08/31/2026
I saw a picture of another bull this weekend … one who’s a little older than Scotty—and my first thought was, “I sure miss seeing those folks and that bull at the shows.”
And that thought kind of stopped me.
Earlier this year, I was told at a futurity that it would be another bull’s last show. As we were loading to leave, I saw him standing there in the pens and realized this might be the last time I ever saw him so I stopped to scratch him just in case.
It got me right in the feels.
Then recently, I heard that one of the top bulls had recently broken a horn…and I cried like he was my own.
I’ve come to realize just how much these animals have become part of this journey for me.
The futurity world is competitive. VERY COMPETITIVE 🤦🏻♀️ We haul in wanting to win. We watch the points, the placings and the competition. For those few minutes in the ring, everybody is there hoping their bull comes out on top.
But somewhere between all those miles, early mornings, late nights and hours spent sitting around shows, you start getting attached to the competition, too.
You learn the bulls. You know their personalities and their quirks. You notice when one isn’t at a show. You look for the familiar trailers pulling in. You become genuinely happy when somebody else’s bull does well—and apparently you cry when something happens to one of them, too.
I’ve grown incredibly fond of some of these bulls…and most of their people. 😂❤️
And that’s a part of this journey I never expected.
There will come a day when Scotty’s name isn’t on a futurity class sheet anymore. There will be a last show, a last walk into that ring and a last time we load him up afterward.
I’m definitely not ready for that.
Because I’m beginning to realize that when this chapter is over, the scores and placings probably won’t be what I remember most.
I’ll remember the bulls standing in those pens.
I’ll remember the people sitting beside them.
I’ll remember the friendships, the laughs, the miles and the familiar faces we looked forward to seeing at the next stop.
Turns out somewhere along the way, the competition became part of the family. ❤️
