~in Hereford spirit, your Queen Amanda Bacon
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
2011-2012 National Hereford Queen-My First Time to Wear the White!
I attended my first show as the newly crowned National Hereford Queen this past week, which was the Junior show at the North American in Louisville,KY. I had a blast wearing the white, representing a great breed, and interacting with Hereford juniors! Even though I was exhausted after the show from running back and forth from the awards table to where the cattle were exiting the ring, I still thoroughly enjoyed my first experience! I'm excited to be flying back to Lousiville today for the open show and I'm excited for some more quality time with breeders!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Dudley Brother's 50th Annual Sale
On Thursday, October 13th, the Dudley family had there 50th annual sale. I find it pretty incredible that their family has maintained there ranch for way over 50 years, but even more amazing that they have held their sale for an astounding 50 years! What an accomplishment!As always, it's a joy to be around the whole family. They're a part of my Texas Hereford family, so I've known them for quite some time. One of the family members even works with my sister at Texas Tech University. Small world! Before the sale, I had the opportunity to visit with all of my Hereford friends. We took pictures and discussed how great things were going for everyone! The sale started at 1 PM and went fast and furious! There were almost 200 lots so it was going to be a LONG sale! After the sale, I met a lady from Herefordshire, England that was on her honeymoon. It was so neat getting to meet and converse with her! She's from Herefordshire! That's so cool!!
The Dudley Brother's Sale was a huge success and getting to see my Hereford family was more than worth the trip! Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Hershey state of Pennsylvania!
From College Station, Texas to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, this was without adoubt a distance to travel! My flight left early on Thursday morning and I arrived
in Harrisburg Around 7 PM that night. I met up with my Dad at the Dallas/ Fort
Worth Airport, we traveled from therein together. I definitely slept on ALL
three of my connecting flights, while dad was wide awake reading every magazine
and newspaper. While waiting for our shuttle we ran into Mr. Hawk of Delhawk
Ranch. We took the shuttle to our hotel together, visited on the way and met up with him for dinner that night. He was there to judge the Angus show, but it is
always nice to see a familiar face!
Friday was the day of the Open Show. The show wasn't early, but I definitely had
a full day ahead of me being the only royalty there. I did have the honor and
privilege, however, of working with Ms. Terri Barber as she was judging the Hereford Show. Mr. John Meents was the Field Representative on duty, as well as, Ms. Amy Cowan
being there. Of course, my father was put straight to work by lining up cattle
in the the make-ready arena. I'm sure he enjoyed lining up cattle much more than
sitting by the awards. The show lasted from 2:00-7:45, including pictures and all!
It definitely is not the longest day that I have experienced as the National
Hereford Queen, but it was a great day! From watching people excitedly jump up
and down after a win, having the opportunity to meet the Pennsylvania Secretary
of Agriculture, and watching Mr. Meents hand out ribbons to a class while I was
taking a division picture, it was a wonderful day! I will have to say though, I
was expecting some very COLD weather, seeing as Texas is starting to get chilly.
Boy was I wrong, the weather was beautiful in Pennsylvania! I definitely should
have bought my summer queen outfit because at one point I thought I was going to
pass out in the process of handing out ribbons! Luckily, I had water directly brought to me that made me feel much better.
After the show had come to an end with pictures and all, it was time for me to get my beauty sleep because I had an EARLY flight the next morning. Regretfully, I was unable to stay until the junior show. It basically takes me a full day to fly back to College Station, therefore, I would've missed much more school than I necessarily needed to. I would like to give a special thanks to the Firestine family. They were so supportive and helpful throughout my time at Pennsylvania! It was a breath of fresh air having them there. Overall, KILE was an incredible show!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Kickin' It In Kansas Part II
The rest of the week during the National Junior Hereford Exposition flew by! Tuesday was a day full of competitions and gathering with friends. That afternoon the National Hereford Women sponsored an Ice Cream Social for the juniors. All of the queens showed up looking lovely as ever in their official dress with their sash and crowns.
The girls and I mingled throughout the crowd talking to adults, children, and members of the National Hereford Women’s Board. 
(Mrs. Paula Acheson and I at the Ice Cream Social)
We talked about the show and life and anything that came to mind! It was nice having the Ice Cream Social with all of the queens around interacting with anyone that wanted to talk. After the social, I had to fly to Lubbock, Texas for the State FFA Convention to receive a scholarship. That was a trip! My flight was canceled in Denver, Colorado; therefore, I had the honor of staying the night in the airport. Do you think I slept? No! It was a creepy airport during the night, but I survived it! The next morning I got the earliest flight to Lubbock and received my scholarship then flew back that night. It was all definitely worth the trip… just a LONG trip! 
(My friends and I at the State FFA Convention before we went on stage)
While I was away from the NJHE, the girls worked the show arena for showmanship. They gave ribbons and congratulated all exhibitors. I had many compliments for them when I returned. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were definitely the busiest and most exhausting days of the week. It’s non-stop work! Thursday morning, we all took our official quuen's picture for the Hereford World Magazine. 
Although it’s work, work, work, it’s the best part of the week. This is the time when all of the queens truly get to bond! We sit together, laugh together, and work together. 
Thursday was a long, long day. We seriously worked ALL day long! We did every show but the owned show. All of the shows included the cow-calf pairs, bred-and-owned bulls, junior AI bulls, bred-and owned-heifers, and the junior AI heifers. It was a successful day for many exhibitors.
