Our main goal with Junior Nationals was to get our kids to try new things, meet new people and experience things that we did not get to as kids. We had hopes of doing well and had been working hard preparing the kids and heifers for Iowa, but also understood the level of competition. If any of our kids did any winning it would truly be a blessing. Showmanship was Thursday, Audrey was 9th over all Senior and Grady 4th over all intermediate. We could not have been prouder of those two. Years of hard work, arguing with us and each other in the barn, and hours of practice with their two heifers had paid off. Friday started off just as good when we showed our first ever Bred and Owned at a Junior Nationals and won division 1 . Going into the Plus show that afternoon I had crazy hopes of getting both Audrey and Grady somewhere in the top 5. After showmanship we had a lot of complements on their heifers, but also knew how tough that would be. We had shown against some of the barn favorites at NAILE and OKC and came up a few spots short both times. After Audrey showed I thought we were going to fall short again, she was 3rd in class to what was the 3rd over all Heifer and a full sister to Grady’s heifer that ended up 3rd in Div. Grady was in the next class and when he walked in I sensed the judge took a liking to his heifer then in Div., we beat the one that was 3rd overall
heifer for the first time and I had a feeling our day was about to get good. We were expecting reserve but surprised beyond belief when the Judge smacked Grady’s heifer on the hip for Grand Champion Shorthorn Plus. With Thursday and Friday’s success we would have been content to head east, but there was still one more day. Saturday started out as good as Friday ended. Sawyer won division 1 with the February calf we raised. At this point it started to seem like it was a dream. Audrey was in the next division with the fall, and she ended up winning that one as well. Thinking those two had reached their ceilings for being so young, and the top 5 would all be older calf’s we headed up for the grand drive. I was standing there in aw having 2 kids standing side by side in a National Grand Drive. The judge gave his speech and then selected Grand and Reserve, he then started to look at our fall over as he sorted the last 3 spots, I knew he liked her in Class and division, but I was not expecting a top 5 with her this year. Sure, enough he ended up putting her 5th wrapping up a three-day span that I could of not wrote the script for better. Next year the show is in Maryland. With it being right down the road in the state we show 4-H in we hope to have some of the same success we did this year, knowing that Iowa 23 will probably never be repeated it certainly gives us something to shoot for.
I am amazed to see the changes in all 4 of our kids after this experience. The family bonding from the show and contest, the experience of taking 7 animals 16 hours from home, meeting new people, stepping outside their comfort zone truly has changed them forever. Our farm Gypsy Creek Ranch is in Gettysburg PA, we have several breeds of cattle but are mostly focusing on Shorthorn and Simmental Genetics these days. We plan to have 3 online auctions this fall. Along with our 4 kids we took to Iowa this year, we have a 2 ½ year old daughter Emmilyn and cows are her world, I imagine we will be showing for many years to come and before she is done we hope to have grandkids involved. When you hear “it takes a Village” with 4 kids showing it takes TWO!!! There are more thanks to be given then we can remember, but most of all God deserves all the glory for connecting us to the right breeder Cates Farms and bringing our recently hired herdsman Austin Schmidt into our lives. Also to the AJSA and all the great people that put so much work into making Shorthorn Junior Nationals what they are. Becky the kids and I look forward to many more Junior Nationals , especially the one in our home show state in 2024! ■
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