Jan/Feb 2024 Stock Show Edition

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Jeremy and Andrea Clark were raised in similar backgrounds, Jeremy on a commercial cow- calf operation in central Arkansas that was Simbrah influenced, and Andrea on a cattle backgrounding and row crop operation in western Arkansas. Jeremy began showing in 1989. Although Jeremy’s parents and grandparents were implementing AI at the time, the cattle they produced were neither seedstock nor show cattle oriented. His first heifer was a Simmental by Megahertz, and he continued to show various breeds of heifers and steers throughout his

4-H and FFA career. He attended two breed Junior Nationals: Limousin and Gelbvieh. Andrea began showing steers in 1983, continuing to show them throughout her FFA and 4-H careers. Andrea’s steers were purchased in Oklahoma from guys like Steve Pixler, Jeff McPeak, Shane Kennent, and Matt Fuss. Jeremy and Andrea met through livestock judging because their Ag teachers were college roommates and roping partners. They would work out together before the contests. Although Jeremy and Andrea didn’t

know each other well they coincidentally have the same big goal, they both wanted to win the Arkansas State Fair Steer Show. Although they never reached that goal, Jeremy’s highest accomplishment was winning the Arkansas State Fair Commercial Heifer Show in the early 1990s with heifers that he raised. Andreas was making the sale every year at the Arkansas State Fair, as well as in Kansas City. In 1998 she won her class in Kansas City, with a Mailman steer that Jeremy clipped. They both graduated from high school in 1998 and attended school at Connors State College. Jeremy was

recruited to be on the school’s livestock judging team that was highly competitive at all national contests. In 1999 while attending Connors, Jeremy purchased a Witch Doctor steer from Jerry Adamson through Jeff McPeak. The steer went on to be Reserve Steer at the Arkansas State Fair in 2000. This situation made Jeremy think that he would like to consider this sector of the industry as a career. After Connors, both Jeremy and Andrea attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In the fall of 2000, Jeremy took out a loan for $7,500 and went to

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