Sheree and Sparkles

Dear Shepherdess,

I grew up on my family dairy farm thirty minutes south-east of Whakatāne and I have very fond memories of pet day – or calf club, as we used to call it.

One of the perks of having a pet calf, lamb or goat was that we were excused from homework. So, instead of saying my times tables on repeat at the dinner table each night, this was replaced with feeding, brushing, leading and taking good care of my new friend. I would choose having a pet calf over doing times tables any day.

Rearing an animal taught me so much as a child. It taught me resilience and perseverance, patience, animal-handling skills, responsibility and empathy, along with giving me lifelong memories.

A memory that still makes me smile was when my grandfather disagreed with the calf I had chosen one year. Calf club was very competitive at the school I was from. Particularly if you had a calf, you went to calf club to represent your farm.

It was that time of year where I had to choose the right calf. She had to have a good back on her, a shiny coat and the right temperament. After some deliberation I chose my calf and I named her Sparkles. My grandfather wasn’t in favour of the calf I chose. “You aren’t going to win anything with her,” he said. “You watch me,” I replied.

Every morning, I would get out of bed and go and feed her – rain, hail or shine – before going to school. I couldn’t wait for school to be over just so I could go home and be with my new friend. I never used to like school, so having a pet calf was the perfect opportunity to download my day to her. The best part was that she never answered back!

I found leading to be the hardest part of rearing a calf. It required a lot of patience, time and a few tears along the way. After having pet calves in previous years, I realised that if they walk well at the farm chances are they will misbehave on the day– and vice versa. Sparkles wasn’t doing too well with her leading on the farm so I was hoping she would behave herself in the ring. And she did.

By the end of it all, much to my delight, I was rewarded with a Reserve Champion award, multiple ribbons, best-handled calf trophy and a team leading shield. My grandfather never questioned my choice of calf again.

Sheree Savage
Tauranga

This letter appeared in our Kōanga Spring 2024 Edition.