I just posted this on my Facebook page:

While her reign has ended, her name is etched forever as Iowa Brown Swiss Princess!

Last night, our daughter’s reign as princess came to an end. It’s a bittersweet ending, because up until Wednesday, she was going to be princess for another year. But, a “late arriving entry” showed up and suddenly, she was not.

We traveled hundreds of miles. We showed during a time where heat indices were 110 degrees. We spent time in a convertible, being the “drivers” for the princess in parades. My wife spent two days, primping and prepping for a state dairy princess contest. We spent time in four different show barns, playing cards, taking naps, drinking gallons of water, eating crappy fair food, prepping, showing, and loving on some of the most gentle animals I’ve ever come across. We talked, we argued, and we grew closer.

We’ll never have an experience like this again. We’ve met some amazing people, and felt part of something bigger, which is a unique experience. Our show experiences ranged from the very regional show to the national show with the country and state fair in there as well. Our heifers placed poorly to start, but by the end, we had a class winner at the state fair, which was the highlight of our season. We traveled to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, which was a unique experience in itself. Our daughter wore her crown proudly, learning more about the dairy industry in a year than she thought possible. She was in the middle of a lot of awesome stuff, much of which she would never have done if the crown wasn’t on her head.

You’d think this was the end, but oh no. We have at least one more summer left. We’ll travel hundreds of miles. We’ll prep and love on some incredible animals, but this time, we’ll do it without being princess.

And this is quite ok.

Today, the outgoing princess and the 2019 princess worked together at the Iowa State Brown Swiss sale, doing their princess duties together. Had I a checkbook, I would have walked out with a couple of heifers. The prices are depressed because the dairy market is depressed. Farmers are leaving in droves because after three, four, five generations, they can’t make a profit anymore. It’s a sad state our dairy market is in. But that’s not the point of this.

A few pictures from the last day:

First, my wife’s cheesecake. It sold for $55 dollars, someone else’s final bid. I felt slightly guilty not buying it, but like my wife said, “What would we do with a full cheesecake?”

 

cheesecake

#Iknowwhattodowithacheesecakelikethat

Second, a picture of some of rumps who were auctioned off. These are some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet. It will make me sad when we finally say, “It’s over.”

BrownCows

And finally, the picture I posted from last night. I love this picture just because that’s what Brown Swiss calves are: silly, loving, and fun creatures!

 

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