Name: Cally Thomas

Home State: South Dakota

Species and Breeds Shown: Charolais and Angus (along with a little of anything else)

Favorite Breed: Charolais
Why?  We exhibit Charolais at most of the major shows.  I have gotten to know a lot of people within the breed very well and they are truly amazing people who are always there for you and willing to help with anything.

Favorite Stock Show: Denver
Why? It is a lot of fun having so many exhibitors there from different states and breeds.  Although we haven’t had cattle in the yards for a few years I still think that being in the yards and the pen shows are a lot of fun.  Denver is always a great place to look at cattle and one of the most competitive shows of the year.

Favorite Judge: My dad Troy Thomas (haha) and Kevin Jensen
Why? Kevin made Zsa Zsa, one of my first really good heifers, National Champion at the National Western Stock Show as a cow calf pair.

How old were you when you first started showing?
I started showing sheep when I was six at our county fair. I was eight when I started showing cattle.

What is your biggest accomplishment in the showring?
Having National Champion Charolais heifer and bull in Denver.  The showmanship contests and U-FIT-IT contest I have won are also very important to me.

Who is your hero? 
I have many heroes in my life.  In the show ring it’s definitely my dad.  I also greatly look up to and admire my grandma Kay, she’s always there for anyone and values family and God above everything else.

If you could go to lunch with anyone at a stock show, who would it be and why?
Rachel and Catherine Williams. I want to pursue a career in the graphic and web design field and I think they are the best at what they do.

Who is the person who has helped you the most with your show projects?
Definitely my dad.  My dad has been there from day one.  He always there to help me with decisions from what to breed my show heifers to to which heifer I should show.  And of course, he’s always there to help with show preparation from feeding to clipping.  He has also worked hard to teach me about the in’s and out’s of the cattle business.  In large, my success in and out of the show ring is greatly due to my dad’s help.

On a typical school day, what time do you have to get up in the morning?
6:30. It’s a half hour to school from where I live. I have to take care of horses in the morning but luckily my dad does all of the cattle chores.

What is your daily routine you use when working with your project? 
Until it cools down the heifers are put in the barn every morning around 7:00.  We are fortunate enough to have pens in our barn with fans so that if we have something going on (like moving or working cows) we have just put them in the pens for the morning.  We wash and blow them everyday and work with their hair (Charolais hair is tons of fun!)

Favorite tip about showing:  
My dad always says that you can judge showmanship almost as soon as the showman walks in the gate by the look on their face.  I think this goes for more than just showmanship.  When you walk into the ring you not only have to have a good calf to win you have to have the determination and mind set that you have the best calf in the ring.

What’s your typical show ring attire?
Jeans and a nice shirt. Usually western jeans (like Cruel girls) and a long sleeve button up shirt with a collar if I’m in a showmanship contest.

Do you do anything differently when you’re in showmanship versus when you’re just showing in the show?  
In showmanship I think there are rules that you should always follow, such as staying on the fence when you’re walking around the ring and always staying straight with the rest of the showman when lined up.  However, when your showing your calf I think it’s all about doing what is takes to make your calf look the best.  Sometimes that means making sure your not buried back by fence or covered up by other cattle.  I do think that you should be just as aware and as intense in a show as in showmanship.

If you have a choice, would you rather wash the animals or get them dry?
At home I would rather wash, but at the shows I would defiantly rather blow on the cattle. I hate getting sprayed and I myself have a tendency to get a little crazy with the hose and spray a few people if I have to wash at the shows.

Besides showing, what are your hobbies?  I love to rodeo!

About how many shows to you get to go to each year?
About 8, we don’t have a lot of shows in South Dakota outside of the state fair and summer spotlight.

What’s the one show supply you just couldn’t live without on show day?
Defininely a comb… and you better have some tail adhesive if you’re going to work on Charolais.

Do you have any “good luck charms” about showing? 
I have a lucky show stick. It’s maroon, but it mostly looks silver from all the scratches.  I would say we have had if for close to 10 years; it was my sister’s and she claimed it was lucky.  It goes to every show and I used to be so suspicious about it that only me and my dad could touch it!

Favorite magazine: 
I love looking through all the cattle magazines around sale time… and I always read the barrel horse news.

Favorite web site: Facebook

If you have two animals that win classes, who would be your #1 choice to help show your other animal in the champion drive?  
Luckily, Jordan Mack has helped our family forever and I always go to him first if I need help showing. Jordan knows the cattle as well as I do and I always know he will do a good job showing them.

You just won Grand Champion at the biggest show ever. You and your family get a free dinner at any restaurant of your choice. Where would you pick?  
Golden Ox.  We always have to make the trip at least once while at Denver. They have the best food!