Friday was a long day as well! The owned show lasted all day long. We seriously didn’t end with pictures from divisions and all until the beginning of the banquet. I was running to the banquet with my parents and when they introduced all of the State Queens and me as I was walking through the backdoor. The banquet went well with retiring speeches and award presentations. After the banquet pictures were taken and everybody got back to the barns to do their work. Friday started early and was bittersweet. I was FINALLY the last day of the NJHE which also meant the last day I would see everyone! We had all gained some hardcore muscles from holding the insanely heavy rocks as well as me holding the bronze bulls. The awards were definitely the coolest and most unique I’ve ever seen! As the show progressed, people were anticipating the Grand Drive. This is honestly my favorite part of any National Show. Everyone circles around the edges of the show ring, the stands are full, the cameras are on, and the queens are smiling. It is such an exciting moment!
After the winners were chosen, pictures were taken and goodbyes were given. By the time the queens and I were done with pictures, the barn was practically empty! Everybody was already loaded up and ready to head out. My week of the National Junior Hereford Exposition as the National Hereford Queen was incredible! There are so many people that helped me throughout the week and so many I want to thank. Even my National Hereford Queen's Basket raised an astounding amount of money! 
Thank you to all that to contributed to my basket! Thank you especially to my wonderful queen coordinator, Ms. Margeaux Firestine! She was like my "big sister" all week long! 
My family and Texas Hereford family were so amazing and supportive. I always love getting to meet back up with ALL of my Hereford family because of the continual support they give me!
Monday, July 25, 2011
First Annual National Hereford Queen's Tea!
The National Junior Hereford Exposition came fast and quick and was gone in a flash! While everyone was “Kickin it in Kansas” on Monday morning, I was preparing for the first annual National Hereford Queen’s Tea! 
It was a fun getting to make sandwiches, fruit bowls, and setting up all of the sweets. Luckily, I had the help from my wonderful mother, Sarah Smith (our Texas Polled Hereford Queen), her friend Riley, and Mrs. Barbara Metch. Mrs. Barbara is always there when we need her most and I truly appreciate her friendship. These very helpful ladies helped make the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever had. I sat all lonely in the very NEW kitchen of the upstairs part of the stock show center. Thankfully, Mrs. Cindy Lambert wanted to check out what was going on in the kitchen and see what we were making. She ended up helping me clean all of the fruit. Once all the food was prepared, we had to wait to set up the ‘Queen’s Tea’ room because scholarship interviews were going on. While we were waiting patiently and placing food on the plates in particular orders, my lovely queen coordinator Margeaux Firestine and her mother joined us with helping hands! Once the room was open to decorate we all dashed quickly to rearrange tables, chairs, crowns, and food. Thanks to all of my help it looked fantastic and for our new Texas Hereford Queen Kim Wilson and her sweet mom for pitching in last minute! After we set up everything, I went and put on my queen outfit and prepared for the Queen’s Tea I had ahead of me. Once I stepped foot outside of the changing room, I ran into Miss Diane Johnson, owner of Details by Design and the speaker for our etiquette session. Ms. Johnson and I discussed what would be talked about during the etiquette session and how excited she was for my tea! 
Sooner than I would have imagined, people started showing up; little girls in their Sunday best with big bows following their mothers, anxious to get attention from one of the many queens. I started off the tea by introducing myself as the National Hereford Queen and giving a brief history of my travels since I was crowned in October of last year in 2010. After speaking, I introduced Ms. Diane Johnson who gave an overview to the girls about where to put their napkins and the different foods that are normally served for an ‘English Tea.’ Once the food was discussed, everyone got in line to get fill thier plates with our wonderful goodies and sat down for a little more etiquette.
I then had the honor of introducing all of the state queens. They all stood up at the front and said their name and state. Finally at the end of my tea, all the little girls in attendance got an autographed photo of myself, and the chance to have their picture taken with either myself or any of the Hereford Queens in attendance. This final part of the tea I thought was really special. I felt that overall this first National Hereford Queen’s Tea was a true success! 
(The wonderful Arkansas girls) 
(The lovely Texas girls) 
(This picture is simply adorable!)
Immediately after the Tea, we had a State Queen’s Orientation, which in a nutshell is where we told everyone who was a queen in attendance what to expect for the upcoming week. Serving as a state queen at our Jr. National Hereford Expo is quite an undertaking with long hours in the show ring and an audience who watches you every move. It’s important to not only assist in the ring with walking in the classes of outstanding Hereford/Polled Hereford cattle, but be ready to assist in the award pictures and be a spokesperson at a moment’s notice if you are asked to be. Each girl realizes that their judges may be in the stands and they take their rolls very seriously.
I appreciate everyone who came to my tea; the over eighty-eight in attendance! I felt it was my way to give back and hold a special event for our special little girls and big girls in our association. A special thank you for my parents, Scott and Alise Nolan for hosting this event under our ranch name, Nolan Herefords. Thank you also to those National Hereford Women in attendance.
And to all the girls in attendance, I hope that you one day will consider running for National Hereford Queen. It’s been an absolute thrilling experience all year to represent the best breed of cattle in the nation - Herefords!
After a long day of being with our glamorous queens, we had state pictures and opening ceremonies. I had the honor of walking in with Rossie Blinson, National Junior Hereford President, holding our American flag. Rossie and I were the first to walk out into the empty show ring with the stands full of parents and exhibitors. We made our way to the center of the arena and Rossie sang the 'Star Spangled Banner' with that beautiful voice of hers!
