said, whoever raised that champion Brahmin, I'd be making more and more and more of him if you can, because he was very good. And, you know, I really haven't judged that many Brahmans. I haven't been around them, but a good calf is a good calf and that thing was wicked.

A (16:56)

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C (20:31)

The girths come in and actually our lightweight champion ends up being our reserve steer and I told Kendall I don't know if we'll see a better girth in this lightweight. This lightweight was a hammer. Now I don't remember what he Weighed. And so if somebody. Please don't get offended if somebody's listening. This is your camp. But I want to say he weighed in the mid elevens, if I remember right. I have slept since then, so I might be wrong, but that calf was an absolute juggernaut in that lightweight girt class. And then we come into the next class of middles, and then our champion comes in, and I'm like, holy smokes, this thing is real good. I would tell you that if you were putting together a top 10 steers in the whole show, I don't know that these two Gertz wouldn't be in my top 10. I thought they were both incredible pieces of livestock. One of them was just a little stouter and weighed a little more than the other, but other than that, they were basically cookie cutter. I thought those two girts, very, very good pair of cattle.

A (21:26)

Absolutely. Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (21:28)

Agree. I thought they were almost cookie cutter similar. And the difference was our champion, he was a little bit bigger footed. He had some wrinkles going on on his legs. That's how big they were. And he weighed a little bit more, so he obviously had a little bit more mass everywhere. But that pair. I don't. I don't know much about Gerst, but that pair were very, very, very good.

A (21:50)

Absolutely. For sure. Well, then the brangus happened, and I thought that the brangus heavyweight class was really deep, but your champion in reserve were a bit contrasting in their types and kinds. I mean, walk me through kind of what it looked like just from start to finish. Obviously that champion steer was extremely dimensional, had awesome shape up high. That reserve was actually a little more unique from the side, in my opinion. Maybe y'.

C (22:15)

All.

A (22:15)

I. I remember y' all saying something like that in terms of his length and neck, length of proportions, and just uniqueness from the side. But talk to me about the dynamic of the brangus breed.

C (22:25)

Yeah, real good class of those heavyweights. And we had a pair, we had a good lightweight class, a good middleweight class, but they brought the heat and the heavies. And the steer we ended up using, we thought was just a little bit sounder off of his front end. And he did give up a little bit of look to that reserve. But that was a good pair of steers, I thought, where you could pick on one, the other one fixed the problems. At the end of the day for Kendall and I, we wanted to use a little extra build of the steer that ended up being our champion. But that's a very good pair of branga. Steers, and I'd be complimentary to both those exhibitors. I thought those cattle came back in the grand drive on Friday night, and both of them looked even better than they did when they showed to us. So compliments to those guys for keeping them together because it was hot down there and they did a really good job throughout the week keeping those cattle put together.

A (23:10)

So then it's late in the night and you get to round out the day on the ABCs. And in my mind, that was a really, really deep set of ABCs. I mean, that heavyweight class was slam packed, full of quality. And I thought that there was a lot of contention for. For both grand and reserve. I thought they all replicated each other in a lot of ways. Obviously, the cap that wins was the solid yellow one that that young lady showed. And he was extremely unique just in terms of his silhouette and balance from the side. But from what y' all have told me just listening to it, his back shape and shape in general from behind was arguably some of the best. Obviously, that dapple colored steer handled extremely well and had awesome spread. So just talk to me about the dynamic of the breed, and then we'll just go from there.

C (23:59)

The ABCs was a. Was a good show. I mean, probably, I'll be honest with you. Kendall and I were about fried at that point, but we knew we had to really lock in because it was. What time was it, Kendall? Probably 7:30 at night when we started them.

B (24:12)

Yeah, probably.

C (24:13)

And the cattle were circling and, you know, we. We kind of had to work through it. But I thought that steer that won when he hit the ring, just his freshness and his power. And again, another really good handling steer, just loved his look and his balance. That was a good heavyweight class. Honestly, we walked him a couple times, but we were pretty comfortable with him. We ended up slipping that middleweight in reserve. We just thought he'd matched the type of our champion, but that was a good breed. But I thought that was a challenging breed to put together in spots just because you had so many differences.

A (24:44)

Absolutely. Kendall, what was your thoughts on the ABCs?

B (24:47)

For sure, I think, you know, it was late in the night, we were tired, but we also had to kind of adjust our eye because you're going to get every shape, size, color, kind, breed. I mean, everything's thrown into one. So we did have to be. We were really locked in. I would say out of all the steers over the course of the week that I handled, this champion ABC steer is one of the most memorable. His back Shape was unreal. I mean, unreal out of the shoulder, his loin, his hip. You know, the reserve was just a really, really nice calf. I mean, he didn't have as much to him in terms of muscle as our champion, but he was dang sure sound. He dang sure had enough and really balanced up good from the side.

