Cash for cattle

FRED LYNCH * flynch@semissourian.com

Palladium windows and an 18-foot ceiling provide a European atmosphere in the living room of this house at 2517 Abbey in Cape Girardeau.By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian

This summer, there wasn't any sleeping until noon and then chillin' by the pool for Matt Bollinger of Fruitland, Jeremy Nothdurft of Gordonville and dozens of other area teenagers like them.

There were steers to feed and the pitter-patter of little hooves to hear.

Which means these teens can enter lucrative livestock in the 4-H and FFA competitions at the SEMO District Fair, which runs Sept. 6 to 13.

Summer mornings at the barn or evenings spent trying to catch a steer in the open field were all part of the job. There were good days and bad -- days with plenty of rain and some when there was not enough.

Life on the farm is a gamble, and so is the competition at the fair, they say.

"You never know in the ring," said Paul Nothdurft, whose family has been farming near Gordonville for 100 years. "There are years when you bring a steer you think is grand champion and the judges don't agree, and sometimes you think one is just average and you might win."

But two area teens are confident that their cattle are show-worthy for the stiff competition at the fair.

A good year

Nothdurft, 18, knew in May which steer he'd be entering and began working with him then. Now, three months later, the animal wears a halter without complaint and willingly walks on a lead.

But none of that came easily.

"It depends on how cooperative the animal is," Jeremy said while leading the steer, marked with a yellow tag numbered 1094, around the barnyard. "This year they're all gentle, and it's not been that hard."

The halter and a lead is an essential part of the show arena, said Paul Nothdurft, Jeremy's father. "They can't run off." Almost every year, there's an animal who breaks loose from the 4-H or FFA ring and runs through the fairgrounds, he said. Usually the owners have to run off to corral their livestock, and sometimes the police have to lend a hand.

Younger children enter their animals under the direction of a 4-H club. The older teens enter as part of the Future Farmers of America organization. The organizations are designed to promote projects and activities that teach youth about farming and agriculture.

Either way, the livestock show and sale are traditions for many area families.

Jeremy Nothdurft has been entering livestock at the fair since he was 9, and either his older sister or brother has had an entry at the fair for the last 13 consecutive years.

As youngsters, the Nothdurfts entered hogs but lately have tended toward steers and heifers. The cattle tend to bring more money at the livestock sale, and that's a big incentive, Paul Nothdurft said.

But it was easier for the younger children to handle a sow or hog than a 500 or 600 pound steer, he said. As his children have grown, they've moved to cattle.

Jeremy entered both hogs and cattle at last year's fair and chose to enter only one category this year. Part of the dilemma last year was that the show for both hogs and cattle was held at the same time but in different rings. Jeremy kept running back and forth between the two and never had enough time to really get the animals ready for judging.

"It was too much work, so I'm just entering cattle," Jeremy said.

Grooming the bovine

But entering cattle is still a labor-intensive task. There are grooming requirements, and the animals need to be calm during the fair, where noises and distractions abound.

Matt Bollinger has been working for the past three weeks getting his six cattle accustomed to all the necessities of the show ring -- especially the halter, which is probably the toughest part of the task, he said.

"They're like squirmy little kids," he said.

That's because they are: The cattle range in age from nearly 2 years old to just 7 months.

Once the cattle get used to the feel of a halter and lead, they don't mind it as much, Bollinger said. Some even enjoy all the grooming and bathing, particularly when the water is cold and the weather is hot.

The animals have to get used to the sounds from the midway. In the barn, they listen to the radio while Bollinger works with them. At the fairgrounds stable, they'll also get a fan.

"Most show livestock get treated a lot better," Bollinger said.

Yet competition is also a large component of the livestock arena. Each of the animals is competing against dozens others to be the grand champion.

Both Nothdurft and Bollinger have already competed in shows this summer, which gives them valuable experience for the fair.

Nothdurft said he looks forward to the fair. "I like showing and seeing that you work all summer for something, you get a reward. It's like all your hard work paid off."

Just like some teenagers play football and baseball for the experience it gives, Bollinger joined 4-H. "I like to work with the cattle," he said.

And maybe there's a grand champion ribbon to be earned.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126