After the National Anthem, everyone started to walk in with their state flags with exhibitors following. It took some time to get everyone in the ring, but once we did the rest of opening ceremonies began. Awards were given to those juniors exhibiting in their last Jr. Nationals and sponsors were recognized. Towards the end of opening ceremonies the National Hereford Women sponsored a raffle for a free Hereford heifer. I had the honor of drawing our lucky winner Brady Jensen of Kansas! After Brady's name was chosen, the opening ceremonies came to a close. Directly following opening ceremonies, it was time for our annual dance with kids of all ages. We always have a blast!
The first official day at Jr. Nationals will always be near and dear to my heart when I reflect back on my time as National Hereford Queen. It was a fun day filled with not only our first National Hereford Tea, but our great opening ceremonies kicking off the greatest Jr. Nationals in our great nation!
It was a fun getting to make sandwiches, fruit bowls, and setting up all of the sweets. Luckily, I had the help from my wonderful mother, Sarah Smith (our Texas Polled Hereford Queen), her friend Riley, and Mrs. Barbara Metch. Mrs. Barbara is always there when we need her most and I truly appreciate her friendship. These very helpful ladies helped make the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever had. I sat all lonely in the very NEW kitchen of the upstairs part of the stock show center. Thankfully, Mrs. Cindy Lambert wanted to check out what was going on in the kitchen and see what we were making. She ended up helping me clean all of the fruit. Once all the food was prepared, we had to wait to set up the ‘Queen’s Tea’ room because scholarship interviews were going on. While we were waiting patiently and placing food on the plates in particular orders, my lovely queen coordinator Margeaux Firestine and her mother joined us with helping hands! Once the room was open to decorate we all dashed quickly to rearrange tables, chairs, crowns, and food. Thanks to all of my help it looked fantastic and for our new Texas Hereford Queen Kim Wilson and her sweet mom for pitching in last minute! After we set up everything, I went and put on my queen outfit and prepared for the Queen’s Tea I had ahead of me. Once I stepped foot outside of the changing room, I ran into Miss Diane Johnson, owner of Details by Design and the speaker for our etiquette session. Ms. Johnson and I discussed what would be talked about during the etiquette session and how excited she was for my tea! Sooner than I would have imagined, people started showing up; little girls in their Sunday best with big bows following their mothers, anxious to get attention from one of the many queens. I started off the tea by introducing myself as the National Hereford Queen and giving a brief history of my travels since I was crowned in October of last year in 2010. After speaking, I introduced Ms. Diane Johnson who gave an overview to the girls about where to put their napkins and the different foods that are normally served for an ‘English Tea.’ Once the food was discussed, everyone got in line to get fill thier plates with our wonderful goodies and sat down for a little more etiquette. I then had the honor of introducing all of the state queens. They all stood up at the front and said their name and state. Finally at the end of my tea, all the little girls in attendance got an autographed photo of myself, and the chance to have their picture taken with either myself or any of the Hereford Queens in attendance. This final part of the tea I thought was really special. I felt that overall this first National Hereford Queen’s Tea was a true success! (The wonderful Arkansas girls) (The lovely Texas girls) (This picture is simply adorable!)Immediately after the Tea, we had a State Queen’s Orientation, which in a nutshell is where we told everyone who was a queen in attendance what to expect for the upcoming week. Serving as a state queen at our Jr. National Hereford Expo is quite an undertaking with long hours in the show ring and an audience who watches you every move. It’s important to not only assist in the ring with walking in the classes of outstanding Hereford/Polled Hereford cattle, but be ready to assist in the award pictures and be a spokesperson at a moment’s notice if you are asked to be. Each girl realizes that their judges may be in the stands and they take their rolls very seriously.
I appreciate everyone who came to my tea; the over eighty-eight in attendance! I felt it was my way to give back and hold a special event for our special little girls and big girls in our association. A special thank you for my parents, Scott and Alise Nolan for hosting this event under our ranch name, Nolan Herefords. Thank you also to those National Hereford Women in attendance.
And to all the girls in attendance, I hope that you one day will consider running for National Hereford Queen. It’s been an absolute thrilling experience all year to represent the best breed of cattle in the nation - Herefords!After a long day of being with our glamorous queens, we had state pictures and opening ceremonies. I had the honor of walking in with Rossie Blinson, National Junior Hereford President, holding our American flag. Rossie and I were the first to walk out into the empty show ring with the stands full of parents and exhibitors. We made our way to the center of the arena and Rossie sang the 'Star Spangled Banner' with that beautiful voice of hers!
After the National Anthem, everyone started to walk in with their state flags with exhibitors following. It took some time to get everyone in the ring, but once we did the rest of opening ceremonies began. Awards were given to those juniors exhibiting in their last Jr. Nationals and sponsors were recognized. Towards the end of opening ceremonies the National Hereford Women sponsored a raffle for a free Hereford heifer. I had the honor of drawing our lucky winner Brady Jensen of Kansas! After Brady's name was chosen, the opening ceremonies came to a close. Directly following opening ceremonies, it was time for our annual dance with kids of all ages. We always have a blast!The first official day at Jr. Nationals will always be near and dear to my heart when I reflect back on my time as National Hereford Queen. It was a fun day filled with not only our first National Hereford Tea, but our great opening ceremonies kicking off the greatest Jr. Nationals in our great nation!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
At 2011 Junior National with the Hereford Queens
The 2011 Hereford Queens at the Junior National... ENJOY!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Texas Junior Hereford/ Polled Hereford State Show
The Texas Junior Hereford/ Polled Hereford State Show is one hectic and jam packed function! We do just about everything that goes on at Junior Nationals in 4 days. Crazy, I know! The State Show was in Belton, Texas this year. This show was lead off by our Texas Junior Polled Hereford Association President, Shelby Rogers, and our Texas Hereford President, Mallorie Phelps. All of the officers, directors, and advisor's from both associations met up on Tuesday night before the show started to do an overview of what our duties were for the week and finally get to see each other and sit down and talk.
