Carrying the empty halter

The Empty Halter

By Melanie Mainquist

Every kid who's ever showed at the county fair and sold an animal in the auction has experienced the heartbreak of saying goodbye. Or at least most young 4-H or FFA members have battled those emotions where your throat swells up and there's certainly dust in the air, causing your eyes to water. The moment when you lead the animal you've worked with all summer to the chute sitting outside the auction arena. Whether the judge granted you a blue or red ribbon, a trophy, a royal purple rosette or whether you stood first in you class or last, there's a connecti...