A (25:28)

Exactly. Yes, sir. Well, then y' all get a bit. How many days did y' all have a break in between wave one and wave two? I want to say there's like, two days, right?

C (25:35)

Yep. We had two days off. Yeah. Awesome.

A (25:37)

Awesome. So did y' all hang around San Antonio for those two days, or what was the game plan there?

C (25:42)

Yeah, we did. We went down to the Riverwalk, and Kendall had some work stuff and some work obligations that she had to do. And then my sister and her kids came back. They had the champion market lamb, so they came back for the sale, and we. We visited with them on the Riverwalk. But honestly, we needed Tuesday to recuperate. I don't. I was worn smooth out after Monday. It was a long day of judging, and I think we walked, like, 16 miles, according to my phone. So we needed that kind of Tuesday to recuperate. And then Wednesday, obviously, we started back in on Thursday.

A (26:15)

Yes, sir. For sure. Well, you start back on Thursday, and you start with the Angus steers. I mean, in my mind, I watched the Angus steers at Fort Worth. Obviously, we did a postgame on it, and I thought the Angus slick steers here at Seanen Tone were just as competitive as they were at Fort Worth. Obviously, that that lightweight steer had a lot of presence to him and had plenty of spread and shape. The middleweight was a little bit of a knot head, but he was stout, featured, and had awesome back shape. Was extremely proportional. And your heavyweight, just in terms of stoutness, of feature, look from the side and aggression up high. So talk to me about the dynamics of the Angus steers and everything of that nature. Once again, they were just extremely nice steers.

C (26:54)

And the middleweight steer was extremely stout and really powerful. And again, just a pretty unique calf, I thought, for his breed. She did a fabulous job showing him. He wasn't the easiest calf to show. And I thought, you know, the way he acted, his hind leg worked pretty well. It just caused him to get a little wide. Nothing. No issue for Kindle. And I. Just a real solid reserve Angus that won the heavyweight class. I really like that calf in his class. He just come out. And that other calf just had more. More stoutness, more feature. But I thought A real good pair of steers to get us going there on Thursday morning.

A (27:32)

Yes, sir. Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (27:34)

Yeah, I thought it was, it was a great way to get us started off on day two. And that champion kind of stood out like a sore thumb just in terms of look and balance and style and bone and feature. The reserve steer was a very nice steer just in terms of basics of body and muscle and still being sound and, you know, fresh for a heavier weight steer. Both those young ladies showed the wheels off of them and great way to get us started.

A (28:01)

Absolutely, for sure. Well, then the short thorns are next. And that, that, that champion shorthorn was elite. I fell in love with him from the first time that I saw him. I thought that was an extremely dimensional, burly made calf. Obviously, reserve was a little different in terms of his body shape. Probably wasn't as deep bodied or soft flanked, but I thought he resembled him a lot in terms of his build and his look from the side. But obviously in terms of the shorthorns, your heavyweight was the grand and the reserve was the middleweight. Talk to me about the dynamics of all of them and kind of just how that shorthorn hit you and the dynamics of the breed drive.

C (28:38)

Yeah, I thought the lightweight shorthorns was one of our toughest classes to put together. I don't know how many classes we judge, but it sticks out in my mind as a tough class class. And again, that's not taking the thing away from anybody. It was just, it was a tough one to piece together. And then that middleweight come in and he was very refreshing. I thought just a real good looking, well balanced deer. And then that heavy come in and I thought he just kind of commanded the breed. He was opened up. He was powerful and stout. You know, he wasn't the prettiest one in there, but we sure thought good enough. And that's where that reserve kind of fixed his problem. But I got two very good steers there. The shorthorn Reed.

A (29:15)

Yes, sir, for sure. Kendall, what would your thoughts?

B (29:17)

Yeah, totally agree. I thought, you know, that champion, I would say his body shape was as impressive as really any steer we judged. His body shape was incredibly good. Just like Blake said, that reserve was very good from the side and just grabbed your attention in terms of balance and just his head and his character up front. You know, I'll keep saying this, but those two young ladies just again, just showed so good. And really, I would say from the whole entire week, but I think Blake would agree those kids showed so good and it's just A testament to their work ethic. But they also made it, you know, our jobs, I guess, easier or fun, you know, whatever adjective you want to throw in there. They just did a heck of a job.

A (30:04)

Well then the next is going to be your Horned Herefords. But on the drive, the lightweight, y' all said he was awesome for his size and how much shape he had to offer. Your middle won the class by an easy margin. He had a good fore rib to flank ratio, had awesome balance, just had a little nickel bit of chest, but was still nice from the side, had lots of presence. Obviously your, your, your champion heavyweight ended up being the grand of the Horned Herefords and you said he spread of his loin and out of the backside of his shoulder was amazing and obviously blends so seamlessly from the side and obviously stated on the mic that you know, for reserve all three were in for consideration but you ended up going for the second place heavy. So talk to me about the dynamics of the, of the Horned Hereford division.