Wednesday morning came bright and early for many, as they were all trying to beat the heat of Texas to get to the barns. I got the duty of telling people where their stalls were, but truly I was basically the "Meet and Greet Committee" and did a fine job at it! Throughout the day, old friends and new members moved their tack and cattle into the barns, signed up for competitions, and visited with everyone. Luckily, at our state show we have every meal sponsored so that no one has to leave the barn. It's quite convenient! After everyone made their way into the barns and set up their stalls, there was a swimming party at a water park nearby. Kids were slipping and sliding throughout the park, while Kirbie Day, Mallorie Phelps, and I discussed our upcoming year together at Texas A&M University. The night was short lived and came to end very soon because people had to get up for showmanship the next day.
Thursday arrived with opening ceremonies at the beginning. Mallorie and Shelby gave introductions to all of the special guest that we had at our state show (including me) and introduced our theme which was "Hereford's Rock!" We took a HUGE state picture and had an Elvis impersonator sing for us. He was definitely entertaining! Once opening ceremonies had ceased shadow showmanship had begun. For those of you that don't know, shadow showmanship is for kids in the pee-wee age group or younger and they have an older mentor help them in the show ring and teach them any 'tricks of the trade.' It's a very neat opportunity for kids that don't have an older sibling to teach them. After that, showmanship had officially started. There were two separate rings and overly intense competition! I was happy to be watching rather than competing against those kids! After showmanship, there was team marketing and team fitting and then the dance! Of course the dance was full of fun and laughter with kids of all ages dancing! I had to leave a little early because I was a very tired girl and if I wanted to be alert queen the next day, I had to get my beauty rest!
Friday started off with the Bred and Owned Show, Cow-Calf Pair Show, Junior A.I., Steer Show, and Bull Show. It was a busy morning for the queens, but very exciting because I got the honor of working with my Texas Royalty! The girls were awesome! After the show, we had livestock judging and lunch out at Curtis Younts' Ranch. The lunch and judging was wonderful, but the heat was HOT! That night we had our banquet led by the officers from both associations. Scholarships, new Hereford Royalty, and contest winners were announced. I had the honor of presenting the Texas Hereford Association's new royalty with their sash and crown along with Ashley Cline the past Texas Hereford Sweetheart and Garrett Floyd who is the boy with the highest position on the officer team. It's a tradition for the Texas Junior Hereford Association's boy with the highest office to present the new royalty with their flowers. Our new Texas Hereford Queen is Kim Wilson and our new Texas Hereford Sweetheart is Hannah Schnieder. They are both past Texas Hereford Sweethearts and I know they will do an excellent job!
Saturday morning came in full blast! All of the new Texas Hereford and Polled Hereford Royalty was ready to hand out some ribbons and awards! The girls all took turns giving out ribbons to classes and who got to walk in divisions with me. At the end when the grand drive had arrived, all of the Polled Hereford Royalty stood with me in the ring, as well as the Horned Hereford Royalty did on the separate grand drives. Tyler Allen won both the polled and horned show! Congratulations Tyler! Pictures were taken after the show was over, and there were a TON taken! But no big deal, the royalty could take it! State show was a blast and definitely got everybody geared up and excited for the National Junior Hereford Expo in Kansas City! We will have Mallorie Phelps representing our great state of Texas as Director of Communications on the National Junior Hereford Board, as well as having Shelby Rogers running for National Director! I am literally counting down the hours until I get to Junior Nationals! I cannot wait to see all of my Hereford friends, the new state's royalty, and have the first annual Queen's Tea! I will keep everyone updated on the blogs and try to do them daily!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Texas Polled Hereford Association All-Star Sale
Hereford girls, Hereford girls... Tell me what's better than that?! NOTHING!
The All-Star Cattle Sale is put on by the Texas Polled Hereford Association. Luckily I was able to make it to this sale, but regretfully I couldn't attend the Tennessee River Music, Inc. Sale because it was during my graduation. It was sad not to attend their sale, but I am now happy to say how close I am to Texas A&M University!
The All-Star Sale is jam packed with queen and sweetheart interviews, chili cook-offs, dessert tasting, and of course the sale! As soon as I arrived at the Shocke residence in Sherman, Texas, my Texas Polled Hereford friends greeted me with joy. First of started the queens contest. We had the most talent and beautiful girls come in and out of the intense interviews. Miss Keely Hamman and I decided to hang out with the girls in the waiting room; we enjoyed the fact that we were not stressing out about being interviewed since we are both past state queens. It was wonderful! All of the queen and sweetheart candidate's interviews went very well! Once the stressful interviews had ceased it was time to eat! The chili was amazing as well as dessert, but I would like to add that eating chili is NOT the easiest thing to do in an all white outfit! I stayed clean though. That night after we ate, we announced the results of queen and sweetheart. Our lovely Texas Polled Hereford Queen, Keely Hamman, announced as I crowned them with their new sash and banner. The newly crowned queen was the lucky Miss Sarah Smith with the princess Miss Tracy Brent. We also crowned three sweethearts who were Morgan Dobbs, Ruth Ann Kettler, and Molly Booth. All of the wonderful ladies will do an excellent job representing the Texas Polled Hereford Association this next year. Congratulations! Once we knew who all of our royalty were, we announced the winners of the best desserts and chilis. It was fun just to 'hang out' with everyone. 
