R andy’s love for cattle intensified the older he got. He was a very good student and was on the course to pre-med until he met Dan Hoge. At the age of 15, Randy was a member of the Maryland State 4-H Livestock Judging team where he finished in the Top 10 at the National Contest. After the contest, Hoge would check-in with him every 3-4 months. It took convincing of Randy’s dad to be on board with the Junior College route. “Where we came from in Maryland there are so many four-year colleges… it’s a different mindset than the Midwest. He [my dad] was dead against it [going to a Junior College]. The beginning of that Summer he came out to Kewanee with me, and we spent a day with Dan Hoge - and that’s all it took. It’s amazing how it progressed to Chris being a Junior College teacher – that’s how quickly your mindsets can change.” Randy shared. “It changed my life forever. If I had never met Dan Hoge at that 4-H Judging Contest, who knows. We farmed and I obviously would have in some form or fashion had something to do with Agriculture and something to do with cattle. But, per say, that I would be this intensely into the Purebred Hereford business and do this, probably not.” Following his tenure at Black Hawk, Randy followed in his brother Chris’ footsteps and graduated from Kansas State University. “We always had a fascination with K-State. My dad would always tell this story about years ago, back in the late 50s, when my Granddad showed carloads of fat steers. He would go to the Eastern National Livestock Show. Penn State, back in that time when Herman Purdy was there, was where it
was at. In 1957, my Granddad’s carload of Hereford steers beat Penn State and Don Good from Kansas State was the judge. For us, living out in Maryland, from that Don Good deal we inherently had a love for Kansas State.” After college, Randy settled into the Midwest starting out with a handful of cows. He began with custom fitting as a means to get his genetics out there. Randy was then fortunate to be given the opportunity to start working with Tennessee River Music on their daughter Randa’s show string. With the ability to concentrate on one large custom fitting client, he quickly grew their cow numbers to over 150. When Randa’s Junior Career concluded, so did his custom fitting days. Randy has a deep love for the purebred cattle business. “Whether it’s the Hereford business or any of the purebred businesses, the people are awesome. It’s a family atmosphere. I sit here and talk about what I could have been doing and I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.” Over the years, Randy and his wife Jamie have made a name for themselves in the Hereford breed with their operation, Purple Reign Cattle Company. What started as a passion as a teenager has combined with his competitiveness and fundamental desire to do well at what he does has produced industry leading donors, sires, and National Champions. He has spent his career enhancing the Hereford breed to give them the respect he always knew they deserved. His goal has always been to raise incredible beef cattle. More important than the cattle, however, are the people to Randy. “It’s amazing how a bovine can make human beings become a family. These four-legged creatures can intertwine human lives.”
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