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Hometown and State:  Fairview, OK

FFA Chapter/4-H Club:  Fairview FFA

What is your daily routine?  My dad and I usually start the morning chores around 6:30 a.m.  We divide the chores and after feeding the show lambs, my biggest responsibility at the present time is catching the rams and putting them up.  (This has helped tremendously in my footwork for sports!)  After school, I have either football, basketball or baseball practice until 6:30 p.m.  When I get home, we usually spend 2-3 hours in the barn as a family either working with show lambs, moving ewes or the daily chores that come during lambing season.

Who has helped you the most with your projects?  My dad has been a great influence on me.  I'm lucky enough now to have him as my ag teacher at school, but from the time I was born, my dad has always been my "teacher." He and I have a great relationship and he has taught me a great deal about showing and the sheep industry as a whole.

What is your biggest inspiration?  My biggest inspiration is my family and the family involvement that goes into showing  My sister, Madison, and my brother, Chad, and I are very close and we want each other to be successful.  Madison and I are close in age and we've always been very supportive of each other.  Chad is just starting to show and Madison and I love teaching him how to be a great showman.

Favorite Show to attendee and Why?  I love going to the Oklahoma Youth Expo in the spring.  It's a large show and the atmosphere during the Grand Drive is awesome.  It gives you such a feeling of accomplishment when they make such a production of the Grand Drive!

What has been your biggest accomplishment since you started showing? I've shown the Grand Champion Lamb at the State Fair of Oklahoma two years, but I'm most proud of winning the Overall Sheep Showman and Reserve Master Showman at the Ok Youth Expo this past year.

What drives you to be successful in the show ring?  I'm very competitive by nature, so it's pretty easy to get my adrenaline pumping.   I love the times it gets down to the top 5 and I have to work hard.

What is your favorite lamb of all time? I have two hamps that have been my favorite animals.   My hamp sheep, Miller, was by far my easiest sheep to show.  He had that attitude that made him stand out in the show ring.  My other hamp, however, was not a wether, but rather a barrow.  "Stud" was pretty awesome and fit his name very well. He demanded to be noticed when I walked him into the ring and I had a very
successful show season with him.  He was one of those great all time barrows and my 7th grade year was pretty fun with him.

What are your future plans?  I plan on attending college at Oklahoma State University and possibly majoring in Ag Ed.  I'll probably also
return to the family business of raising club lambs.

Outside of showing sheep, what are your hobbies?  Hunting and sports.  I play football, basketball and baseball during school and fit in as much hunting time as I can!  We're a pretty involved family with school, livestock shows and sports, so there's very little time to just run
around.  My sister and I also conduct showmanship clinics at our house in the summer and that is a lot of fun for both us and our campers.

What advice would you offer to other sheep exhibitors that want to be successful?  Keep working hard.  Showing sheep takes a lot of dedication but in the end it's all very rewarding.

What have you learned during your showing career that you can apply to personal success outside the show ring?  I've learned that a good work ethic is very important no matter what you do.  You must work to be successful. I've also learned time management is extremely important when you're involved in lots of activities.
 
 
 

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