C (30:51)

Stud here wins the Horned Herefords. This calf was very, very good and as easy as I thought the Brahmin won his breed, I thought this calf won his breed. Equally as easy and probably the Shorthorn, I thought he won his breed pretty easy too. But this calf, I thought he daylighted them in the Horned Herefords and that's not to take anything away from anybody else, but that was a very, very good steer. Shape and freshness and look and eye feel. Again, another one of those ones we just pulled right away and then never really looked back. I did think Reserve Horned Hereford was a close decision but we ended up going with the extra width and substance in that second place heavy and I thought that was a very good class. This was a good breed.

A (31:33)

Absolutely. Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (31:35)

Yeah, I would say both breeds of Herefords or both divisions of Herefords. Not a ton of numbers, but just like Blake said, I thought there was a lot of quality in that champion especially. But yeah, I thought, I hate to sound like a broken record, but I agree with everything Blake said and that was what was going through our mind, especially on the reserve thought there was some discussion to be had and just the details and differences between them, but very comfortable with how he landed.

A (31:59)

Well, then the pole division happens and obviously the first class was a deep bodied, bold rib steer that had some volume and the middleweight was in contention in the breed. Obviously he was actually reserved and that was a heavy, structured, big footed steer that had a lot of front end that, you know, wasn't just the prettiest but was still long and elevated, probably had a touch of chest. Your heavyweight calf obviously held the title for grand for the pole division, but his length of body and hip and I used to his hind leg was incredible and still a bold rib dimensional steer that had a lot of shape up high. Talk to me about how the pulled division went for y'. All. Obviously both actually replicated each other in terms of their type and kind, in my opinion, just a little bit. What did y' all think?

C (32:42)

Yeah, this is a good pair of steers here. The little girl steers ended up being our champion. I thought it was just a little sounder out of his shoulder and I thought he handled his front feet a little better. The reserve, our middleweight was a real muscular calf, a lot of power. I had a good hind leg, wanted to twist out just a little on his front end and had just a nickel more shoulder. But yeah, I thought this pair of steers was really good. They, they kind of rivaled each other, I thought. And Kendall and I discussed them. But there was a pretty good second place heavyweight too to our champion that was very, very shapely. Just didn't end up balancing up quite as good. But it was another very competitive breed.

A (33:18)

Yes, sir. Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (33:20)

Yeah, I thought the champion and reserve Sears both lined up pretty similar just in terms of body shape and muscle and just kind and. And just like Blake said that our champion was a little sounder, especially on his front skeleton, but again, another very, very solid breed.

A (33:36)

Well then Red Angus happened next and I thought, you know, of the Red Angus that showed up, the ones that surfaced to the top were extremely unique in their kind. Obviously. Kendall, you talked the Red Angus drive another lightweight to that. You said those fresh show steer proportions that was probably just a little more fragile at the surface could be amplified. Your middle weight was the most aggressive in his shape up high and he drew back to such an awesome and square loin. Still was extremely wide pinned and just his body shape and balance from the side was incredible. Your heavyweight you said of the lineup was the best from profile. Had a little bit of puffiness in his right hawk, but just not as good in motion compared to your middleweight. And obviously that's how it landed. Your middle won the breed and reserve was heavy. I thought that middle was just so unique for the Red Angus division. Talk to me about the dynamics of that class and or the division in general and just how they all hit you.

B (34:34)

I would say, and I would think Blake would agree that the Red Angus breed was, I don't want to say we weren't. We were caught off guard. But we were caught off guard. I mean, the quality was so good in the Red Angus deer show. And if you would have asked me two days before what breed you think would be the deepest, I probably wouldn't have said Red Angus, but it dang sure was. I thought of the champions, our champions. Totally different steers, but both very high quality. The champion, stout, powerful, dimensional everywhere you studied him, maybe a little rougher around every edge he has compared to our reserve, but he's still balanced pretty good and really sound structured. And our reserve was just lights out from the side. You know, tall fronted, long neck, good top line, good hip, you know, still handled pretty fresh for a. For a big heavyweight Red Angus steer, but maybe just not quite as sound. Quite as stout as our middleweight. But that was a heck of a good breed.

C (35:33)

Yeah, we didn't have a lot of numbers in that breed. Maybe less than 30, but I think it was the middleweight class. I turned to Kendall, I said, we're going to keep every one of these steers because they were all worthy of being placed.

A (35:45)

Yes, sir.