From left to right: Ruth Ann Kettler, Molly Booth, Tracey Brent, Sarah Smith, and Me!
The All-Star Cattle Sale is put on by the Texas Polled Hereford Association. Luckily I was able to make it to this sale, but regretfully I couldn't attend the Tennessee River Music, Inc. Sale because it was during my graduation. It was sad not to attend their sale, but I am now happy to say how close I am to Texas A&M University!
The All-Star Sale is jam packed with queen and sweetheart interviews, chili cook-offs, dessert tasting, and of course the sale! As soon as I arrived at the Shocke residence in Sherman, Texas, my Texas Polled Hereford friends greeted me with joy. First of started the queens contest. We had the most talent and beautiful girls come in and out of the intense interviews. Miss Keely Hamman and I decided to hang out with the girls in the waiting room; we enjoyed the fact that we were not stressing out about being interviewed since we are both past state queens. It was wonderful! All of the queen and sweetheart candidate's interviews went very well! Once the stressful interviews had ceased it was time to eat! The chili was amazing as well as dessert, but I would like to add that eating chili is NOT the easiest thing to do in an all white outfit! I stayed clean though. That night after we ate, we announced the results of queen and sweetheart. Our lovely Texas Polled Hereford Queen, Keely Hamman, announced as I crowned them with their new sash and banner. The newly crowned queen was the lucky Miss Sarah Smith with the princess Miss Tracy Brent. We also crowned three sweethearts who were Morgan Dobbs, Ruth Ann Kettler, and Molly Booth. All of the wonderful ladies will do an excellent job representing the Texas Polled Hereford Association this next year. Congratulations! Once we knew who all of our royalty were, we announced the winners of the best desserts and chilis. It was fun just to 'hang out' with everyone. From left to right: Ruth Ann Kettler, Molly Booth, Tracey Brent, Sarah Smith, and Me!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Star Lake Cattle Ranch Sale
Oklahoma was the next place I went! I traveled longs hours to reach the destination of Stillwater, Oklahoma at the Star Lake Cattle Ranch. This was my first time to make it to this sale, and it was definitely worth it! Friday night was full of meeting and greeting with plenty of Hereford breeders and buyers. We had a delicious steak dinner as I sat with some old Texas friends and new ones that I made. They auctioned off numerous embryos at the dinner that night. Some were sold at the dinner and some online. All of the embryos being sold online made me think of how far technology has come. I mean really, there’s more opportunity for others to get what they desire even if they are unable to attend the function. I find it fascinating! After dinner, the party really started! The band was blaring “Benny and the Jets,” as well as, plenty of other (in my terms) ‘old school’ songs. Sadly, the night had to come to an end although people still stayed out rather late. I could hear their voices echoing all of the songs from our RV that we took to the sale.
I had a full day ahead of me on Saturday. There were 200 lots of cattle to sale! That’s a lot just in case you didn’t know. This is a picture of Mrs. Susan Rader and I. She is from my area of deep East Texas and has always been so supportive of me. 
Saturday morning was all about being the highest bidder, and boy, oh boy, there were definitely some high bids! The first lot in the ring was a sight to see, but it had the nasty scours! The heifer turned around as swiftly as it could and its manure spewed across the front row. Luckily, I had someone who gallantly stepped in front of me taking the main blow... thank you Mr. Joe Rickabaugh. I will forever be indebted to him for his chivalry to protect my bright white dress! My mom said it was just like a tractor pull...don't ever sit on the first row!
Saturday morning was all about being the highest bidder, and boy, oh boy, there were definitely some high bids! The first lot in the ring was a sight to see, but it had the nasty scours! The heifer turned around as swiftly as it could and its manure spewed across the front row. Luckily, I had someone who gallantly stepped in front of me taking the main blow... thank you Mr. Joe Rickabaugh. I will forever be indebted to him for his chivalry to protect my bright white dress! My mom said it was just like a tractor pull...don't ever sit on the first row! It was a very long day, but I could only stay for so long because I had an extremely long drive ahead of my family and I. So I said my said and heartfelt goodbyes and we went on our way home. It was great getting to spend my weekend with Blin Family as well as the Star Lake Cattle Ranch Crew. I always love getting to see Mrs. Kim Herman. She has been one of my biggest supporters throughout my race as queen. She is a past National Hereford Queen and gave me great advice and told me that she remembered the first time that she received her white boots. Thank you Mrs. Herman for being such an inspiration to me!
Thank you again Star Lake for an unforgettable trip and sale!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Hats Off to Herefords!
After the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, I had a very nice little break before scholarships and sales hit me full throttle! The first sale that I was able to attend was the annual 'Hats Off to Herefords Sale' in Morgan, Texas held on W4 Ranch. Regretfully, I was unable to make it to the Larson Polled Hereford Sale in Clifton, Texas do to a death. This was very disappointing to me as they were so kind as to invite me to the sale personally and take care of any accommodations I needed. Although I was unable to make it to Larson’s Sale, it made me even more excited to see my Hereford family at our sale in Morgan, Texas. Coincidentally, I had an Area FFA interview on the same day! How convenient, right? But luckily I have parents that are so involved and help make sure that I can try and attend every possible event because this was a $16,000 scholarship on the line!I switched times with another FFA student so I could be the absolute FIRST person in the interview room. My mother and I had a 5 hour drive ahead of us in order to make it to the sale, so we were definitely trying to find any possible way to make the interview go as quick and early as possible. Once the interview was over we headed straight to Morgan, Texas with no stops in mind! By the way, I made it to State! Five hours later the wonderful white suburban got us to what we “thought” was W4 Ranch, oh but we were sadly mistaken! We drove around and only saw land, land, and MORE land! We finally decided, about 10 minutes later, that we should probably turn around and ask for some directions because we obviously had no clue where we were at. When we stopped by a gas station little girls selling cookies and brownies for cheerleading oohed and awed at my sash and crown while asking me tons of questions while my mother got directions to W4 Ranch. When we arrived at W4 Ranch I was greeted by all of my lovely Hereford family. Too bad I wasn’t there for the full sale, but at least I made it! After the sale concluded, everyone stayed around and talked about life and how close it was for school to end. I even got to take pictures with Mr. Walker and a couple on the ranch. It was beautiful out in Morgan, Texas; I could have packed up and moved right that second! The neatest thing was that even after the sale Mr. Walker let the people that were staying fish on his lake. It was so beautiful outside and a great way to spend time with my Hereford family!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Where oh where did my white skirt go?!
