Story by Amy Moss Strong
World Photos by Lou Sennick

Tim Kokel, competes in the novice beef showmanship class Thursday afternoon at the Coos County Fair. The youn Kokel was participating with Riet, a Murray gray bull, in his first year showing at the fair.

Above, Wanita Parsons watches and Leonard Kokel listens as thier 10-year-old son, Tim Kokel compete.

Tim Kokel hangs the reserve grand champion ribbon he and his 500-pound Murray gray bull, Riet, won for the bull confirmation class Thursday at the Coos County Fair. Below, Riet stands attentively as Tim Kokel, along with his parents, Leonard Kokel and Wanita Parsons, check the livestock club's locker one last time for a missing halter. With a few minutes to spare the boy and the bull were ready for their class competition Thursday afternoon at the Coos County Fair.

Passing the skills, father to son

MYRTLE POINT- It takes commitment, hard work and skill, but belonging to 4-H teaches children valuable lessons.
Ten-year-old Tim Kokel is learning those lessons this year for the first time. He took his 6-month-old Murray gray calf, named Notoriety, to the Coos County Fair. "Riet," as Kokel calls the silvery-colored bull is more than just a 4-H project, he's a pet.
In training prior to the fair, Riet followed Kokel around and nuzzled him affectionately, even licking the top of the boy's sandy-colored crew cut as he bent down.
Leonard Kokel, TimÕs father, demonstrated how Riet won't follow him, but will happily tag along with Tim. The calf balked when Leonard took the rope.
"He doesn't like me, but he sure loves Timmy. He's really the gentlest calf I've ever seen," said Leonard after Tim took the rope and led the calf.
Leonard, who has been blind since he was 7, finds ways to help Tim train, using a tractor and rope and other methods. Despite his disability, Leonard has worked with animals since childhood and was a member of Future Farmers of America and 4-H. He said he wanted to pass that experience on to his son.
Tim and Leonard purchased Riet and the calf's mother, which is pregnant, in Eastern Oregon just a month before the fair.
"So we really got three cows for the price of one," Tim boasted.
Tim's mother, Wanita Parsons, has a farm in Coos Bay where Tim and Riet quickly learned how to work together in preparation for the fair, spending up to three hours a day in training. Tim also has been studying all year with his 4-H group, the Sumner Little Beefers.
He's learned how to groom, care for and train the animal, as well as specific techniques for showing. Although Tim has been around animals his entire life, this is his first 4-H project. Children must be at least 9 years old and in the fourth grade to show animals, according to Leonard.
And Tim's learned well.
"Riet weighs about 500 pounds," he recited. "We feed him 7 to 8 pounds of grain a day and alfalfa hay. He's a Murray gray, which are from Australia and they're a good range cow."
As a novice, Tim is only able to show his animal, but next year he will be able to auction an animal to earn money.
"With that money, I'd buy another calf," the ambitious blue-eyed boy said.
At the fair, Tim and Riet are smaller than many of their counterparts, but the two competed with pride in the novice class and earned the judge's favor.
Tim received first place for 4-H junior bull confirmation class, a competition in which mainly the animal is judged.
In open class anyone can compete and Tim received a reserve grand champion ribbon for Riet.
"He competed against a local farmer who raises Angus and Tim was the only kid," Leonard said.
On Thursday, Tim competed in the novice beef showmanship class, where the handler is being judged.
Dressed in a blue striped shirt tucked neatly into his jeans, Tim led Riet into the pen. Riet followed him obediently as Tim used his show stick, a long, hooked stick pointed at the end, to place the calf's legs into position. Riet's legs placed perfectly, but his back remained swayed.
Leonard explained that the stick is used to place the animal in a proper position but also to calm it. A gentle scratching with the show stick on the calf's belly usually helps it relax and straighten its back.
The judge explained to the audience, seated on bleachers in the warm sun, that the animal is placed that way to make its hindquarters appear larger to potential buyers.
"That's why we do this, folks," the judge said.
Tim didnÕt do as well as he had earlier in the day and was disappointed after receiving fourth place.
"But it takes more experience and that comes with time," said his mother. "He'll do better next year."
Leonard and Wanita are proud of Tim's accomplishments. In addition to showing the bull, Tim entered a create-a-creature in the land products division from vegetables he grew himself. He also entered his handmade quilt, which received a second-place ribbon.
"I'm retired now," said Leonard, Òbut Tim keeps me busy. I think he's doing awfully good."
With the competitions over, Tim was ready to enter the fun contests on Friday and Saturday, including the animal parade.
And he's already planning for next year.
"I think I'll keep Riet for a couple more years and use him as a bull and next year I'll get a new bull to show," he said. "But next year, I'll get the same kind."