01/22/2023
You know her. We all know her. She was special, she was loved. She was fiercely protective, she'd run off a coyote and charge dog. She also welcome hugs and put her head through the rolled down window to ask for treats.
At 16 I got a loan and bought my first 5 head of cattle, they joined my first heifer to make six. 500 was one of that group. She was my first pick, she stood out like a sore thumb. She was big, she was thick and she had a broad Roman nose. She raised the best calf of the herd year after year, and many of her daughters give me that still.
The country here is rough, the summers are hot and the winters are brutal. She was never sick, she was never lame. She gave me 18 years and never asked a thing more than care and respect.
We laid 500 to rest this morning, in the pasture where she spent half of her life. With my family by my side, I told her goodbye and thanked her for all she had given me. The heartbreak I feel tonight is real and sharp, but she was able to pass at home, where she was always safe, loved and cared for and that is what she earned.
The honor, care and respect for our animals is the least of what we owe them. They dedicate their lives to serving us, to provide a living for us, to build a family legacy and that is a service we can never repay.
Give your special girls an extra scratch tonight and slip them a couple extra treats. They deserve it. ❤️
📷: Pebbles - 500's daughter - 2013 Grand Champion Bred Heifer