C (35:45)

And I thought that the depth of the Red Angus. And again, this is not to be derogatory at all, but, you know, I told Kendall, I'm like, whoa, the Red Angus, you know, we can kind of breathe. Well, we did not breathe at all. I thought it was one of the most competitive breeds we had from top to bottom. I thought the Red Angus exhibitors should be really proud of themselves because that class made us scratch our. Those three classes made us scratch our head. We put a steer, I think, third in the middles that, in my opinion, would probably banner at most of the times. I watched the Red Angus, and he ended up third in the middleweight class. It was hats off to those guys. I thought that breed was very, very strong.

A (36:25)

Well, then, next is the Lemmy division. And you talk about how deep the Red Angus were. I think that the Lemmy's were just that much deep. Obviously, the Lemmy that won ended up being reserve of the show. And first impression of him seeing come through the gate, I said, that's a really, really nice steer. And actually, me and someone that I'm very close to had a discussion of if we would switch reserve or grand or not, because they were both just so unique in their type and kind. We didn't really know what y' all were gonna do. So it was really anxious to watch, obviously, the lightweight fifth of Bill, in terms of extension, just not as stout or Powerful as the other two behind him. The middleweight was a thick dimensional sphere that was really powerful and grabbed with some awesome shape and was really opened up. Then, obviously, heavyweight. Blake, you made a comment your poker face wasn't as good as your diet. And so that just goes to show that that steer really hit you pretty hard. The obviously heavyweight was your grand reserve. You went with the middleweight. Obviously, it was closer due to the fact that your second place in the heavy was right there with him. But talking about the dynamics of the breed, I mean, it was extremely deep and extremely unique.

C (37:29)

It was really good. And actually, after that middleweight won his class, I told Kendall, I said, well, you know, I don't know what's coming to this heavyweight class, but we got a pretty good steer that we can tie to. He was really thick and powerful and dimensioned and spread. He wasn't the prettiest necked one that we saw all day. But, you know, again, for Kendall and I, that was one of our last holding criteria was their neck length. And I liked that middleweight a lot. And then this heavyweight class come in, and specifically this calf that wins, Kendall, you'll have to tell I think he was the first one in or one of the first ones in, but maybe I'm wrong, but when he walked in again, it was one of those ones. I didn't even have to ask Kendall. I just pulled him and he was. He just knocked us on our socks. I mean, we. We'd had some really good cattle at that point, but that calf just hit us so hard in terms of his symmetry and his lines and his presence. And he was sure ample enough in his muscle. He was a very, very good steer, and we thought won the limousines pretty comfortably. And it was a little closer for reserve, but really like that reserve too. And then there was a nice second place heavyweight as well. But, yeah, this one that won. We knew he was a contender when we saw him. We got through his breed and was gonna see how he stacked up when he got back out there. But obviously he stacked up pretty well, and I'm sure we'll get to that again.

A (38:48)

Sure. Yes, sir. Kendall, what did you think?

B (38:50)

Yeah, I mean, we definitely looked each other and when we. When we saw that calf, and I mean, he's just very, very good. He's. He's timeless in his build. I thought of any steer we've judged, he was nearly perfect in every angle of his skeleton. His feet were perfect, his hind leg was perfect. Just all of it. And he was still as fresh as a daisy in his handle still had plenty of power. And the reserve, totally different steer. He was just a chunk. I mean, he was built wide everywhere and still fundamental about a skeleton. Maybe not as neat about his head or as crest of his neck, but, man, that was. That was a good breed. Really nice deer to win.

A (39:32)

Yeah. Well, then you end the day with the red crosses. Obviously, Blake made some comments about needing to go jump in the pool and stuff like that. I thought that definitely lightened up the mood for sure. The lightweight was incredible, obviously due to his shape and mascularity over the top side of his shoulder and over his loin. Your middleweight was just kind of nose holes. Calf that was fundamentally correct. And your heavyweight fault, free cap that was opened up and had width and. But just maybe a little coarser through his front end, I think, is what y' all had tacked on. But obviously, the heavyweight one and the reserve was middle. And so just talking about the dynamics of the Red Cross, I briefly got to watch it. So when I say that I watched the grand drive and took notes off of that, but it seemed as if just from the drive of the Red Cross, that it was. It was definitely high quality, for sure.

C (40:22)

And those were actually both heavyweights. They were 12 in the heavyweight class. But the Red Cross has provided some challenge, I thought, for Kendall and I just in the sense that there was a lot of different types, but, boy, the heavyweight class come in, and this calf that won the reds, I thought did so pretty convincingly. Very good steer. You know, I don't know that he blew you away in any one area, but he was just very quality. And there was a lot of things to like about the reserve. Really stout, had a lot of muscle, maybe wasn't quite as good up out of his shoulder. They come in class together, and that was a pretty deep class of heavyweights, but that was a good way to end day two on those reds. Felt really good about those two steers that we sent to the drive, for sure.

