SAN ANGELO, Texas — Some of Brazos Kirkwood’s best friends have four legs.
The 11-year-old is a third-generation stock show competitor. At the Irion County Jr. Livestock Association (ICJLA) Stock Show, he won grand champion with his heifer, while his sister, Sage, finished as the reserve grand champion. Now, Brazos is set to compete at the San Angelo Stock Show in hopes to win the top prize.
The young competitor loves animals. He is responsible for feeding, brushing and conditioning his heifer. While preparing for a stock show is demanding, he said he does it because he gets to be around animals like Elvira.
“(Animals are) kind,” Brazos said. “It makes you feel better when you’re around them.”
His father, Wade, is the program director at the West Texas Boys Ranch, a nonprofit organization responsible for teaching young boys some of the skills his own children learn at home. Wade also showed animals when he was younger, following in his father’s footsteps.
The elder Kirkwood has taught his children the ins and outs of stock show preparation through hands-on training. He said his greatest childhood memories were spent raising livestock. Now, some of his favorite moments in adulthood have come watching Brazos enjoy his family’s pastime.
“One late night with his first heifer, it was nearly dark,” he said. “I turned around and looked, and he’s nearly underneath her combing. And that trust between that animal and that young man, and seeing that he loves something that I love, and how much it meant to him and to see the way they’ve grown in this program because of these tools we use; that will always be one of my favorite memories."