Clermont

When it comes to putting your best foot forward — or in this case your best hoof – maybe the best way to do that is by combing the old with the new.

Today we drove 10 miles out of Clermont and spent the evening with Matthew Gonzales; a 17 year old from Groveland who has been showing cows for the past six years.

When you walk into Matthew’s bedroom, you immediately find out that he is good at what he does. Blue ribbons and pictures with his prize-winning animals hang from the four walls of his room; right above the desk filled with trophies.

Living on the farm and in the country, Matthew says he has the best of both worlds. He knows what it’s like to be connected with his phone and Internet while still preserving the same techniques used decades ago when cowboys raised cattle.

Matthew’s mom, Terri, tries to keep both worlds separate by not allowing any use of cell phones or Internet until all the farm chores are done.

Terri sees technology as a privileged while Matthew sees it as a tool to help him multi-task and gain more knowledge about showing cows. Matthew says by learning new techniques, it allows him to try new things and keep up with changing styles in showmanship.

While Terri and Matthew have different views on how to use technology, they both agree that it isn’t a substitute for getting to know your animal. Terri says there are certain things you sense and notice while raising a cow that no article or YouTube video can teach you.

So in the end, perhaps technology isn’t the ultimate solution for everything. Maybe for Matthew, it takes the best of all worlds, both past and present, to get his cows ready for show.

-Racquel