Tuesday morning, bright and early, students were dressed in their crisp white shirts and ironed white Wranglers, making sure their dairy cows were ready to put their best hoof forward in the Dairy Cow Show at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. “She’s easy to maneuver,” Miguel Longoria of Henrietta FFA said petting his calf, Colombia. “Come on!” Longoria left the show arena with a blue ribbon. “She just got herself 1st in her class. Not too bad,” Longoria remarked. “And here after a while, we’ll see if we can go back and get Grand Champion.” Champions aren’t born, they’re made, with a lot of hard work and early alarm clocks. ‘Woke up before school, made her bottle, wet fed her,” Raegan Hughes of Bowie 4-H said looking at her calf Jenny. “It’s taught me responsibility, patience.” There are valuable life lessons in raising livestock and getting ready to show them. “If you study, you’re gonna pass your test,” Longoria said. “The same thing; if you put in the work, you’re gonna do good in the show arena.” Longoria has been passing on what he’s learned to his little brother. “So it’s been pretty fun showing with him. I’m a senior, so kinda showing him the ropes and showing him how to get it done, ’cause he’s not gonna have me next year,” Longoria said. “This is actually my last show. Yep, my last show for showing career…it’s bittersweet.” Whether raising livestock is a future career, or just a hobby for now, it’s something that will stick with junior competitors for a lifetime.