We have been fortunate to do reasonably well when we have chosen to show our cattle in a "formal" setting. As I have explained elsewhere (and everywhere) we don't believe in special treatment for our cows that do end up in the show ring. They come out of the pasture "as is" and we go from there. Our philosophy has paid off in some years, others it has not, but that hasn't changed our determination to present our cattle in the condition you would expect to find them on our farm, minus the mud and the burrs.