41
FOUR WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? I’ve judged reindeer in Alaska. Also, I’m a passionate softball and baseball coach. FIVE WHAT IS YOUR ROUTINE ON SHOW DAY WHEN YOU’RE JUDGING? I treat it like any other day—except I dress up to evaluate cattle instead of wearing my usual work clothes. SIX WHAT’S YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE? Life advice: Chase your dreams, work hard, and believe in yourself. You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. Nothing comes fast or easy—you have to put in the time, effort, and dedication. Cattle advice: Invest in quality over quantity. With today’s technology, you can produce a lot of cattle from just one or two great cows. SEVEN HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE PERFECT HEIFER/FEMALE? The perfect heifer is one that will become a great cow. I strive to find elite females I’d want in my pasture raising calves after their show career ends. Too often, we focus on things in the show ring that don’t matter once the halter comes off.
EIGHT WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
I’m a fifth-generation cattleman and grew up on Sankey’s 6N Ranch in Council Grove, Kansas. Our family has the second-oldest Angus herd in the U.S., with over 125 years in the registered Angus business. I attended Butler County Community College and judged on the livestock team. I then transferred to Oklahoma State University, where I was on the 2001 National Champion livestock judging team. I earned a B.S. in Ani- mal Science and an M.S. in Ruminant Nutrition. After OSU, I worked at Michigan State University as the beef cowherd manager. Today, I’m the Senior Director of Beef Programs for GENEX Beef. NINE WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF JUNIOR SHOWS AND EVENTS IN OUR INDUSTRY? Junior shows have grown and evolved a lot since I was a kid, but the core values remain: they teach hard work, dedication, competition, and how to win and lose with grace. The best part of junior shows is the network of friends you make. Life is about the connections you build, and the junior show industry is un- matched in that regard. You meet peo- ple from all over the world and form a network few others can match. TEN THIS IS WHY I SHOW: Number one, I show because I love the time with friends and family. I’m not sure why we all work so hard on these “vacations,” but the memories I make with my family are what it’s all about. Whether I’m showing, judging, or watching my kids show, the way my heart races and the adrenaline rush of the grand drive is something that can’t be matched.
ONE WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO SORT THE OWNED HEREFROD FEMALES IN LOUISVILLE THIS SUMMER? It’s a great honor to judge the owned females at the JNHE. It’s one of the largest elite-level shows in the world, and to be asked to judge is a once-in- a-lifetime opportunity. TWO WHO HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOU AS A PERSON? Without a doubt, my parents. Their passion for their faith, family, and cattle is something I strive to follow. They raised us doing everything together as a family. We spent many miles in a pickup, traveling to shows over the years, and that’s why we’re still so close today. As far as mentors in the Hereford breed, Dr. David Hawkins from Michigan State University had the biggest impact. I was fortunate to learn from a Saddle & Sirloin member and livestock judging legend, and I’m forever grateful for that. THREE WHAT DRIVES YOU? I’m driven to be the best father, hus- band, and cattleman I can be. Outside of my family, my passion in life is cattle. Every day begins and ends with something cattle-related. I’m motivated to create the next generation of breeding cattle that are better than the last.
M A Y / J
U N E 20 25
ST
Powered by FlippingBook