SHOWING OFF

 I know I jump around a lot with these stories but I guess I have a jumpy brain. I have a short story to tell you now and it's not about ancestors. 

As I told you in a past quip, I raised cattle to put myself through college. Well, a rancher associated with the stock show and sale in Beeville, my home town, thought it would be a good idea if a girl led the Grand Champion Hereford bull around the sale ring, so he asked me to do it. Maybe you aren't aware, but in the 50s girls were not supposed to do anything "rough". We were supposed to get married, have children, cook and sew. Well, that didn't work for me as you may have read in my previous blogs. So, anyway, since I was a showoff at heart I liked the idea and off I went into the sale ring leading this enormous bull. We were the first to step into the auction ring that day so the hay was about knee deep and I stumbled going in. That was all the bull needed for encouragement and he began to gently push me with his head so that it wound up with him leading me instead of the other way around. I can't remember the amount of money he sold for but I do know it was quite a lot.

Speaking of auctions, one time my parents were in Houston at the Fat Stock Show (that's what they called it then), and the Grand Champion Hereford bull was led into the ring. The auctioneer started his prattle and the bid went to $15,000. About that time Mama saw someone she knew across on the other side of the ring and she waved to them.....the bid then went to $20,000! Daddy turned to her and said, "You'd better hope someone wants that bull more than you do!" Fortunately someone did and Mama sat on her hands for the duration of the sale.


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