Welcome to the Ranch!

We don’t work cows often, but when we do it is a hard day’s work.  We work steadily and methodically, but are in no rush.  If you are trying to speed things up, you are more apt to make a mistake.  At Cross Creek Cattle Company a good day of working cows is when nobody gets injured.

We had a very successful day of working cows last Monday.  It was a sheer pleasure to watch my middle son, Jake, who is ten years old work like a man.  He has had many years of experience working cows.  My father, brother, and husband have patiently taught him to perform Cowboy duties.

This time was different.  Jake  was everywhere he needed to be doing exactly what needed to be done.  I was impressed with his work ethic and his knowledge of the work.  It really was a joy to watch him and his father work side by side.  I can tell you that Jake is not afraid of getting dirty.

We have an excellent family tradition.  The ranch takes everyone who works cattle out for dinner.  In the past, we all voted to go to La Casita in Navasota.  It is a delicious Tex-Mex Restaurant.  However, this year my family is on a very strict diet in order to heal our guts for various health reasons.  Going out to eat is very difficult, but we have not stopped our ranch tradition.  We just slightly modified it, and it is equally delicious!

Now the ranch purchases the ingredients for a special meal.  We plan a menu.  Then as a family, we sit around the table filled with great food and enjoy a treat for our labor.  It is a family ranching tradition that will not go out of style.  It is one of our favorite things, even the youngest family members look forward to cattle working day.

Feeding the cowboys after a day of hard work has been a long-standing tradition in the past.  Usually someone prepared the food on site.  It could have been beans and biscuits.  It could have been fresh beef.  I have even heard of them cooking up the testicles of freshly castrated bulls.  Regardless of the type of food, Cross Creek Cattle Company is pleased to continue this fine tradition with our family-owned and operated ranch.

If you are a rancher, we would love to hear any of your traditions.  Leave a comment below to share them with us.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how my son, Jake, was preparing to show his Beefmaster heifer, Sugar, at the Houston Livestock Show.  It was certainly a learning experience for Jake.  At the other cattle shows he attended, you arrive that morning, show, and then leave the same day.  Houston is quite different.

The actual show was Friday morning.  My husband, Lane, and Jake left late Tuesday night to meet other contestants from Grimes County.  They formed a caravan into Houston.  By 10 o’clock that evening, they were sitting in a long line of trailers.  My husband estimated that about 100 trailers were already ahead of them in line. 

The Grimes County bunch pulled out chairs, coolers, and decks of cards to help pass the time.  At one point, they discussed how they wish they had brought a small grill.  There is nothing like tail-gating while you wait in line.  Finally at 6 o’clock in the morning, they had settled into their assigned stall.  Needless to say, they were exhausted.

Regardless of how much they wanted to crawl into bed, their work had just began.  Sugar had to be fed, watered, walked, and groomed.  Her stall had to be kept clean.  Luckily, the Grimes County group were assigned an end stall.  So, there was room for them to put their supplies and chairs at the end of the row. 

Down time was filled with browsing through the countless vendor booths in the Exhibition hall.  Jake has never met a stranger, and he made many friends from all over the state of Texas.  Outside there was a carnival, and many places to eat fair food, like funnel cakes and sausage on a stick.  Jake was tired, but he was having a great time. 

Sugar liked all the extra attention.  She liked Jake sitting with her in the stall.  She enjoyed her showers and grooming sessions, too. 

On the day of the show, Sugar unfortunately would not drink that morning.  Our county agent said that it was not unusual for a cow to refuse to eat or drink on show day.  Unusual or not, it was definitely unfortunate.  Because she did not drink, her sides were not as full as they should have been.  Sugar was hollowed out to use a cow term.  We tried as hard as we could to get her to drink, but it was of no use. 

Jake led Sugar into the large show ring.  His class was very full.  At first, I noticed how young and small he looked compared to the other exhibitors.  He is only nine years old and most of the exhibitors in his class were in high school.  Jake looked like a baby, but he showed like an experience showman. 

I was so proud of Jake.  I could not take my eyes off of him throughout his entire show.  The judge started selecting cattle.  His method was to remove the less desirable cattle from the ring.  I was pleased that Sugar and Jake stayed in the class.  Jake ended up getting 12th place at Houston.  Considering that it is the world’s largest livestock exhibition, we are pleased. 

The judge pulled Jake aside and told him how much he liked his heifer.  He wanted to see her more filled out.  How we wish she had drank her water the morning before the show!  There is no telling what place she would have gotten if that was the case.

Jake DeHaven worked very hard to get his heifer ready to show in Houston.  From halter-breaking to grooming, Jake has learned a tremendous amount of information on the show business.  Showing in Houston only added to his knowledge. It was quite an experience.  Most importantly, Jake made himself, Cross Creek Cattle Company, and his family very proud. 

