Saige Martin, an 18-year-old senior from Hereford, TX, started the 2020 show season ready to be as busy as possible. For the first time in 10 years of showing, she chose to challenge herself with not one, but two species. “My dad runs Brian Martin Show Cattle, and he and my mom both showed cows when they in 4-H and FFA. So, I’ve always worked with cattle. This year I decided to show sheep, which was so weird. But I like to be busy!”
Weird, and challenging to start fresh with a whole new animal after so many years working just cattle. Aside from the extra time working with double the animals, Saige had to learn a whole new routine. She says “Everything was different, especially showing. It’s a lot of body strength to get low into them and push on them. To me it was so difficult to figure out. I couldn’t understand it for the longest time.”
Saige wasn’t afraid of the challenge, and for that she credits her family. “We all work together out in the barn to take care of the animals. They really helped me learn, and when we started working sheep they had people come in and help.”
Even with the support of her family and community, it was a lot of work. “In the morning I have to go to school but when I came home I’d go straight to the barn and start with the cattle. I’d tie them up, blow them out and let them stand. Then I’d moisturize and feed them Hi-Pro 290. Once the weather cooled down some for the evening we would turn them out. When I got done with the cattle, then I’d go to the sheep.”
Saige’s family have been Hi-Pro customers for as long as she can remember. “I have no idea when we started, it’s just always been Hi-Pro. It makes them look good and is always fresh. We love to support local.”
In spite of all the work and support, 2020 was an uncertain year. And, as with many of her peers, her senior year looked very different in reality from imagination. With events cancelled, and more time spent at home, Saige describes it as bittersweet. “The scariest part was not knowing if there were going to be any shows at all. Especially after working so hard.”
However, for Saige, the extra time spent at home meant more time doing what she really loves…tending and working her animals. “I really enjoyed having so much time to spend in the barn. I felt like I had more time to prepare. I also got the chance to work with the babies, and that was really fun.”
Saige loves showing so much, she can’t think of one thing that’s her favorite. “I love showing cattle. I love all of it. I guess I could say winning is my favorite, but I love it all!”
The passion to care for her animals 100% in spite of uncertainty, and to spend all her new free time in the barns, meant that once shows picked up Saige hit the ground running. “It was so great that a bunch of people came together to put on some shows safely so we could have the experience this year.”
One of those experiences involved winning Grand Champion Jr. Market Steer at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Saige explains “I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of wins in the past, but this one was so special since it was my senior year.”
Though Saige is graduating, and her days of livestock shows are over, her excitement for livestock and her family legacy will carry her into her future. “I’m going to college. I plan to major in animal science with a minor in reproduction. I’d love to start my own bull stud business.”
We at Hi-Pro love to support the enterprising and hardworking future leaders of agriculture. For more information on our show feeds, click here.
