T hese are some of the attributes that have been instilled in my brothers and I from a young age. A love for agriculture and cultivation of quality allowed my parents to turn a cross country move with no knowledge of life in Wyoming into a successful multi-faceted operation. At the helm of that is our show cattle operation, M Lazy Heart Ranch. Having grown up invested in operations that value both show livestock and a commercial setting has been huge in the development of my skill set. Part of the product of that background is the success that my brothers P.D. and Skyler and myself have had both in the show ring and evaluating livestock. I attended my first livestock judging practice when I was 6 years old. Under the coaching of Clint McWaters and Brodie Mackey, I was fortunate to see a lot of success on the state level for years. This was on the basis of “keeping it simple” and trusting my eye for quality livestock. That’s not to say that I was not presented with
challenges. For most of my younger years I was incredibly intimidated by the factor of being the little sister to two very outspoken individuals. I never felt as if I truly had my own voice. That’s where my beginnings at Butler came in. Taylor Frank, my current coach, and Butler alumni have all had hands in the development of who my team and I are today. From the time I visited I knew that Frank would treat me as if I am my own person and not relate me to the successes that had come before my time. Often times I am asked what it is like having an older brother that was so competitive in collegiate livestock judging. My response is always that I don’t mind. Being a part of something so special and having someone to look up to has only pushed me further. Two months ago, I was at my best friend’s house “fellowshipping”, as we call it. She had told me to write down a list of my biggest goals and aspirations. Then she tells me to rip it up. “What?”, I said. Rip up your list. We went outside and she told me to take the pieces and set them on the asphalt. She then pulled a BIC lighter from her pocket and lit the small pile of notebook paper. We watched it burn. Initially a devotional geared toward the purpose of relationships,
we had taken the concept and applied it to livestock judging and other facets of life. Finding your purpose in the pit is about the story of Joseph. He waited intently on the Lord to save him and develop his character. This had been his way of preparing the boy for his calling in life. Relating this to the ups and downs that I have personally seen in my time judging livestock has only solidified my faith. More so, it is representative of how necessary it is to trust the process. My competitiveness and love for all things livestock can be attributed to by upbringing. I am grateful that my parents, Paul and Christine, have raised my brothers and I with strong family values and the mindset that nothing worth having comes easy. It has also been inspiring to have two older brothers that have been so dedicated to the things that they love. Moving to Kansas and establishing relationships with great people and teammates has only been an added factor to my motivation. My team and I’s successes at NAILE and previous contests is the tip of the iceberg- I am ecstatic to continue the climb toward the top. •
261
Powered by FlippingBook