Shortly after the Northeast Texas Hereford Association Annual Sale, the Houston Livestock Show had finally arrived! To be honest this is one of my favorite shows because besides the horrible humidity of South Texas, it’s not absolutely freezing cold weather. It’s actually quite pleasant and the timing of the show is impeccable! It’s always been during my Spring Break, but I actually don’t know any other way that I would want to spend my break than at the show. People started to pile in on Wednesday throughout the early morning and late that night. This is the type of show where people come and wait in line all the night long because the stall assignments are first come first served. Once everyone was set up in their stalls, the fun had begun! I walked around visiting with all of my old friends that I had not seen in a while and we laughed at all of the old stories we shared and caught each other up on new ones. We had our annual meeting on Saturday to discuss the activities for our Texas State Show and to determine which committees each officer and director were on.
Sunday was show day! It’s always no fun at all having to wait until the last day of the show to show, but they obviously saved the best breed for last! I got to the barns bright and early to take care of my heifer and as soon as I was done I went to the show ring to make sure all of the awards were set up for the show. Our Texas Hereford Sweetheart, Ashley Cline, was going to be in charge of the awards for the first division in the show seeing as I was in the second class. Luckily we had a Hereford native as our judge, Mr. Blake Bloomburg; it’s always nice to have someone I know to work with in the show ring. This year, I showed for my very last time in the Houston show ring with the green shavings… it was kind of bittersweet. But after my class and division were done, I headed straight to grab all of my queen belongings and go change. As I’m in the restroom I start to get my clothes out, and yes it’s the still the winter outfit so I had many layers, but I couldn’t seem to find my skirt! Get this… I had packed three of my white blazers and NO skirt! I mean how on earth could I forget my skirt?! It was 9 A.M. and the vendors were definitely not open yet. What was I going to do? All of the sudden I just broke down. I was literally crying in the corner of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo restroom sitting on top of my pink suitcase under my flower printed hanging bag next to my crown box. I was crying to my sadly saying, “I can’t be queen! What is everyone going to think?! …. I’m such a horrible person!” Now my mother, on the other hand, is the calm one in this situation, which is definitely a change in roles for the two if us. Mom told me to stay where I was and not to leave because she was going to find me a skirt. In my mind I thought, “How on earth are you going to find a WHITE skirt at a stock show when all of the vendors are closed?” But of course I just kept my mouth shut and nodded my head. Shortly after my mom left me all alone in the restroom I was still sulking and my student ag teacher came in. She told me mom sent her to stay with me so people didn’t think I was the weirdest person alive sitting with my queen wardrobe (besides my skirt) in the bathroom. My student teacher, Casey Page, was trying to comfort me as I cried and then I received a phone call from my mom, well super-mom, because she had miraculously found me a white skirt! Can you believe it?! I mean all of the stores were closed. Suddenly the tears vanished and a huge smile came onto my face. Casey Page and I started doing a happy dance in the restroom; this was definitely a moment for my happy dance regardless of the fact that I was in my turtleneck, blazer, tall white socks, and my slip. It was a great moment! I told Casey that she had definitely experienced a one of a kind thing that not many student teachers go through. How many student teachers have to go and sit with a student that is bawling her eyes out in the restroom because she forgot her white skirt in order to do her National Hereford Queen duties? Not many… or any! I definitely couldn’t have sat through that excruciating moment without her with me! When my mom came running back into the restroom she had the puffiest ruffled white skirt that I had ever seen, but I was wearing that thing regardless of the style. As super-mom helped me into my skirt we didn’t realize it was an EXTRA-LARGE!!! Thank goodness for safety pins! Once I was finally in my outfit, I did the queenliest fast walk that anybody had ever seen. I got into the show ring right when the Grand Drive had started for Hereford heifers. Yeah, I was little late but no big deal I still had the Polled Hereford show still to go next. Of course when all of my friends saw me they had to take pictures and giggle with me over what I had just gone though. But no big deal, I can take it.
It was a blast as usual to work in the ring with my Hereford royalty girls. This was the last show I got to work with them. Very sad day but now the girls are on to the next chapter in their lives which I know will be great! Overall the show was definitely a success; we even had a Hereford win Supreme Champion! Congratulations Rope Stewart! Although the start of my day was much more stressful than usual, I know that I can always count on my family and friends to turn my day around! In the picture below I am accompanied by Miss Keely Hamman who definitely made my day ten times better chuckling over my skirt mishap! 