A (41:02)

Kendall, what was your thoughts?

B (41:03)

Yeah, for sure. A little bit more challenging to sort through just because of the different types of cattle. Nothing taken away from the quality. Again, I think this champion steer just filled a lot of our boxes in terms of what we had been searching for. And then that reserve steer, maybe a little bit prettier from the side, a little bit more balanced, not quite as stout, maybe not quite as sound or good at the ground, but a very good breed to land on. And you know that, kid. I actually remember this, Blake, I think you do, too, but that kid got pretty emotional leaving the ring when we selected him and you know, that was just a, you know, a happy, happy way to end a long day two for us is just kind of remind it, remind us why we do it and just to see how happy he was. And even the reserve young lady, I thought great way to end day two.

A (41:51)

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C (44:28)

Am.

A (44:28)

Well, then day two happens of wave two, and then you start off with the black crosses. Obviously the black cross, that one I thought was extremely unique. I kind of wondered why they didn't try to run a main. But then again, I wasn't the one behind the altar nor was part of the family. But I did like the calf a whole lot. I thought that was a really long neck level maid steer that was extremely unique from the side and had a huge hip on him and just the angle to his hind leg and the way he utilized it was really, really awesome. The reserve of the black cross was a little different. His type and kind. Probably not as burly in the center portion of his body, but it was a really deep set of black crosses just from lightweight to heavyweight class. Talk to me about the dynamics of the black crosses and how they hit y'.

C (45:11)

All. Yeah, black crosses were a good show. A lot of different types I thought in the black crosses, but a lot of different good types steer we won with really short backed. Loved his proportionality, very sound on his feet and legs. Had a lot of durability to him. I thought he was a darn good calf. The one we ended up using reserve. I can't wait to see the carcass date on him because I'm telling you, he had a monster back in him and I would expect him to be pretty high credibility in terms of his yield grade as well. He had some really out there pieces. I mean, he looked like to me he could look over a seven foot tall fence with that neck he had. You know, he was maybe just a nickel piece here than our champion. But I thought two very good steers. Now, they weren't the same type at all, but we thought they were the two best.

A (45:55)

Absolutely. Kendall, what did you think?

B (45:57)

Yeah, I thought the champion was just a chunk. I mean he still handled fresh, but he was just awesome bodied, awesome hip balanced, great, great shown, great. I thought that was a very nice steer. The reserve, just like Blake said, kind of a freak show. Maybe one of the biggest hind legs and hind foot and a calf we judged the whole time. Just maybe just a little out there. Maybe didn't blend quite as smooth. But like Blake said, carcass fundamentals and. And just how he'll scan and do that, I think he'll be very Impressive. So I thought the black cross was a great way to start us off on day three. Started very strong.

A (46:34)

Yes, ma'.

C (46:35)

Am.

A (46:35)

Well, then, obviously the AOCs happened. Every class had something different. Every class was extremely deep. In my mind. Everything that came back out into the drive definitely stood out due to the fact that everything was just so unique for the AOC breed. I thought the AOCs here at San Antonio this year was just extremely deep and the quality was second to none. Walk me through kind of how they all hit you. Obviously, I thought the Class 3 calf was an extremely nice one. Obviously the one that won was just lights out incredible. The one y' all use for reserve there in the AOCs matched him quite a bit just in terms of his rib cage and spread up high. Talk to me about just how the AOCs hit you and just kind of the dynamics.

C (47:17)

Yeah, the first three classes were all good lighter weight cattle. You know, I thought Kendall and I had to work through them, but we got them sifted down to where we wanted to be, and I thought just some really good, strong cattle. And then the Class 4 AOC steer came in. He was kind of a light orange or almost a peach colored calf. Tremendous look and balance. Young lady. Showed him he was great in his top line. I don't know that I appreciated that calf as much in his class as I did when he got back out there for champion, because he won his class pretty easy, and so I didn't have to study him that long in his class. But I really like that calf. And we'll get to him here in just a minute. And then class five come in, and we pulled a lot of them. But the first year in the ring, I'm pretty sure he was the first one in that class, wasn't he, Kendall?

B (48:05)

Yeah.

C (48:05)

Our champion.

B (48:05)

Yep, he was.

