Time flys when your having fun Part 2

A couple of weeks had gone by, and not only was I catching a bunch of crap from the judgers for quitting, but I really wasn't making any head way with sharpening my fitting skills or raising that next national champion.  Then, out of the blue, Hoge saw me in the lunch room and told me he needed to see me after class.  Following animal science, I went to his office, and he asked me, "You know who Todd Caldwell is"?  Of course I knew who he was, he was starting to become one of the hottest steer traders going.  Dan proceeded to tell me that Todd was looking for someone to come down after school to work breaking, blowing and washing calves. It was perfect,  I was going to be clipping for one of the best, at least that was my hope.  Turns out, my primary job was in fact washing and blowing steers all afternoon.  At first, I was bummed, but the more people that came through that barn to look at steers, the more people I met. I learned not only how to be one of the biggest smart asses in the world in Elmwood, but more importantly, the day in and day out things that were needed to efficiently get 200 head of steers ready to sell. The following spring, I had to do an internship for school, I was planning on just staying in Kewanee and working for Todd, however he told me that I should get some experience at other places as well, that way when I did come back, I would be more well rounded.  When Hoge asked where I wanted to go, there was only one place I wanted to go....Leedey, OK. Yep, I wanted to go to Kirk Stierwalts.  Dan got everything lined up and that spring, I left for Oklahoma.  What was suppose to just be an 8 week internship, turned out to me staying all summer and helping Kirk conduct clipping and fitting clinics at his house. The clipping and fitting experience I gained at Kirks was great.  To be able to have one of the best in the business, teach you one on one on a daily basis was invaluable.  I did not realize this at the time, but it was.  The following fall, I was to do another internship, and I was planning to go back to Kirks, then when I returned to Illinois, I would be a much more valuable for Caldwell.  Denzer and Hoge had suggested that since one of my goals was to raise a national champion, that I should get some cow herd experience. After talking with Tyler Cates, he suggested that I go to Armstrong Farms in PA.  They are no longer in the cattle business, but it was a good choice at the time.  They were running approx. 200 cows and had 15-20 in the showbarn getting ready for NAILE.  I got plenty of hands on experience with the cows, and was able to see how effectively to manage a large string in the showbarn. 

When I returned to Kewanee, I began work back at Caldwells.  By this time, I was started going to quite a few of the jackpot shows in the midwest with them.  Through working for Todd, I started to meet a whole lot more people and was beginning to get noticed as being able to clip and fit. That fall, I was asked to make my first trip to NAILE, Kansas City, and Denver working for larger show strings.  Although I had been to KC and Louisville in the past, it was much more rewarding to go work for a notable outfit and get paid for it.  Ever since then, it has been one show after another.

As I sit here typing this today, I am very proud of what I have accomplished and how far I have come in this industry. I am equally greatful for folks like Dan Hoge, Lee Denzer, who saw a young man witth a passion maybe for not judging, but livestock in general and helped guide me down the path I chose. Todd Caldwell(sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little when I typed that I was thankful for him. LOL, just kidding), for taking the time to teach me the business and how to coordinate things, not just tell me do it. And for always being that smartass mentor that I can call and ask questions, now I just have to get him to answer his phone sometimes.  Kirk Stierwalt, one of my all time best friends, for giving me the knowledge that I needed to chase a dream.  Ron Martin and Kevin Newman, for being local mentors to me and really showing me how to "run" cows. There are a whole slew of others that I could list, but I would inevitably forget someone.  These are the folks that took a chance on me and helped mold into the type of person within this industry that I am, and for that I am eternally grateful.  I hope they are proud of a kid from Fortville, In. Proud of a kid  that the best he ever did was have Res. Grand at his county fair once, and now, is employed by Sullivan Supply as the Eastern Representative for Stock Show University and one of the lead professors for this program. Proud of a kid that  is running a cattle operation of his own, raising and selling cattle that compete at the local, state, and national level.  Proud of a kid, who is now a husband and a father raising the next generation of youth in livestock.  I hope they are proud.

I hope this was not to long winded.  I hope no one thinks that I am typing this just to name drop others or to put myself on a pedistal.  That is not the intention at all.  I think sometimes you have to sit back and think about the saying "You can't get where your going, unless you know where you've been".  These people along with my family are the ones that have helped mold me into the person I am today. 

And now, at this stage of my  life, my wife Beth, and step-son Kendall are helping to shape me again.  They are helping to shape me and challenge me daily to be the best husband and father I can be. They challenge me to provide the best life possible for us as a family and to give back to an industry that has done so much for me.   They are not the only ones who challenge me.  For the first time ever, Vansickle Cattle Co. has an employee besides mom, dad, Beth and myself.  Nathan "Shortear" Apple works for us daily after school mostly taking care of the show/sale cattle, but also helping me with general work.  Shortear is an awesome hand, but there are days that he challenges me to not want to grab him by his 17 year old neck and strangle him. But, I sit back and remember what I was like at that age.

The idea behind this came after reading my good friend K.C. Kinder 's blog the other day.  K.C. and I both showed cattle at about the same time in 4-H, however never really became friends until we were at BHE together. She was another one of those people that I knew, but really didn't know.  It just started making me think of all the people I have become acquanited with by making the choice to go to that little school in Northwest Illinois. 

 So in closing, whereever you are, whether you are in middle school, high school, or college, get out and network.  Make those connections with people, they put there pants on just like you.  Become friends with them, you never know, you may be doing business with them 10 years down the road just like me.  Look at K.C., she is now my contact for all my Ranch House Design marketing.