then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where my brother and I were born. Shortly after, my family and I moved to Faribault, Minnesota, to be closer to family. I grew up in a large family of six brothers and two sisters. In 2004, my youngest sister was born with Down’s syndrome. Her condition required many visits to the hospital. It was there where my family and I met Debi Purfeerst, who became my sister’s home nurse. Debi would visit my family’s home to check in on my sister and through the years, Debi developed a relationship with my family, but I grew an even more special connection with her. The summer before sixth grade year, Debi asked if I would like to visit her farm. Debi and her family raised and successfully showed registered Angus cattle, and her youngest son, Matt, was still showing. With zero hesitation, I was hooked and wanted to be involved with any and everything farm or show cattle related from that first trip to Purfeerst Farms. Debi worked a couple of miles from my home, and would come every other day to pick me up to work on show cattle and to learn the ropes of the trade. Her youngest, Matt, played an integral role in my love and passion for this game because of his drive and willingness to teach me all that he knows. In the fall of 2013, I attended my first cattle
show at the Minnesota Beef Expo and participated in showmanship. Not making the cut, I could not ever be more grateful, because that was when I truly fell in love with showmanship, because I wanted to be that kid that was at the backdrop with the rest of the top five for showmanship. I worked hard and made it a goal of mine to do just that. Along with that, the oldest son, Mark and his wife Jamie, were coaching the local county judging team and asked me to join the team. Little did I know where it would take me and how much of an impact it would have on my life. Both Mark and Jamie, played an instrumental part in my development early on, by not only growing my confidence and ability to evaluate livestock but allowing me to grow as an individual in all other aspects of my life. Prior to joining a livestock judging team, I was the shy kid who did not step out of my comfort zone and always wanted to stay at home. However, they broke me out of my shell and allowed me to discover who I truly was at a young age. The following year, the Purfeerst leased me a spring Angus heifer to show at the county fair. There, I was fortunate enough to see success on the county level and earn a trip to the Minnesota State Fair to compete with the “big dogs.” Being on the local county team, I also had the
41
Powered by FlippingBook