Martin enjoys connection with cattle

While he occasionally shows rabbits, the bond he’s able to form with his cattle entry increases the enjoyment.

“I like the connection with the animals. They can really understand you, and they have an attitude and emotions. They don’t just follow around,” he said.

Because of that, Martin thoroughly enjoys when it comes to be preparation time for the fair and doing the various chores, like feeding, walking and just generally spending time with the animals. There’s extra enjoyment in the fact that by the time the fair rolls around, the animals have matured through the toughest stretch.

“It’s when I like them the most, winter and right before fair,” he said. “Winter is good because they’re still little and friendly, but then they start grow. When they grow, they get a little attitude…but once they get to fair time, they kind of calm down again, and they’re friendly. They kind of understand again.”

Now a few years into his showing career, Martin has changed how he approaches competing in the ring. Early on, he was just in it for the fun. He hadn’t quite figured out what he was doing in the ring and was content with having a good time. Now, he’s much more competitive about wanting to do well, though that doesn’t mean he can’t still enjoy himself.

“It gets a little competitive. I think about it a little more, I dock myself when I do something wrong, but that’s also good because I’m learning…I’ve gotten a lot better at the process of getting ready for the fair,” he said. “It’s a little less stressful because we know what we’re doing.”