C (48:06)

And he was. I don't know if he took one step in and we waved him over, but I'll never forget this. Kendall and I both. We didn't even. It was like it was synchronized swimming at the Olympics. We both walked behind that calf and watched him walk for, I don't know, 20 steps. And I just remember the hair on the back of my neck standing up when I saw that calf. And. And then I just hope he handled, and I hope he would do all the things that we wanted. And that was a very good class. There was. There was a trio of steers in that class that we really liked. But, you know, I just got on the mic and told him what Kendall and I were kind of thinking on that one. And he obviously hit us very hard. But that was a very good second place steer in that class. That was muscular and again, very shapely, real good. And then we got to that heavyweight class. That was a real good class of steers. I thought there was four or five of them in there that were sure enough good. We got down to a pair. And probably that Class 6 AOC was as much discussion as Kendall and I had on a pair, because I really thought you could toss them back and forth either way. Each of them had a thing or two you'd tweak, but they were still both really good cattle. But we got back out for the AOC drive and I told him, I said, hey, if you don't like this one, we're going to use this because you don't own him. And I didn't mean that arrogantly or anything like that, or condescending. I've judged a long time. I've been judging for 20, over 20 years now. I don't know that I've ever had an animal hit me as hard as that calf hit me in that moment as he did in his class. And then when he come back out for the AOC drive, and then we had a tough call for reserve. I mean, I thought you could have used the Class 4 steer, the second place steer, or you could have used either one of those heavyweights. And we ended up keeping those classmates together. But I mean, I said it on the mic, so it's not anything that anybody can't go back and watch on YouTube on. And I'm going to give Taylor Fort some credit. He did an incredible job. His team does an incredible job of documenting the show so people can go back and watch him or watch them on live stream. But that calf that won the AOCs, he will forever be etched in my mind as one of the great cattle that I've ever had the opportunity to jump.

A (50:20)

Yes, for sure. Well, Kendall, what did you think?

B (50:22)

Yeah, I remember us both stepping in behind that steer and just taking it in for a minute when he walked away. And there wasn't a single other animal that we could have compared him to. I think we both realized and had seen enough cattle to know how unique and how good that one was. And then to even make it even further, reaching Blake, I don't know if you remember this, but when we were nailed down to maybe three or four in that class, we walked them and we looked at each other and we just said. We said the exact same thing at the same time about that steer. I don't even remember what it was, but I remember it about us just being so in sync on that steer. He was, he was some kind of good. And that is absolutely nothing taken away from everything else in that class because we'd be thankful to have any of the rest of them. That's how good they were. They were very, very, very good cattle. And really, the whole AOC division, we knew they were coming, to be honest. I mean, that day three, we're tired. We're just waiting for those cattle to come to us. We knew they were coming and they sure did in every class and definitely had some discussion up till class four, I guess, on how we wanted to lie our priorities. And then, you know, like Blake said that class six, really, there was probably like five or six deers in that class that were dang good cattle. And those, those, you know, handlers or parents and kids that they had done such a great job of keeping those cattle in track with handle quality and not getting them stale. Even at a, you know, a 1500 pound card weight, they still handled very good. Which, to be honest, the whole week kind of blew my mind. I mean, just the handle quality and keeping those things together, it's. It's changed a lot since when I showed and it just keeps progressing. And it truly amazed me, to be honest, just how good they handled. But you know, as a whole, just like, I mean, I'm echoing everything Blake said. We were in sync the whole week, but especially that when that champion hit, I mean, there really didn't need to be any words said. We both, I think, realized that thing was pretty good and yeah, it was, it was fun. It was for sure fun.

A (52:28)

Hey, I do kind of Wonder the Class 2 AOC, I'm looking back at Pulse pictures and I kind of wonder why then that family didn't run that calf American. He was the golden white painted up steer. I thought his sheath shape was like almost perfect to run American. I was kind of curious to see what yalls thoughts. Y' all got to see him in person, obviously.

C (52:47)

Well, we're not sure if he was a classification casualty or not. We didn't ask, but we. He. They might have tried. He got classed out, don't know. But he was a very, very good steer for sure.

A (52:58)

So then obviously the preliminary judging is happening and Blake got a little emotional there. And one, I'd like to ask why, due to the fact I think it'd be a neat story to know, obviously, if anybody was in your shoes, I think they'd do the Same thing. Kendall, you got a little emotional there as well, and I loved it. I loved listening to all of it, unfortunately, that I got to sit down and listen to the whole thing and thought that obviously all the cattle came back out and just looked incredible. I'd like to know if there were certain cattle that come back out that you expected to look a certain way, but looked somewhere else way, but maybe some that shocked you, that come back, you know, from day one or wave one, you know, I'd like to know kind of how everything just hit you there.

