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| Dad (Right) and one of his classmates, Grant. Oh, and their dates for the Little Royal. You probably can't see it, but they are standing just outside of . . . well, read on . . . |
Dad was a veterinarian.
He received his education at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
It was an . . . interesting three years.
For everyone involved . . .
In the spring of each year, everyone in the area geared up for the much-anticipated Little Royal Agricultural Show. There were numerous displays put on by all three colleges in the area: The Vets (My Dad’s group) from Guelph Veterinary College, the Aggies from the Ontario Agriculture College, and the Mac Hall girls from the MacDonald Institute for Women.
There was also a show of livestock right on the campus.
Being a Hereford enthusiast, Dad chose to show a Hereford cow. Two of his classmates chose similarly and the three of them spent most of their evenings working with their animals, gentling and training them.
A week before the show, they decided that their animals had worked hard enough to have earned a little R and R (Rousing and riotous fun).
Because . . . Dad. I'm sure I don't need any further explanation . . .
The quiet, gentle animals were led out into the compound.
All was well.
The boys led them around the campus.
Still good.
Finally, they led the cows up the stairs and into the humans’ residence. Happily, the animals trotted along behind.
The three men and their ‘exhibits’ circled the hall to loud acclaim, (Okay, there was a lot of shouting and laughter, I’m going to call it ‘acclaim’.) and started back toward the door.
Which suddenly became blocked.
By the Dean of Men.
Oops.
For a moment, the three boys and their Dean simply stared at each other. Then, without a word, the Dean backed away and let them out onto the porch.
After a quick couple of pictures there (What event doesn't need to be recorded – or proved?), the cows were meekly led back to their barn and re-in-stalled. So to speak.
For a week, Dad walked about gingerly, expecting at any moment to be called onto the Dean’s carpet.
Nothing happened.
I guess because the cows didn't leave anything on the dorm carpet, the Dean was happy to overlook the whole episode.
Then, too, he probably knew my dad . . .
Love the stories of your dad, sounds like he got his reputation (so to speak) at a fairly young age.
ReplyDeleteSo cute. I would've loved to have seen those cows! I can't imagine getting through three years of veterinary school. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteHow lucky that the carpet wasn't decorated.
ReplyDeleteAs pranks go I suspect that one was mild.
And he'd been young once himself...I imagine.
ReplyDeleteNice to see that photos were a thing even back then - now he'd have posted it to FB and IG - but at least their stunt was recorded for posterity!
ReplyDeleteDiscretion is the better part of valour, maybe? I remember being told by our high school math teacher about how, at the university he attended, a cow was left in the courtyard of a girls' residence, which meant going up several concrete steps. The cow didn't want to go back down the steps. He never did say how they got her back down, but right then and there I decided that was the university for me (fortunately my mother based her approval on better reasons). I was assigned to that residence my first year but no cows appeared in the courtyard!
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