Site Search
Contact Us
Find Us
Forms
Advertising
Subscriptions
Locations
Links
Site News
Hey Henry Archive
Obit. Archive

 

Wyatt Walden, age 10, receives award for his steer, Cash, at the Henry County Cattlemen’s Association Steer and Heifer show in October 2008.    Special Photo

  Unless you are a new resident of Henry County, you have surely heard the name of Walt Walden. From Stockbridge, Walden was one who loved cattle, raising them and showing them, and he especially loved the rodeo. Competing was the joy of his life and in 1988, Walden won the World Title on the pro-rodeo tour. His involvement with the Hindquarters Club gave him a chance to interact with young boys and girls of the County and begin training them in the ways of taking care of calves. He taught them to not judge how a particular calf may look in anticipation of a trophy. He would say that a young calf can be trained to be a winner regardless of how they look at an early age. Many of the Hindquarters club members still remember Walden lovingly teaching them how to handle and take care of their cattle. It was definitely a passion that paid off.

  Now, at the young age of ten, Walden’s son, Wyatt, is following in his father’s footsteps as he received the Walter B. Walden Memorial Livestock Award in May of 2008. This is a scholarship award given by the Henry County Extension Office to an exhibitor who is outstanding in their character, sportsmanship, responsibility, dedication, and improvement through the year. In October, Wyatt presented a paper at the Cattlemen’s Club about raising and showing his calf, Cash, which was sold at auction in that same month. Below, please find excerpts from his paper.

  “My name is Wyatt Walden and I’m a second year exhibitor in the Henry County Steer and Heifer Show.  Unlike my first year, I’m not as terrified handling my steer as I was handling last year’s heifer.  Don’t get me wrong, he sometimes still makes me real nervous but I feel more comfortable with him because he doesn’t try to butt me or push me in the water trough or anything like that.  My steer actually seems to like me.  He comes to the fence to see me everyday and greets me with a great big lick, whether it’s my hand, arm, shirt, pants or even my shoestrings, when I come through the gate.

  “I got my steer from Moser Cattle Company in Zebulon. The Moser’s had several lots of calves to pick from. When I went in the second lot, there were about ten calves and this one large calf caught my eye and I must have caught his.  He didn’t take off running from me like all the rest of them did.  Matter of fact, he walked right up to me and gave me a lick on my arm. I knew he was the one for me.  He was the biggest of all the calves but he was put together really nice and the main thing was he seemed to be very gentle.

 “I thought and thought for the perfect name for my new steer.  I started out with Chickeezee Easy after one of the American Idols. But after a few days, I decided that had to go, so I came up with something simple and hoped that he would bring me a lot of it when the steer show was over, I named him “Cash.”

  “Cash is a beautiful black Maine x Chi x Angus Cross.  His dam is a Taz Heifer and his sire is Northern Improvement (Maine x Chi x Angus Bull). 

  “Cash weighed in at 782 lbs at the beginning of our show season in May. His diet consists of Southern States Bull Test, hay and grass.  At the present time, Cash is receiving approximately 10.5 lbs of feed twice a day.

   “I’m hoping by the Henry County Fair in October (2008), he’ll weigh in around 1000 lbs. Cash receives daily showers and gets walked as much as possible.  He leads very well and that is such a blessing because last year it took 4 or 5 of my family members to get my heifer anywhere.  It was so frustrating but Cash is always ready to go.

  “In closing, I have to say I have really enjoyed working with Cash and we have become great friends.  He helped me tremendously to get over my fears and has taught me a lot of responsibilities.  As a matter of fact, I hate to see this project coming to an end because I’m truly going to miss going to the barn and not get greeted at the gate with a big ol’ lick.”

 Wyatt’s mother, Traci Walden Monroe has much to say about her and Walt’s son. “I am very proud of him and everything he accomplished. Taking care of Cash taught Wyatt responsibility and discipline, yet at the same time, he had a lot of fun.” Monroe continued that, “Wyatt will certainly be continuing during 2009. We currently have three calves that he’ll be working and choosing from and I certainly hope that he does as well as he did this year.”

  Sponsored by the Henry County 4H Hindquarters Club, young Walden will be showing again in 2009 at the County Steer and Heifer Show. Just as his father was a source of pride to our community, we now have another generation of Waldens to cheer for and support.

  For more information about the County 4H Hindquarters Club, please contact Heather Dunning at the County Extension office. Her telephone number is 770-288-8421.