Potter Valley native Leonardo De La Torre, 18, is readying for a busy weekend at the Redwood Empire Fair, which opens Thursday in Ukiah.
De La Torre started working with animals with his father.
"I grew up around cattle. My dad started taking me to work when I was really young, and I fell in love with cows."
He got involved with 4-H in middle school at the suggestion of a friend.
"I wanted to try something small, so I showed sheep the first year so I could learn what 4-H was about. After that year I went to steer, because it was cool seeing all the big steers at the fair."
He showed his first steer in seventh grade – what is known as a "commercial" calf. Shortly thereafter, De La Torre was introduced to show calves, or club calves, as they are called, and he never looked back.
"Commercials are produced for meat, and show calves or club calves have different genetics and are produced for their looks. I never thought I'd get into club calves until the second year I showed beef. My dad's friend asked if I wanted a steer from the Hildebrand family. I saw a photo and thought it looked pretty cool – super-calm and way fancier compared to commercial calves. I got a good deal and ended up getting 4H Reserve Champion that year. After that, I changed my mindset. I wanted to start showing 'clubby' calves."
He attended numerous seminars to study show calves. "I learned about clipping, fitting, all the tricks and tips for the show world. I went to at least four shows in one year. I always asked questions and my instructors encouraged me not to be scared and to jump in and try something new, which I did."
Show calves require an intense amount of attention to the grooming process.
"Commercials lose most of their hair by fair time. Genetically, they're crossed with Herefords, which don't have much hair. Club calves have lots of hair, so you can carve it out or enhance its features using their hair." His current calf – John Deere – gets near daily coat treatments. "I'm working it all year long. I'm super busy with grooming. There's a lot of washing involved, making sure you keep his hair clean and not damaging it. If you groom well, you'll have a lot of hair by August."
John Deere came to De La Torre last November, but he'd had his eye on the calf since birth.
"That's when I picked him out. When he got old enough, sometime after he was weaned, we started halter-breaking him, getting him tamed." Like all entrants in the fair's animal competitions, the workdays are long and start early. Luckily, De La Torre has three other siblings and this year, he'll be showing alongside his sister, leading to some friendly but intense competition.
"My day starts with morning feeding. In summer, I feed early when it's cool. From there, there's grain, hay, and making sure he has clean water. If it's really hot, you take them out, rinse them off and keep him cool. In the afternoon, I take him out, rinse him and brush his hair to make sure the hair is going the right direction. At night, when it's cooling off, I make sure he's watered and ready to bed down for the evening."
John Deere also receives at least three to four showmanship lessons weekly. "I make sure he doesn't forget what he's supposed to do," De La Torre smiles. "We always tie our calves up for a few hours and make sure they keep their head high, so they get accustomed to it during showmanship."
It's also important to acclimate the calves to the unfamiliar fair environment.
"When we halter break them, we bring in speakers and play music. We move objects around that they might be scared of. My brothers always run around them, kicking balls and playing, making sure that they don't get scared."
De La Torre has become the go-to person when it comes to giving "clubbies" a good clip.
"After attending the seminars, I really got into it, practicing all the time with calves and getting recognized by other breeders. They started helping me out and giving me tips. People are always calling and asking if I have time to clip. Last week, I went to Fort Bragg and clipped two steers that are going to be entered in the fair. I have customers here and all the kids around Potter ask if I'll help them at shows, and they pay me. I like to teach them, so they don't have to rely on someone else."
Just like the barbering world, the club calf world has shifting hair trends. "There are many different products, different blades – it's a really long process to get good at. There are trends here and there, different ways to do some styles. If you have a calf that has lots of hair, you can carve it out the way you like it. Sometimes you have to take the hair down to make them look more functional. Our family is really big on hair. We're working hair all the time. Rain or shine last year, I was working my steer." In fact, De La Torre moved into the garage with his calf to make sure he didn't miss any grooming days.
Daddy was the name of his steer that won Grand Champion last year.
"He was a very clubby calf. The previous year I decided I was going to go big, and purchased a nicer, clubby calf from Oklahoma. I ended up not winning that year, but that drove me to work harder, and I ended up winning. I'd been searching and texting breeders from all over, getting pictures every day, cutting the time super-short. I had a buddy in Missouri where I bought my steer from. I picked him up in Williams. The first day I got him, I opened the trailer and couldn't believe my eyes. He was nothing like I'd ever seen – super stout, big, tree-trunk legs – a super hairy calf. The patterning he had was beautiful. He was a stud," De La Torre laughs.
"I had a broken leg when I got Daddy, so my sister helped with his grooming for a few weeks. I didn't stop after that. Every single day I'd make sure he was clean. I was washing and drying him daily, even in the winter, using products to make his hair grow. I also took him to a lot of Jackpot shows, and he did well. We went to almost every jackpot I could – from Roseville to Corning to Yuba City."
Despite their distinctions, commercial and club calves compete directly against each other.
"It all depends on judges. Some like clubbies more than commercials. Nowadays, I feel like clubby animals work well at fairs. Kids usually take commercial calves off their own ranches. For me, I don't care about the money. I like competing and showing. I'm a really competitive person so I like my work to pay off," he says. "Winning Grand Champion was like winning the Super Bowl."
In October, De La Torre begins Heavy Equipment School at West Coast Training in Woodland, Washington, where he hopes to earn a Heavy Equipment Card. "There are only 12 students at each course, so there's a lot of hands-on, running equipment almost half the time you're in the program. I want to work here for a few years with a good company, work up to be an operator, then start my own business."
He also wants to build up a small herd of cattle.
"I want to help kids with their nutrition advice and grooming. I'll clip for them. That's my goal," he says.
But for now, De La Torre is focusing on the upcoming fair.
"I'm going to stay at the fair and make sure John Deere is good. We have to be at the barns at 5 a.m. and make sure he's keeping cool, eating and drinking water.
"I want to thank my family, Anderson Logging, Donahue Inc., the Hildebrand family, the Fanzlers, The Beeson Family, the Penry Family and my whole Potter Valley community.
"Hopefully, I'll get to go on some rides – after the competition," De La Torre concludes.
No comments:
Post a Comment