I just wanted to give you a picture of the FULL and oh so lovely queen attire I had on for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo! :) 
I just wanted to give you a picture of the FULL and oh so lovely queen attire I had on for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo! :) Monday, June 13, 2011
Northeast Texas Hereford Association Annual Sale
Deep East Texas where the pine trees grow in Mount Pleasant, Texas is where the Northeast Texas Hereford Association Annual Sale was located… which is basically my hometown! Not many Hereford events occur anywhere near to where I live, so this was a nice and delightful little change. This sale is full of old breeder and new breeders from all over Texas. We all had a scrumptious lunch and socialized for a while before the sale began. I even got to meet a couple of breeders from the East Texas area that I surprisingly didn’t know. Before the sale started the auctioneer did the normal introductions of special guests and ring assistants and I was called forward. The Northeast Texas Hereford Association donated money to my queen travels and wardrobe. It was very, very kind of them to do such a thing and appreciated! After the introductions were given the sale had begun; buyers were bidding and I was sitting while smiling! The sale was a success and I enjoyed spending time with my East Texas natives on March 12th. It’s always a great time!
Why hello there Cowtown!
Wow…what a past couple of months it has been! From being crazy busy completing scholarship applications and preparing to graduate, it’s all finally over! I can breathe!! Regretfully I haven’t had the time to just sit down and share my past queen travels. I can’t believe I’ve been so unbelievably busy since January but now I want to share everything I’ve gone through as queen.
This is a picture with the sponsors of the Grand and Reserve Champion for the Hereford show. They have sponsored this prize for many years and it has become a tradition with their family.
This is a picture of my older and younger sisters, Audrey and Ilissa, and my ag teacher Mrs. Sue Witt. Mrs. Witt has been one of my biggest supporters in just about ANYTHING that I have done!
Monday was the BIG show day! It was full of prizes and royalty and people of the Hereford association. Overall being National Queen at the Fort Worth Open Show was a lot more than I expected it to be. There were so many outfit changes and many distances walked in my lovely white boots, but I couldn’t have done any of it without my family, Brittany, and my Hereford friends that weekend!
After Denver I excitingly got to come to the stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas to the Southwestern Exposition Livestock Show. As crazy as it is, this show is where my family decided that the Hereford breed was what we were going to show, so this show is very near and dear to my family’s heart! First off was the Fort Worth Junior Livestock Show. It was filled with seeing old friends, working sifts, meetings, and of course working in the show ring. I had the honor of working with ALL of Texas’s royalty, which is no small number. The show went by quickly and successfully for all of the winners. It was a blast getting to spend time with all of the juniors from the Texas Hereford/Polled Hereford Associations and my friends that show other breeds as well, but I was anxious for the Fort Worth Open Show to come at me in full throttle!
This is a picture with the sponsors of the Grand and Reserve Champion for the Hereford show. They have sponsored this prize for many years and it has become a tradition with their family.This is a picture of my older and younger sisters, Audrey and Ilissa, and my ag teacher Mrs. Sue Witt. Mrs. Witt has been one of my biggest supporters in just about ANYTHING that I have done!
Less than a week later, the Fort Worth Open Show had arrived! I was surrounded by some of the greatest Hereford breeders in our nation, what a weekend this was going to be! I left directly after school on Friday with my mother and little sister, Audrey, to head up to the stockyards of Fort Worth. Once we arrived in Fort Worth I was greeted by my older sister, Ilissa, and my best friend Brittany. I normally bring a friend every year to the open show, especially my best friends that show Angus, Mollie and Brittany. They have seen the fun side of the Hereford breed and I hope they love it as much as I do. Brittany didn’t know the unbelievably hectic weekend she had ahead of her as being the queen’s assistant, but I will add she did a fantastic job and was very, very helpful with…. EVERYTHING! Saturday morning was full of pen shows and meetings and the night was meetings and socials. At the shows, Anderson Bean had helped create a pair of custom made boots for the grand and reserve champions. It was a pretty nifty gift! The picture beneath this is of my little sister, Audrey, my best friend Brittany, and I with the custom made boots that was a prize. 
The meetings and socials were a ton of fun; I loved having the time to just sit down and talk with people and not being in a rush. This social was especially special for me, seeing as my father was the Texas Hereford President this year! On Sunday we had our pen show, annual sale, and another social. It was a very hectic day with everyone running back and forth to different locations. There is one thing I would like to share about the pen show… as I was giving an award for first place in a class to an older couple, the wife started jumping up and down screaming with joy, but later in the show they won Grand Champion in the pen show! The wife not only jumped with joy again but started crying with pure happiness. That moment that I was able to share with them completely warmed my heart. It made my whole weekend more enjoyable than ever! I have the picture of the couple beneath this:
The meetings and socials were a ton of fun; I loved having the time to just sit down and talk with people and not being in a rush. This social was especially special for me, seeing as my father was the Texas Hereford President this year! On Sunday we had our pen show, annual sale, and another social. It was a very hectic day with everyone running back and forth to different locations. There is one thing I would like to share about the pen show… as I was giving an award for first place in a class to an older couple, the wife started jumping up and down screaming with joy, but later in the show they won Grand Champion in the pen show! The wife not only jumped with joy again but started crying with pure happiness. That moment that I was able to share with them completely warmed my heart. It made my whole weekend more enjoyable than ever! I have the picture of the couple beneath this:Monday was the BIG show day! It was full of prizes and royalty and people of the Hereford association. Overall being National Queen at the Fort Worth Open Show was a lot more than I expected it to be. There were so many outfit changes and many distances walked in my lovely white boots, but I couldn’t have done any of it without my family, Brittany, and my Hereford friends that weekend!This picture is of my family and friends that are basically my family for the Fort Worth Open Show weekend! Left to right: My mother, Alise, Ashley (my sister's best friend), Ilissa (my sister), ME, Brittany (my best friend), my father, Scott, and my little sister Audrey!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Queens' Tea
National Hereford Queen
Bethany Nolan
cordially invites you to a
Queen’s Tea
When: Monday, July 11, 2011, One o’clock in the afternoon
Where: Governor’s Room, American Royal Complex
Who: For young ladies of ages three – thirteen years & their parents,
past National Hereford Queens & current State Hereford Queens
RSVP: On your NJHA entry forms with number of adults & members attending.