He has several more shows coming up in the near future.  I will let you know how Sugar and Jake do.  So far they have made a great team.

Jake, my nine-year old son, has been a member of a Grimes County 4-H club for the last two years.  Last year he won Rookie of the Year, which is a great honor.  Jake loves to ride horses.  Actually he loves anything about horses.  He is currently learning the correct names of the different parts of a horse as part of his schooling.  Jake occasionally writes articles for his website, Cross Creek Horsemanship.

In addition to horses, Jake is showing a Duroc pig this June at the county fair.  This will be his first swine project.  Last year, he showed a heifer for the first time and won the class. 

Since his first show, Jake has been preparing to show her at his first major show.  It is scheduled to take place next week in Houston, Texas.  The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is the world’s largest livestock exhibition.  Needless to say, being able to participate in the heifer show is a big deal. 

Cross Creek Cattle Company is the proud sponsor of Jake’s endeavor.  In addition to grass fed beef, we also sell show heifers.  He selected his heifer a year and a half ago.  Jake named her Sugar.  Since then he has had to halter break Sugar.  Even though Beefmasters are naturally docile, it takes a lot of hard work and determination to train one to follow you around like a puppy.  Responding to a halter does not come naturally to a cow. 

Then you must train them to stand correctly in the show ring.  The competitor “sets up” his/her heifer to show off desirable traits.  A nice, strong top line, length of hip, muscle, and a good udder are all examples of what the judge uses to base his/her decision. 

Because this is like a beauty pageant for cattle, the heifers are scrubbed clean.  They get the equivalent of a pedicure by a trained professional.  It is technically a hoof trimming.  We clip the heifer, too, which just means she gets a hair cut.  We do everything to make the animal look her best. 

Showing livestock is not just about the animal.  Showmanship plays a huge role.  First, the showman has to look nice.  It will also be obvious if the competitor has worked with the animal or not.  He/She has to be knowledgeable about the animal.  The judge will ask questions like, “How old is she?”, “What three breeds make up the Beefmaster breed?”, and/or ”What do you feed your heifer?”  I believe that the judge not only wants to know the answers to his/her questions, but the judge wants to interact with the contestants.  He/She also wants to see if the child has been taking care of the animal. 

Everyone at Cross Creek Cattle Company wishes Jake the best of luck.  In addition to showing Sugar next week in Houston, Jake is showing her two more times this season.  We are proud of Jake regardless of the results next week.  He has worked hard and as a result has learned a lot about cattle.  My kids already help out on the ranch.  They are our ranch hands.  I think that it is great that Jake is also getting experience in a different aspect of the cattle business: the show business.  I see a promising future for Cross Creek Cattle Company as we train the next generation.

Steve and Jake with Ladd on Jake's birthday.

Years ago when we were looking to purchase good, broke horses for my children to ride, we met Steve Prewitt and his family.  We were struck by his honesty and knowledge.  Steve was a working cowboy at the time as well as training to be a preacher.

We ended up purchasing a paint mare that we named Cheyenne from him.  My dad was sold when he saw the picture of Steve standing in the saddle swinging a rope.  The young mare just stood still, completely desensitized.  My husband fell in love with this horse and he rides her every chance he gets.

Steve also helped us find another mare.  We named her Roxie.  It was not even his horse, but he drove us out to the stables where she was kept and let us ride her in the parking lot.  It was getting very dark.  The parking lot light threw shadows all over the ground, which will spook most horses.  With only a halter and a lead rope, our family rode her around.  She did not spook.  She responded to our commands without a bit.

Now my son Clayton rides her.  He loves Roxie and together they work well together.  If it is riding around Cross Creek Cattle Company, down a busy street during a parade, or in the rodeo arena, Roxie and Clayton make a good pair.

My son, Jake, and Steve hit it off immediately.  They both have a passion for horses.  When our ranch first hired Steve to train and work with our horses, he spent hours with Jake training him as well.  For a while there, I thought I would get sick of Steve’s name because he is all Jake talked about.  I appreciated the fact that Steve took the time to be a good role model for Jake.  Not only is he a good man, but Steve made time for Jake.

For one of Jake’s birthdays, we had a family and friend trail ride.  I think he was more excited when Steve Prewitt drove up with his wife, Dee, to present Jake with a brand-new rope.  It meant a lot to Jake; therefore, the act meant a lot to me.

Steve has helped Lane be a better rider.  They worked together to be able to open and close gates on horseback.  Lane has watched and taken mental notes of how Steve does groundwork in the round pen.  Lane, too, has enjoyed Steve working here on the ranch.

Now Steve is moving.  He has found a great job about an hour away.  We are excited for him and his family as they embark on a new journey.  It is a bittersweet moment for us, though.  We are losing a great cowboy, horseman, and role model.

Thank you, Steve, for being a part of Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We appreciate all that you did for us.  And, we wish you the best in your new adventure.  We are going to miss you.