Some days, Isel Tejeda’s show steers don’t enjoy getting cleaned off with a hose.

But with temperatures reaching 99 degrees Wednesday in Hermiston, the Black Angus crossbreed named Chocolate kept perfectly still as Tejeda washed cold water down his back.

“We usually give them a bath every other day, just to keep the flies away,” said Tejeda, an eighth-grader at Armand Larive Middle School and member of the Oregon Trail Riders 4-H Club. “Today, since it’s kind of hot, I’m going to let him cool down. I won’t dry him completely.”

Tejeda, 13, figures she spends at least two hours every afternoon with Chocolate and her second show steer, Shadow, now that she is out of school for the summer.

As soon as her father, Martin Tejeda, returns home from work at Keystone RV in Pendleton, they are off to the family’s four-acre pasture to check on their cattle. Chocolate and Shadow are held in separate pens, with plenty of shade to help them beat the heat.

This time is critical for Tejeda as she prepares to show Shadow at the Umatilla County Fair and Chocolate at the Pendleton Junior Livestock Show. Every minute of practice and familiarity makes it that much easier come time to step into the show ring.

Tejeda will also take both animals Saturday to the Umatilla County Cattlemen’s Association Desert Classic Jackpot Steer and Heifer Show, which she said will help them get to know the fairgrounds and become more relaxed around large crowds of people.

“You’ll get docked points if it looks like you didn’t spend any time with your animal,” Tejeda said. “My favorite part is getting to know my animal, it’s different characteristics and what it does well.”

For example, Shadow takes a bit more elbow grease to move between his pen and the fitting chute — “He’s kind of the lazy one,” Tejeda jokes. Chocolate used to have a problem jumping up, and every once in a while still tries to push his luck.

That’s when Tejeda chimes in with a firm hand and strict “no.”

“It’s similar to training a dog, just a much bigger animal,” Tejeda said.

Once the steers are washed using a mild shampoo, Tejeda grooms in an adhesive product designed to make their legs look bulkier (the judges want to see a strong, meaty animal), along with a spray to repel flies.

She then returns them to their pens for eating and rest before walking a few laps to practice her showmanship.

Tejeda knows she will be sad when both her animals are sold at auction. Then it becomes time to take on a new calf and start the whole process over again.

“Even though they will be gone, they’ve had a good life as a 4-H animal,” she said. “That’s why I kind of let it go after a while.”

Tejeda gets her love of animals from her parents, both of whom grew up ranching in Mexico. One of Isel’s favorite stories comes from her mother, Ramira, who used to care for a bull that was only tame around her.

The bull was eventually taken away, but somehow escaped and found its way back to Ramira. That’s the powerful bond Isel wants to have with each of her steers, she said.

“Honestly, my friends think I’m weird because I get so attached to them,” she said. “I think it helps me to be a better showman.”

Tejeda hopes to continue showing animals and join the Future Farmers of America once she reaches high school. The proceeds Tejeda gets from auctions will also help her pay for college, which she said her family otherwise could not afford.

“I want to be able to pay my parents back, say ‘Here’s my degree,’ and go get a good job,” she said. “They’ve always been there for me.”

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Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4547.