McConnaughy boys continue family tradition of showing cattle and winning honors and titles
Watson McConnaughy, 8, right, showed his family’s 1-year-old bull Moonshine at the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, finishing with the grand champion bull title in the Junior Hereford show (open to those age 21 and younger). He also won the bull calf champion in the open show, which is open to exhibitors of all ages. Watson is shown with, from left, his brother Jett, his dad Travis McConnaughy and the judge of the Hereford exhibits.
Jett McConnaughy, right, almost 10, showed Moonshine at the Missouri State Fair and won the grand champion bull title in the junior Hereford show as well as the bull calf champion title in the open show. He is shown with, from left, the 2023 Missouri Hereford queen, brother Watson, father Travis and the Hereford competition judge, whose name isn’t known.
Jett and Watson McConnaughy of Gainesville had “a heck of a summer” with their 1-year-old bull Moonshine, says their dad Travis McConnaughy, owner of WMC Cattle Company in Wasola.
Watson, 8, showed Moonshine at the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, finishing with the grand champion bull title in the junior Hereford show (open to those age 21 and younger), and they won the bull calf champion in the open show, which is open to exhibitors of all ages.
Jett, almost 10, also showed Moonshine at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia and won the grand champion bull title in the junior Hereford show as well as the bull calf champion title in the open show.
Travis said the boys have been involved in the young bull’s daily care, and he has worked with them on their showing techniques.
Before showing the bull at the Ozark Empire and state fair, they entered Moonshine in six county fairs “and won every show except one,” Travis said, adding that Moonshine won supreme bull as the outstanding entry of all the grand champions of every breed in three of the county fairs.
Next, Moonshine will likely be shown at national shows: in Louisville, Kentucky, in November and in Denver, Colorado, in January 2024. Travis said the bull will be shipped to those sites and shown by others; the young boys will be in school and unable to attend those shows.
The boys are also the sons of Sarah McConnaughy of Gainesville and great-grandsons of the late Jean and Calvin Watson, who owned the national grand champion polled Hereford bull in 1986.
Travis has continued his grandfather’s cattle business and will host the WMC Cattle Company’s annual sale of bulls, cows and heifers at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at the ranch headquarters in Wasola. Everyone is invited.
Travis said 120 head of cattle will be offered for sale. Past purchases have resulted in WMC cattle being shipped to Canada and states as far away as Washington, North Carolina and Texas, Travis said.