C (53:43)

Yeah, I got emotional because I watched those kids and those steers come in there, and I thought those steers looked even better, and I thought about those kids. But honestly, I got to thinking about the kids, and Kendall and I gave every steer a look. I mean, they can. They can say whatever they want about us judging, but we legitimately gave every steer, at least by the time we looked at them or handled them. I think we gave at least every steer 30 to 40 seconds. And that might not sound like a lot, but that is a lot when you have 1400 head of cattle. And I thought about the kids who didn't make it out there or who didn't make the cut or their dreams didn't necessarily come true. But I also thought about what it meant for those kids that are out there. And as a show parent, I probably think about that stuff more than what I used to when I was younger. And I just. The overwhelming pride that I had in those cattle and having somebody that means a lot to me out there judging with me. I'm not a very emotional person, but in that moment, it just hit me. And it might have been because I was deliriously tired, too. I don't know. But it just hit me like a ton of bricks. I'll be honest with you. I couldn't pull myself together, and I finally did. But it was an overwhelming moment. It's a moment that I'll remember the rest of my life that doesn't matter how many. Maybe I'll judge no more slick sheared steer shows. Maybe I'll judge 10 more, I don't know. But I don't have to judge another one to have a moment that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

A (55:08)

Yes, sir. Absolutely. Kendall, what was your thoughts? Obviously, all the cattle just looked phenomenal. And I'd have to say I think it'd be pretty hard to. To try and have the same speech as Blake, but you knocked it out of the park as well.

B (55:21)

Yeah, I mean, it was just. It was just. Honestly, I didn't have the right words to form. I'm much like Blake. You know, I don't have kids, but I know what it means to those kids and how much effort and time, dedication and money they put into it. And, you know, we did look at every kid, we talked to every kid, and you felt. Feel like, you know, you talk to them for three seconds, but, man, you know, their life story, like, you just know what they've been through to get there. And so it made it really special. And, you know, just watching those steers come out, I mean, it's. It's breathtaking. I don't know how they do it. They. They're, like Blake said, they're so good at their craft. Those kids are great showmen. Those steers are just absolutely incredible. And for however many breeds we judged, I mean, they were all so good. Normally you got a breed here or there that you're like, oh, okay, like, they're nice, they're nice. But every breed, I mean, it was just so good. And, you know, to be out there with Blake, I mean, he's done so much for me. I mean, he could have had. He's coached I don't know how many kids that have done such great things, and they're. They're big time in the industry. And he could have had anybody out there. And, you know, just for. For me to be out there with him, I thought was just a true honor for myself. But I can't express it enough how much fun we had. I mean, yes, we were. We were so tired at the end of every day, I mean, to the point where I really couldn't even function. Words. That's how tired I was. But I mean, it. Just looking back, I haven't stopped thinking about it. It was the most fun I've ever had judging. I told Blake and I told my parents I could. This could be the last show I ever judged. And I just die happy. I mean, it was just that kind of moment, that kind of specialty, I guess, and just. Yeah, I don't know. It was pretty dang awesome. And I just. Both of us were so proud of those kids. I mean, just so dang proud of the steers, the kids, and just everything.

A (57:19)

Absolutely. Well, you have the grand drive that night there at the rodeo. So in between times of the preliminary judging and the selection of the grand reserve champion steer, what was Yalls mindset? What was kind of the emotional feeling you were getting leading up to that point and what was it like Doing that in that kind of arena. I've never been fortunate to walk in there and watch that event, but I'm sure it was an amazing feeling. And maybe if you'd like elaborate on some of the steers that were also in contention.

C (57:50)

Yeah, it was a pretty cool feeling earlier this year when my daughter went to the rodeo at Denver for the Supreme Junior Heifer. That's the first time. And she told me how cool it was, and I was actually up in the stands. They could have one handler, and somebody else was down there. But as Kendall and I were waiting to go into that arena to pick the champion steer, we just looked at each other like, this is the coolest thing we've ever been a part of. I mean, it was. Your heart was about to beat out of your chest. We were surrounded by rodeo horses, and, I mean, everything was happening. The steers were amped up. Everybody was amped up. I mean, it was. It was awesome. And obviously, we'd already made our selection, but, you know, the two steers that we ended up using win contention. The champion Brahman was obviously a strong contender. The reserve AOC was definitely in the mix. The main steer, I thought, came back and really looked apart in the grand drive. He was in the mix. We, you know, the Charolais was. Was in the mix. Who am I missing? Oh, the girt. I thought the girt and the semi were both, you know, obviously steers that we had were on my mind. But, you know, at the end of the day, just to be truthful with you, for me, and I don't want to speak for Kendall, the three steers that I probably had it boiled down to were the two and the Brahmin. Those were the three steers that I think just in terms of what had kind of stuck with me and how they looked that night. I thought those were. We saw lots of incredible cattle. But if you had to put truth serum in me, and I know people like this because you want to know what goes through the judge's mind, Those were probably the three for me, at the end of the day, that it boiled down to. But I'm going to be clear about one thing, and. And I think people understand this. We thought the grand was the grand, and I did think that the reserve really followed his type and kind extremely well. And. But I want to give credit to that Brahmin. I thought he was a very, very, very good steer.

