their brother and coach. But meeting my wife Cate is the coolest thing that raising cattle and livestock judging has ever done for me. Make no mistake she is the one to keeps it held together. We run seven breeds of registered cattle, sell hundreds of bulls, dabble in a few show steers, and spend way too much money on expensive Linder showpig feed for my oldest daughter Chesney. Plus Cate gets all the late night and early morning phone calls about the team and all their shenanigans. But there she is getting the registration papers transferred, hauling heifers we’ve sold, delivering bulls and questioning whether that 4th crossbred barrow really needs to stay in the barn. She’s also a new mom to our youngest daughter Camryn and pulling the weight for both of us while I’m wearing out tires on the judging van. This is my last ride as a judging coach. The pull to run cows is winning out and I am excited to be able to raise my family the same way my parents raised me. I will not ever be out of judging all the way, Cate and I run The Judging Experience and put on camps across the country for youth who are excited about livestock judging. I love exposing kids to the opportunities that judging can provide. It is essential. But I am fired up to jump in the tractor on a wintery day and go feed cows. After all, that’s the way it is in the west! •
71
Powered by FlippingBook