Selie Hodge, 15, of Lometa, has been showing livestock for 9 years. She started on goats but decided to challenge herself and switched to cattle. “My family raises cattle and we had recently gotten a new ag teacher who was a cattleman and he convinced me I could to it. I’ve been doing it ever since!” she says. From the beginning, it has been a family affair. “My parents were so excited I wanted to do something with agriculture. They have learned right along with me. It has really brought my family together.”
The Hodge family has a winning routine that Selie and her brother follow. “Every day in the morning I get up wash them and blow them dry. Leave them tied up for a bit before feeding them.” Selie explains. “After school I walk them a half mile around our property and I wash them again, and work on training the hair.”
This routine, of course, includes top nutrition. “We start with Hi-Pro Finisher and Developer in the beginning of the year. We noticed that once we start there’s a dramatic difference in size and finish. They present so much better on Hi-Pro than on other brands.”
This dedication isn’t easy, though. “Getting up at 5:30am every morning is tough!” she says, “But once I start doing it, it’s my favorite thing in the world.”
Selie’s love of showing isn’t just about the work, but the incredible community she has found. “The relationships that I have through showing is by far the best part.” She says “My entire FFA chapter all go together so we are all helping each other out making sure everyone is dressed, has everything they need, stalls are clean. A lot of times it ends up with waking up really early, we have to get washed and prepped. Once it comes show time it can be a little stressful getting everybody ready.”
Of course, her family are right there alongside her for every step of the way. “We work together to train the animals and prepare them for showing. We all spend the night together in the trailer on show days.” Most of all, Selie appreciates her dad’s calming presence. “I get so nervous on show days. My dad will come and stand with me behind the rail, and it really helps.” If dad can’t go with her, she takes a moment to say a prayer over her calf to calm her nerves.
This year was Selies most active year, with more majors and shows than any other year before. The hard work paid off, with Selie winning the Grand Champion Heifer at the Lampasas County show, two Reserve Breed champions at a San Angelo jackpot, and a fourth place at San Antonio.
Hi-Pro Feeds is proud to support Selie and her family on their showing journey. For more information on our show feeds, click here.
