#bidbuyshowwin Education General Care
There are certain things an exhibitor should not leave home without. Ashtin and Nalaney Guyer are pros at packing for shows, and have taken the time to share a few of their packing tips.
With years of show ring experience, the Guyer girls employ a solid, easy process to be sure they pack what is needed before they hit the road. Several years ago the sisters sat down and typed a list of essential products, equipment, feed, clothing and extra items. They printed and laminated the list and posted it on the show barn wall. When the Guyers prepare to travel to a show they review this handy reference sheet and use a dry erase marker to check items as they pack them in the show box or trailer.
“We have forgotten things in the past, and when you do, you have to make sure you don’t forget those items again,” Ashtin says.
Ashtin, 15, and Nalaney, 12, both show pigs and cattle, and have since they were both very young. The sisters exhibit their cattle in the jackpot circuit in Illinois and also show at the Illinois State Fair. On the show pig side, the Guyers also travel to every National Jr. Swine Association (NJSA) major they can including the Southwestern Regional in Georgia, the World Pork Expo Jr. National in Des Moines, Iowa, and Summer Spectacular show in Louisville, Kentucky. They compete in national shows like the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, the North American International Livestock Show in Louisville, Ken. and the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri.
Ashtin says there are a few key items that are obvious when packing their trailer. The show box and bags of shavings are number one. The show box is typically packed with all equipment ranging from whips and brushes to skin conditioners. The sisters also take great pains to fill five to six jugs of water then put them in the show trailer. A special, blue bucket is also packed, and is only to be used for watering.
“Just in case the animal won’t drink the water at the fairgrounds we have our own as backup,” Ashtin says. “It’s also good to have if we have pickup or trailer trouble on the road and the pigs or steers need water.”
Next the Guyers pack their feed cart, which holds six five-gallon buckets of feed. They fill the buckets with as much feed as they’ll need for the show but also throw in a couple extra bags of feed just in case. They pack a folding card table to use when mixing feed at the show.
“We feed them heavier on show day so we pack extra feed so we don’t run out and in case we have trouble on the road,” Nalaney says.
Other main items for the trailer are pen gates and fans. The pen gates are used to split animals if they have to share a pen. The Guyers also pack 14 fans, placing them on hooks above each pig pen in the trailer and packing extra for use in the show barn.
Pig whips are another essential item. Each girl packs at least two they like best, but just like with everything else, they throw in extras just in case they are needed.
Next, the sisters focus on skin and hair care products they’ll need for show day. They are sure to pack Sullivan’s Clear Choice soap and hoses for the wash rack. Ashtin says they pack the clipper box with clippers, guards and oils in it and also take along a medicine box in case any animal gets sick. The sisters pack brushes, a manure fork, plenty of extension cords and a generator.
“We have forgotten feeder hangers for the pigs before, and when we did we had to find something else to hangs feeders in the pens,” Ashtin says. “We never just place pig feeders on the ground.”
During the winter show season, they take bucket heaters, which can be dropped inside a water bucket to warm the water for cattle to drink and to warm the water to wash pigs at winter shows. Ashtin says they are certain to have health papers and registration papers in the pickup before they leave home.
Besides show equipment, Nalaney says they also have a laminated packing list for their show clothing. Boots remain in the trailer at all times. The sisters pack button-up shirts, jeans and a belt as well.
Nalaney also packs a special piece of jewelry with her, a pocket cross, something she always keeps in her jeans pocket while in the show ring. Another special item is a book of devotions. When their Aunt Jeannie was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, she gave the girls a devotional book. They take it to shows, and read a devotional on show morning, an important ritual for their family.
“Packing for a show is part of our routine, and it’s so important to us to use the laminated lists we have,” Ashtin says. “Without them we’d be sure to forget something, and we sure don’t want that to happen.”