urreal and unreal, that’s what winning the grand champion steer title at the 2023 Angus Junior Nationals means to me and my family. Surreal as this feels like a dream that has always felt unattainable. Unreal in the sense that the reality of winning the coveted title doesn't feel real and really hasn’t set in.
a steer was suddenly upon me, I pondered on if I could get a steer good enough to compete.. Could the underdog ever pull it off? Ridiculous long shot but my village went to work! With a lot of trust, hope, and luck a steer was found for me. Fireball and I began our glorious journey. He was irritable and not always cooperative. Fireball definitely didn’t like the show circuit at first, but we were winning. As Fireball got better and better, so did his attitude, and we began discussing the crazy thought of Junior Nationals. Fireball got his routine so well that he began walking himself to the wash rack even without a halter on. To say that he had become special is an understatement. Fireball had now won the shows he needed to win to aim for Grand Island. We made the long journey from Maryland to Nebraska for Fireball to have his shot at the coveted Junior National title. We made it into the ring and Fireball did everything I could have asked a teammate and partner to do. My beloved Fireball has won the 2023 National Junior Angus Show in Grand Island, Nebraska. I can’t thank my parents Angel & Jeremy, my sister Delaney, and my brother Troy enough for all of their sacrifices and time that it has taken to get here. I wouldn’t be able to pursue my passion and go on this journey without you guys. I want to thank all the people who have helped guide me along the way. Thank you to the people who believed in me and gave me this opportunity. Last but not least, I’m grateful for the bond between Fireball and I. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for my last year showing steers. Fireball! ■
I began my show career with a pig when I was 9 at my local county fair. My family didn’t have a farm and we didn’t have generations of family in agriculture. The odds of ever showing or winning the coveted National Junior Angus steer show were zero, nor did I even know what it was at the time. As my family and I were falling
deeper and deeper in love with the industry, we made some serious life changes. We bought a farm and began showing more pigs and added steers and heifers. Many people were helping teach and guide us along our journey. As I watched my older sister Delaney excel and begin showing at a national level, a spark ignited in me. I realized what my passion was and soon quit travel lacrosse and travel basketball to spend all of my time in the barn. I became so focused on my animals that not much else mattered. I worked hard and tried to learn as much as I could about how to make a good animal better. I have been very fortunate over the years with my animals in the show ring because of our family effort-the saying goes teamwork makes the dreamwork. We now operate a cattle company with a breeding herd of angus, mainetainer, hereford, and crossbred cattle. As my last year of showing
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