When Tyler Harper, 16, of Clarendon, Texas and his dad were looking for the perfect show steer, they went no further than their own backyard. “We raise our own calves, so we took a look at the herd and my dad said this is the one I’m going to show!” he says.
A family tradition, Tyler got started following his older brother around the barn and watching him at shows. Eight years later, he still hasn’t lost his passion, and manages to raise his animals while balancing a busy schedule of basketball, baseball, cross-country and track.
When asked about how he manages his time, Tyler is quick to credit his support system. “My ag advisor is very helpful with my show animals. My family helps in all aspects of raising my animals, they help me feed and wash when I am busy playing sports.” He explains. “The calves get washed or rinsed at least 3 times a week and we try to walk them a few times a week also. They get tied up under the fans every day.”
The Harper family also relies on Hi-Pro Feeds when it comes to show animals “We fed him Hi-Pro Show Finisher. Hi-Pro Show Feeds are always consistent and fresh, my calves do not go off feed with Hi-Pro like they have in the past on other feeds.” Tyler explains.
In addition to hands on help from his family, the local community of Clarendon had many businesses make donations to help with his project, as well as a premium sale at his local stock show.
However, no matter how much support he had, the grit and determination to train a large animal and succeed was all Tyler. “One of my steers was high spirited!” he says, “The most challenging thing was gaining his trust and getting him gentle.”
“I get nervous when it is time to go into the ring, but the showing is my favorite part.” He continues “Seeing my hard work pay off when it is show time is an amazing feeling. I was so excited to win reserve grand with a steer that we had raised as a family. This year was so different due to covid, I was just thankful we got to show.”
Tyler is excited for the future, and already has steers for the 2022 show season in the barn.
Hi-Pro Feeds is proud to support hard-working youth in agriculture. For more information on our show feeds, click here.
