The sound of the horn rang through the ears of hopeful 9-year-olds as they dashed toward the calves at the end of the dusty arena at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Catching a calf meant grabbing a show heifer for the upcoming year, and for some of these kids, it was their only opportunity to enter the show ring.
Paul Lawrence stood ready and waiting at the rope placed across the dirt that covered the arena floor. He waited for the horn to blow, because he wanted to catch his very first show heifer and begin his junior show career. He ran like the wind, darting toward what he thought was the best calf available, said Bruce Lawrence, Paul’s father and owner of Lawrence Family Limousin. She weaved and bobbed, but she was no match for the determined, gritty young boy, he said.
Breathing heavily and completely worn down, he loaded his new prize onto the livestock trailer with his head high and pride beaming through the look on his face, Lawrence said. Little did he know the heifer Paul caught that day would be the catalyst for one of the most influential Limousin operations in the country. Although Paul is not as involved with the family farm today, he played a huge part in getting the ball rolling for Lawrence Family Limousin, he said.
“In recent years, we have been trying to focus on creating an all-around seed stock program that caters to any producer’s needs,” said Lawrence.
Bruce and Paula Lawrence reside in Anton, Texas, where they raised two sons and a daughter while building a registered Limousin herd since 1988.
Lawrence Family Limousin is exactly what it sounds like, a family-run cattle operation in the flatland of West Texas. They manage nearly 150 head of registered Limousin cattle as well as 165 commercial cattle, and market sale cattle to families around the country, Lawrence said.
Amber Parkinson, the Lawrences’ daughter, has spent 14 years serving as a county extension agent, but recently she moved back to the family farm. She will assume the heavy load of cowherd management, show barn management and sale cattle promoting, she said.
“We want our kids to be involved in agriculture as much as we can,” Parkinson said. “Showing livestock teaches them excellent leadership skills and allows them to make more contacts for the future.”
Parkinson grew up showing Limousin cattle across the state and was actively involved in the Texas Junior Livestock Association. She said she had some success within the state and national level and held a position on the North American Limousin Junior Association Board of Directors during her junior show career.
The experiences and connections Parkinson has made throughout her years exhibiting cattle is why she wants her kids to grow up in this industry, she said.
“Any association that can get your kids out there to increase their confidence level and knowledge is something any parent would want their kid to be a part of,” Parkinson said.
For the entire Lawrence family, the TJLA does just that. The Lawrence family has raised and sold cattle for nearly 30 years, and they believe the creation of the TJLA has spiked the interest and involvement among Texas youth, Parkinson said.
“Paula and I have stuck around and continued to raise some show cattle particularly for our grandkids,” Lawrence said. “We are so excited to have Amber, Jonny and the kids back home with us, [especially] for the kids up-and-coming show career.”
The Lawrence’s have sold cattle across the country and have made some important connections, especially with a young Oklahoma girl who would later become their marketing and promotional coordinator, Lawrence said.
Kendall Harsh, field staff member at Focus Marketing Group, grew up showing Limousin cattle at the state and national levels. When she was in high school, her family decided to buy a heifer from the Lawrence family. This heifer was a good one to drag around the show ring and it allowed Harsh to meet one of the families she looks up to the most within the cattle industry, she said.
“I’ll go out there for days at a time because Bruce and Paula are awesome people and are just so fun to be around,” Harsh said. “It doesn’t matter how many cattle we have to photograph, the Lawrence family never fails to keep me entertained.”
Harsh was recently at the ranch to photograph cattle for the annual Lawrence Family Limousin fall production sale. The Lawrence family will offer about 20 open heifers, 15 bulls and two cow-calf pairs, she said.
“They have an awesome set this year,” Harsh said. “I’m excited for them to continue to grow and improve their operation.”
While selling show cattle is important to the Lawrence family, Parkinson moved back home to help run things smoothly and focus on improving the quality of their cow base. Improving the quality of their cowherd is the first step in the right direction, Parkinson said.
“Show cattle are important, but I am more focused on the performance side of things these days because that’s what the bull trade market demands,” Lawrence said. “I want to be more involved in selling commercial bulls. We’ve been successful with them recently.”
The Lawrence Family has had some recent success in the show ring, including Reserve Grand Champion Bull at the 2017 All-American Limousin Futurity, Reserve Supreme Champion Female at the 2017 Rodeo Austin, and many division champions at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Parkinson said.
Winning Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Limousin Bulls at the 2017 NWSS meant more to the Lawrence family than just hanging another purple banner, Lawrence said. It meant getting their name buzzing around the barns and cattle industry and having all their hard work finally pay off, he said.
“Instead of just trying to raise show cattle, we just show what we raise,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said he believes raising cattle with performance, usefulness and eye appeal will always trump raising cattle that only look the part. Cows need to be cows first and need some performance to become one, he said.
“We’ve come a long way since my son caught his scramble calf, and we don’t intend to stop now,” Lawrence said.