Sponsored by Nolan Hereford Ranch, Gilmer, Texas
Please wear a casual summer ‘sun’ dress and enjoy a morning of tea, sweets, and the chance to meet all the candidates for 2011 – 2012 National Hereford Queen’s contest. This will also be a fun way to meet young ladies who are Hereford enthusiasts from across our nation. Please bring your camera as those in attendance will have the opportunity to have their pictures taken with National Hereford Queen Bethany Nolan and our State Queens.
Parents and young ladies ages of three through thirteen years of age are invited to attend. Parents are asked to accompany children under the age of eight years old. National Hereford Queen Bethany Nolan anticipates this to be a royal event with food, fun, and an overview of etiquette and the tradition of tea by Ms. Diane Johnson, proprietor, Details by Design.
Please join us for Queen Bethany’s Tea and don’t forget to RSVP on your NJHA entry forms!
Bethany Nolan
cordially invites you to a
Queen’s Tea
When: Monday, July 11, 2011, One o’clock in the afternoon
Where: Governor’s Room, American Royal Complex
Who: For young ladies of ages three – thirteen years & their parents,
past National Hereford Queens & current State Hereford Queens
RSVP: On your NJHA entry forms with number of adults & members attending.
Sponsored by Nolan Hereford Ranch, Gilmer, Texas
Please wear a casual summer ‘sun’ dress and enjoy a morning of tea, sweets, and the chance to meet all the candidates for 2011 – 2012 National Hereford Queen’s contest. This will also be a fun way to meet young ladies who are Hereford enthusiasts from across our nation. Please bring your camera as those in attendance will have the opportunity to have their pictures taken with National Hereford Queen Bethany Nolan and our State Queens.
Parents and young ladies ages of three through thirteen years of age are invited to attend. Parents are asked to accompany children under the age of eight years old. National Hereford Queen Bethany Nolan anticipates this to be a royal event with food, fun, and an overview of etiquette and the tradition of tea by Ms. Diane Johnson, proprietor, Details by Design.
Please join us for Queen Bethany’s Tea and don’t forget to RSVP on your NJHA entry forms!
Monday, April 11, 2011
State Queen Chairmen Check Your Email!
State Hereford Queen Chairmen, please check your email inbox for information regarding the Junior National Hereford Expo! Please contact the National Hereford Women Chairman ASAP if you did not receive this email! It is very important that we have an accurate count of how many queens will be present at the Junior National Hereford Expo this summer in Kansas City!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
National Western Stock Show!
One of the most exciting things as Queen is getting to interact with all the friends I have made throughout the years showing Herefords. The greatest benefit of traveling across the country each year is the amazing friendships I have made. Each time I attend a National Hereford Show it's like a mini Jr. Nationals all over again. For weeks before, my friends and I reconnect via Facebook and text. The chance to reconnect with them and their families at the show is always a special time. I've always said Herefords friends are like my family... they are always happy to see me and congratulate me. I knew Denver would be no different and was excited to finally be at the show.
For an East Texas girl, snow is few and far in between. That first morning in Denver I woke up and one of the first things I saw was snow! The Rockies and the yards had a fresh layer of snow and I knew the Herefords were in the 'yards'! I couldn't wait to experience my first National Western as the Natonal Hereford Queen!
Thursday proved to a be fun, long, and successful day for many Hereford breeders and junior showman. Bull shows have always been totally exciting to me. My favorite thing is when breeders run their bulls in to the ring. It's a bit scary when you are standing close by in all white, but thrilling all the same! I remember my first piece of advice from our first National Queen Katie Killian was to make sure you watch your back as you walk in bull classes and WALK FAST! Best advice ever!
Later that afternoon I continued to help in the ring and walked in some fantastic junior classes of Hereford heifers. Showman my age, a bit older and younger competed in the more than cold ring. I was happy to stand by each junior that won in division, reserve and grand champion pictures. I knew what hard work it took to get cattle to this winning point.
Friday proved to be a little more relaxed as I helped with the Pen Show in the yards. Pens of heifers and bulls competed all morning until the early afternoon. ad The opportunity to walk in and out as pictures were taken in the yards was really fantastic. From the distance I could see the snow covered Rockies and standing there holding banners, I got to once again visit with Hereford breeders. The added obstacle of keeping my white Queen outfit white was yet another thing. But with mom's help, she cleared the way each time!
That afternoon we arrived early to find our seat in the packed sales arena for the Mile High Night National Hereford Sale. The night was a huge success and money was once again raised to benefit the Hereford Youth Foundation Saturday, was my final day in Denver. Most of that day was filled with the hiefer show. At times it got really hectic, but with the help of my sister Ilissa, my parents, and our AHA Field Reps. my day went smoothly.
Denver proved to be a complete success, both in the yards, sale rings, and in the show ring. I look forward to going back for many more years to come. As National Hereford Queen with every show I attend, I realize how special the crown I wear is as it represents our Hereford people and great breed.
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