A (59:45)

Absolutely.

C (59:45)

Absolutely.

A (59:46)

Kendall, how'd you feel?

B (59:47)

Yeah, I don't know how many times I said to the people around Me how cool that was. It was a lot, though. I mean, I. I've never been in a opportunity like that or a judging situation. My heart was just. I didn't have to do really anything but go out in the grand drive and just stand there and take it all in. I still had butterflies. I mean, it was just the coolest thing. And for those kids, I hope they never forget that and maybe they'll get the opportunity to do it again, but if they don't, I hope they understand how cool that was. And, you know, they were presented some scholarships before we headed over there, which is really, really cool for those kids, too. Not hardly any states, I don't think do that. So that was cool, too. But yeah, just. It was so awesome. And, you know, I would agree with Blake. I would agree on those top five. I would say the Reserve AOC was in there for sure for me. Brahman and Maine, and then obviously the two that won. But yeah, it's just pretty special feeling. For sure.

A (60:46)

Yes, ma'.

C (60:47)

Am. For sure.

A (60:48)

Well, it was a really, really good show and it was really deep, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity to be able to do post game sorts like this with people like y'.

C (60:59)

All.

A (60:59)

Once again, I thought y' all did an incredible job, and I'm very grateful that y' all were able to come on and do this with me. Is there anything else that maybe y' all like to leave the listeners with? One question I do have is we had this discussion when we were doing the Denver Post game sort, but in terms of lighting and how obviously the turf is different probably than the turf at Denver. Is there anything that worked differently at San Antonio compared to, like, Denver or something of that nature in terms of lighting or footing at the surface?

C (61:28)

I mean, I think every show ring in America should be set up like that one in San Antonio. The length, the foot quality, that turf was awesome out there. The lighting was good. I mean, we had good natural lighting. Other than it was 100 degrees on Thursday, which was not overly great for my body type, it was awesome. That ring is just. There's just not a bad spot in that ring, and you can really see the cattle, and there's enough room to get a lot of cattle in the ring at one time. I love the ring, and they had a lot of air movement in there for us with those fans. And it's just one of the best venues to judge cattle that I've been to.

A (62:09)

Kendall, what was your thoughts about all of that?

B (62:12)

I would totally echo. I think it was an absolutely perfect setting. How they staged them, how they came in. Blake would. Would definitely agree with this statement, but with Dr. Skaggs in there and Jennifer Ann, I mean, they ran things so stinking smooth. I mean, those cattle were on point every time they came in. Dr. Skaggs would send them to us, we'd get them pulled. Jennifer Ann would make sure they go to the right place. The lighting, the grip on the turf was great. You could see everything. But, you know, those cattle really didn't spook too bad on it. So I feel like the kids at home did their homework and walked them on some. Some carpet or some turf and kind of got them accustomed to that. You know, the one thing Blake and I made sure we did was if they get a few weird steps coming in, two or three weird steps, we made sure to watch them walk around that corner and get a few, you know, a few good strides in before we made up our mind, just to make sure that they got comfortable before we just made our decision. And I'll also tack on to that one thing that we dang sure made sure to do was we went back through and handled all those steers that maybe didn't get the first pass, but there was several times where we pulled some of those steers off the wall and they ended up making the sale or even second, maybe even one one the class. Blake, I don't remember, but we gave them an ample amount of time to kind of give us, give us a look, and there was some times that we missed them coming in, just to be honest, there's so many cattle, and it was a great opportunity for us to get to rehandle those sears again. Every calf got handled. Even if Blake got kicked by one, we still got them handled. But I just saw it. I thought it was a great ring setting, great ring staff. Everything ran so, so smooth, so it was great.

A (63:58)

It seemed as if the Americans were a little more on the aggressive side this year rather than past years, that's for sure.

C (64:05)

Yeah, there's one of them that got me right in the knee.

A (64:10)

Well, I hope the knee is healed up and all is well, but once again, guys, I do appreciate it so much for y' all coming on and doing this with me. Obviously, this has been the second time that y' all have done a post game sort with me. I hope it's not the last. And so, with that said, I do appreciate all of the listeners that do this and listen and support. I'm even more grateful for, for the ability to do this. I think that this has become extremely valuable and extremely fun to do and. And just to see all the engagement that we get out of it, of getting the judge's mindset after the show is something that we've been needing for a long, long time. So I do appreciate it, guys. If there's anything else that I can say, it's God bless and hope that you'll have the best condolences from this point forward, and hopefully we get to do this again at some point in time, but up until then, just keep going, and I do appreciate it. So with all this said, empowerment's here. This is what it's all about. This is what I've always dreamed of. Thank you all for tuning in.