Showing cattle at the National Western Stock Show is a whirlwind of work and tradition for Yuma’s Weathers family

By Hart Van Denburg
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It’s about 5:30 p.m. in the barn on Jan. 22, and Tenley Weathers carries a bale of hay into the livestock trailer. Hay, food, stall equipment and animal care products all get loaded between the time Tenley and her brother Ty get home from school in Yuma, and when dinner goes on the table up at the h

At the National Western Stock Show bloodlines and family legacies run deep

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Part of the Weathers Farms cattle herd of 400 or so Black Baldies - a cross between Hereford and Angus beef cattle. The family runs about 3,000 acres in Yuma County, with an equal amount of native grass. The white-face cow in the center is one Ty Weathers, who was 13 at the time, bought at the National Western Stock Show last year. It’s a different breed, a Maintainer.
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In their kitchen on the evening of Jan. 22, Nikki Weathers preps food for the family’s two night stay in Denver. Ty, left, periodically checks the Stock Show livestream on his phone. Tenley, 12, in a red sweatshirt, helps Nikki while Nate, right, ready to put tacos on the table for dinner - made with with beef from the family herd. Ty’s mom will take him to basketball practice in Yuma after dinner.
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As her dog Louie shuffles over to take a look, Nikki Weathers gets ready to hook the stock trailer to Nate Weathers’ pickup truck on Wednesday evening, Jan. 22, on the family farm in Yuma County. The Weathers pack the trailer the night before the National Western Stock Show, then put two yearlings in the trailer the following morning early.
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As his dad watches, Ty Weathers wheels a folding platform and a plastic grass mat into the trailer. The yearling cattle will stand on the platform, while tethered, as they’re prepped for show.platform.
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The Weathers family Bible sits on a table below snapshots of the kids at different shows, in the family’s living room early Thursday morning Jan. 24.

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With the cattle loaded, and the rest of the family on board, Nate Weathers drives the truck and trailer out of the barn at about 4:45 am. on Thursday, Jan. 23. The family has about a three drive to Denver from Yuma County. They’ll stop for gas an breakfast burritos in Keenesburg.
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Nate Weathers, left, Ty, Nikki and Tenley move their yearlings from the trailer into the barns at the National Western Stock Show, Jan. 23, 2024.
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From the moment they back the trailer up to the barn door in Denver, the family is in motion, getting unpacked and getting the yearlings washed, dried and weighed in. Ty Weathers unrolls rubber mat in their designated stall at the National Western Stock Show on Jan. 23. The family’s brand is printed on the tarp in the background.
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Nikki Weathers has spent most of her life raising cattle, first on the family ranch in Bayfield, and then on the Weathers ground in Yuma County after marrying Nate 17 years ago. Parts of the Weathers farm ground goes back almost 100 years. It’s where Nate grew up, and his grandparents’ and parents’ homes still stand. Its wasn’t until Nate and Nikki married that cattle came into the family business.
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While his parents and sister continue to unpack and get settled at the Stock Show, Ty takes his steer Doug - you can see his name on his ear tag - for a wash, Jan.
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After the yearlings are washed and dried, they’re taken to the weigh-in. Here, Tenley Weathers, 12, in the turquoise coat, leads her heifer Francis onto to scales on Jan. 23. Francis weighed in at 880 pounds, putting her in a class with nine others from across the western United States. Ty’s steer Doug weighed 835 pounds, I a class of 13.

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It’s about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, and the Stock Show barns have already been a hive of noise, dust, humans and cattle for a couple of hours. Neighbor and mentor Levi Zwirn, at right, and friends start prepping Doug, the steer, for show. Levi sold Doug as a calf from his own herd to Ty Weathers last year and has worked with Ty and Tenley to teach them how to raise and show their yearlings.
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Ty Weathers pays a attention to a few final details on Doug’s left foreleg before changing and leading his steer off to the show ring.
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Nate Weathers watches as Levi Zwirn dresses the yearling steer’s tail top so that it sits up and can be clipped evenly with scissors. All manner of products are used on the show cattle’s coat and hide in an effort to better show the animal’s natural posture, structure, size, balance and more. As soon as they brought back from the show ring, it’s all cleaned off.
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All manner of products are used on the show cattle’s coat and hide in an effort to better show the animal’s natural posture, structure, size, balance and more. That includes Lectric Shave to keep the cattle smelling good. As soon as they’re brought back from the show ring, it’s all cleaned off.
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Regular dish soap gets used on show cattle to get to the dirt and grease - extra whitening soap for Tenley’s heifer for the white spots on his head and legs. At home we use vinegar go take care of dandruff in their backs. Another product to condition the hair. Tail adhesive and a thick hair spray to get the hair to stand up and be able to clip and make the legs look thicker. Even black paint on top of other products.
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Show cattle must be tied up closely for a while to hold them still as they’re prepped for show - no water breaks. Instead, family friend and neighbor TJ Rice frequently squirts hydration liquid into Doug’s mouth.
As TJ Rice looks on, Ty Weathers leads Doug to the ring.
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As TJ Rice looks on, Ty Weathers leads Doug to the ring.
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Ty Weathers watches the judge as he looks over Doug the steer, Jan. 24, 2024. At the Events Center ring at the National Western Stock Show. Doug placed 3rd in his weight class, competing against yearlings from all over the West.

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After a second night in a local hotel, the Weathers family returns for another early morning at the Stock Show, Saturday, Jan. 24. Now it’s 12-year-old Tenley’s turn to prep her heifer Francis, get cleaned up and head for the show. On this morning, her grandparents Byron and LaLani, backs to the camera, came from Fort Morgan to supports their grandchildren.
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Tenley, in the pink shirt, leads her heifer Francis into the show ring early Saturday, Jan. 25.
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Tenely Weathers keeps her eyes of the judge as he inspects the line of competing heifers, including Francis, Saturday at the National Western Stock Show.
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Tenley gets a fist bump from her dad Nate back at the weathers stall. Her heifer Francis took fourth place in a class of nine competitors rom across the West.
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Tenley Weathers’ boots in the dust back at the stall after she changed back into everyday wear to help clean things up, pack the trailer and head back to Yuma.
As others pack the trailer, Tenley blows air on Francis to keep her cool.
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As others pack the trailer, Tenley blows air on Francis to keep her cool.
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Nate Weathers carries a feed container through an empty area of the barn, to the waiting trailer, Saturday morning, Jan. 25.
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As snow falls, Nate and Nikki Weathers keep an eye as Tenley leads Francis into the trailer and the trip home to Yuma. They family spent all of about 72 hours at the National Western Stock Show, rotating in and out just as all the other competitors do for all manner of breeds and categories.

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