F rom attending my showing has been a large part of my life. I have lived in Chillicothe my whole life, and I am the fourth generation to raise cattle on the land where Graves Cattle Company operates. I first set foot into a show ring as an exhibitor when I was just three years old. Before I started showing cattle I showed pigs for over four years. Growing up on my family's show cattle operation where we always had something in the barn, it was important to my parents to allow me to decide whether I wanted to show cattle as they did not want to decide for me. If you ask Dad the day that asked him and mom if I could show cattle he would say, “That day was almost as good as the day she was born”. It wasn't long after that, in 2016 when I got my first set of heifers. I have used the same show harness and have kept every exhibitor number since then. At that time my biggest dreams were to be on the pulse first show when I was less than 10 days old, and to win a showtimes banner. If only that young girl knew that those dreams would be exceeded and how honored she would be when asked to contribute this article. The last few years and especially 2024 have been one for the books. One of my greatest accomplishments and goals was checked off my list this summer when I was blessed with being selected as the Grand Champion Market Steer at the 2024 Missouri State Fair. “Preacher” weighing in at 1370 was a crossbred steer sired by Holy Ghost x out of a Sugar Bear cow. He was raised by some of the best people I know at Horn Livestock located in Anson, Texas. “Preacher” and I have spent a lot of early mornings and late nights together over these last 10 months. The moment I realized that I was about to receive the champion slap all the sacrifices my family and I had made suddenly all paid off.
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