which was the largest Polled Hereford breeder in the country at the time. It didn’t matter to Jackie if a guy had a million dollars or was a kid moving wheel lines, he showed everyone respect. He taught me never to forget where you came from and always be willing to share what you’ve learned with others.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO OUTSIDE OF CATTLE? Spending time with my family hunting, fishing and watching them play sports. HOW DO YOU ENCOMPASS YOUR BACKGROUND AS A CATTLE PRODUCER INTO JUDGING A STEER SHOW? I look at it from three different angles. As a breeder, as someone whose invested in selling show cattle, and as a father who drags kids down the show road. When standing in the ring, I appreciate the good ones that are truly unique because I know how hard they are to make. I know it’s late nights calving, early mornings heat detecting, and the ability to look at what you raise objectively enough to continue to make genetic improvements. I’ve sold calves to kids for 30 years and recognize it’s a tremendous responsibility when they put their trust in you to help guide them to their goals. Finally, I look at it as the parent of an exhibitor, knowing the level of commitment the young people and their families have regarding time and investment. I’m grateful for the unique perspective being involved in so many different aspects of the industry has afforded me. It’s not something I take lightly, whether I’m asked to judge a county fair or a national show.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY IN THE FUTURE? I’d like to see it grow.
To do that, we need to be more open and inviting to families who are just beginning. It can be intimidating when first-time families go to a show and are overwhelmed. We all have an obligation to create a welcoming environment that fosters the growth of our industry. YOU ARE FROM CALIFORNIA AND WERE ASKED TO JUDGE ONE THE LARGEST STEER SHOWS IN THE COUNTRY– WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? It’s an honor to have been asked to judge the NAILE again. There’s nothing like looking at great cattle on the green chips. No matter what state you are from, good cattle are good cattle, and I’m confident good livestock are born all over the country. Where you are from is irrelevant. I encourage young people from coast to coast and border to border to always chase their passion, whether fitting, breeding, or evaluating livestock.
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE SURPRISED
TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? I love a good ranch
horse and spending time branding calves with my friends and my kids.
IF YOU COULD BUILD THE PERFECT STEER, WHAT WOULD HE LOOK LIKE? Our family tries to achieve this every year when making our mating decisions. I suppose the reality is that we will always get to chase that dream because God has yet to make the perfect steer. The perfect steer would have all the extras while still being perfectly sound. He’d be striking from the side and shapely from every angle. He’d be perfectly proportional in his balance, lay in smooth at his shoulder, be wide chested, blend smooth into his rib cage, big backed, huge hipped, and wide and square in his pins. That calf would be massively built in his skeleton and bone, have dinner plates for feet, and be so athletic and flexible that he’d lap everyone in the class.
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WHAT’S YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE? If you ask my boys, they will tell you that I consistently tell them that it’s the details that separate good from great, whether they are showing livestock or playing sports.
THIS IS WHY I SHOW... Because I’ve loved it since I was nine years old.
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