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WHAT DID WINNING MEAN TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? This is a moment I can’t hardly
explain. At first when the handshake came, my mind was racing a million miles. My heart was beating out of my chest. I could hear the yelling from the ring. I wanted to yell as well. But the best feeling was hours later when it all settled down. It was not only amazing to win but to also have two heifers in the top 5 at the Iowa State Fair. It was a relaxing “yep we did it!” with a huge smile on my face. All the stress over the summer, all the restless nights and early morning, long hours in the barn and sacrifices, all paid off. We did it. TELL US ABOUT YOUR HEIFER. She may not have a name besides “the Maine” but she was definitely the barn pet. We bought her last fall from one of dad’s good friends, Nick Fitzsimmons in Oklahoma. She was also raised by some very close family friends the Dunklau’s and Winegardner Show Cattle. We first showed her at Kansas Beef Expo, where she got along really well for her first show. We then took her to Iowa Beef Expo and multiple jackpot shows where she remained undefeated throughout the year. She was the biggest teddy bear I have ever had in the barn. She would be standing at the gate every morning just ready to come into the cooler. Our whole family loves her. We can’t wait to see what she raises as a donor. WHAT WAS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS? The key to my success was setting goals and never giving up. Any kid who shows cattle knows it’s not for the weak. Juggling 5 hours of sleep per night and 7 hours in a barn with your animal every day all while balancing it with an outside life does wear you out. But with a goal set like winning the Iowa State Fair, I woke up motivated to get after it every day. Another thing is seeing the good things in life and being grateful. Everybody has
something to complain about. But some are not as fortunate to have something to brag about or talk highly of. I could complain about my daily life in a barn, or how much sleep I didn’t get, but someone else didn’t have a house to sleep in last night or enough food to eat. There is always something to be grateful for. IS THERE ANYONE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK? I don’t even know where to start. I have so many people that have helped me from the time I was six to now 18. From people who clipped my calf on show day, to people who don’t know the difference between a steer and a heifer. There are so many people to thank. I am not going to list specific names because that list would take up this whole magazine. But I do want to thank my dad. Like I said before we worked as a team. He pushed me to be better every day. Another big one is my entire family. My family was there to support me from day one and never stopped. They were at
the shows to cheer me on, there to check the cooler, and everything in between. I would like to thank Brad Linton of Linton Livestock and Danny and Courtney Zehr and Henning Farms for their support and help with this opportunity. I would also like to thank Caden Curoe, for always helping me when I was younger and needed a hand with daily chores when he worked for us. He’s out making a name for himself now with his own cattle operation, but I will forever be grateful for the days it was just me and him in the barn growing up. There are so many people I need to thank from selling my calf, raising the heifer, fitting, to holding a bucket at the ring. Our crew who helps us at home and at shows are by far the best people I have been around, they are like family to me, and I can’t put into words what all of them people mean to me. It’s a blessing to have so many people to thank. Over 12 years so many people came together and made the team that accomplished this goal. I will forever be grateful. ●
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