← The Championdrive Podcast
The Championdrive Podcast
Episode 2.14 - The Hild Bros Brand Sale Weekend with Charlie Hild and Exhibitor Spotlights with Addie Cortez and Madden Wise
01:02:28
Charlie Hild joined us again this year to cover the schedule for their upcoming live sale - The Brand that is hosted by the Hild Brothers on their farm in Webster City, IA. We then met up with two exhibitors from different parts of the country - Addie Cortez from Idaho, and Madden Wise from Texas. Addie had a ewe named “Princess Poppy” who was a very successful show ewe for her, gathering many champion banners, and one we thought was a showman to get on the podcast. Madden Wise, who was the exhibitor of the Grand Champion Market Lamb at the 2025 San Antonio & San Angelo Stock Shows. He joined us to talk about what it takes & who it takes to get to the backdrop.
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- [00:02]
Kyn Sister Urban
Now entering the ring, another episode of.
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Steva Robinson
The Champion Drive podcast presented by Novel.
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Kyn Sister Urban
Designs with your hosts Kyn Sister Urban and Steva Robinson.
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Charlie Hild
Live sale season in the Midwest has started up Sister just I just got back from Midwest Fever in the Forum this past weekend in Indiana and it was great to catch up with everyone. And we're rolling right into Hill Brothers have the brand this weekend, which is their second year for doing that sale. And I caught up with Charlie on this episode and we're going to start right with him. But I think one thing that is interesting that a lot of people don't always know about their operation is that it's still kind of a side hustle for them. And although there's a lot of members of their family that pitch into it, they all still wear different hats. And you know, Charlie and Tanner both Charlie has a full time job, his wife does a photography business, Tanner and his par and Charlie and Tanner's parents farm and everyone's kind of all hands on deck. But it's also, you know, a side.
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Mark Hild
Hustle for him too.
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Charlie Hild
And one thing that I think is neat is I went to college with Charlie and I remember going and looking at sheep there and we'd run them in to a little barn and look at them and then we go to the next one and what you see is not what always what Hill Brothers has been. It's very neat how they remember their roots and kind of what they've came from and have kind of grown as they can. And Charlie and I talk about that a little bit, about how it's nice that they have the new facilities and they've kind of been able to grow, but they also kind of remember where they came from. And actually visiting with a lot of people that talk about the podcast, I think a lot of our listeners are smaller breeders that don't have brand new state of the art facilities or have, you know, renovated barns, which is like similar to what I have. I feel like I have nice facilities, but there are also facilities that have grown with me as I can. It's not just a we're going to start raising sheep and we're going to put up a brand new building. And some people do that and that's completely fine too. But I think the large core of our listeners are people that started with buildings like that are still working with buildings with that. And I think that's important to keep into consideration that, you know, Charlie makes the comment that a lot of people are like, well, it must be nice to have this. Well, he Kind of remembers where they started from, too.
- [02:15]
Monica Hild
Yeah. And also kind of going off of that. Something that kind of hit home to me that I feel like, you know, sometimes I would say, like, I'm gonna say the outside, just I. Looking in. They don't always realize, he mentioned in there, that they're just now to the point where they can have somebody full time or looking to have somebody full time. Like, you don't just wake up one day and you're like, I'm gonna raise sheep. We're gonna put up nice facilities, and we're gonna have all these people working for us, you know, So I do. I really thought Charlie's was good. I really thought that whenever he brought that up, I thought that that was something that probably my generation needs to be more aware of. Because, you know, sometimes I think that we just think it's easy, and it's not always easy. You know, you kind of have to work, work to where you want to become, and it's okay to not always have the nice or the best of everything. I think just remembering where you came from, I think is a huge thing for me, and I really think that that's something that my generation needs to be more aware of. So I really did like Charlie's episode. Let's get right into his.
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Mark Hild
Hey, guys, I'm here today with Charlie Hild of Hild Brothers, and they have a pretty big event coming up. It's called the Brand. Charlie, can you explain a little bit about what the brand is, how it works, and why you guys started it?
- [03:27]
Kyn Sister Urban
Sure. So thanks for having me on again this year, Steve. I really appreciate it. But the. The Brand is something. This is our second annual event. We're holding it on Friday, February 28th and March 1st. And, you know, I guess a few years ago, I could really kind of feel the momentum of. Of live sales kind of coming back and kind of looking at our location, an ideal location in central Iowa, just right off of Highway 2035. And, you know, you think about live sales and just. You can't replicate that atmosphere. And something that we've been noodling on for a while and kind of took the plunge. And again, you know, like I said, this is our second year doing. It's been a lot of work, but it's been a lot of fun. But, you know, one of the biggest reasons why we started it was, is it's an opportunity, you know, for our genetic clients to have a different marketing platform as an added perk of using some of our genetics and, you know, Ultimately, you know, we like to have fun as well. And I think sometimes when we get to, you know, like shows, we kind of get in competition mode and you know, like big sales and things like that where you got a bunch of trailer sheep to get delivered. And we really wanted to focus on just having a fun event to get a lot of like minded people together in a fun atmosphere. That's pretty low key. You know, just talk sheep for a few days and, and have a good time and so kind of that's, that's how it started and it's continued to grow and yeah, it's been a lot of fun and we're looking forward to having it again.
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Mark Hild
So all of the people that will be consigning are all people who have used your genetics, correct?
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Kyn Sister Urban
Correct. So on the Saturday sale, those would be all people that utilized our genetics in the 2024 breeding season for 2025 sheep. Or they would have bought a bred you off our sale as all that progeny is eligible as well.
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Charlie Hild
Gotcha.
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Mark Hild
And then you have a Friday night sale.
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Charlie Hild
Right.
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Mark Hild
Of just your own.
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Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah. So Friday night we would sell all of our sheep that would be derived from our big flush group there in. They would have started lamb and like the 18th of January this year would have been around 40 flushes. And this year we're kind of offering a few unique opportunities. We're selling half interest in a Buckland, which we haven't done for a good bit. And then we're also selling a U lamb that we're going to offer to come back and flush and have that project be marketed through the brand, you know, in a year or two, whatever the buyer determines, not something that we required to do. We just thought it'd be an extra marketing perk to maybe get a little bit quicker roi but we haven't really narrowed it down yet to the exact number. But I would anticipate around 60 head being sold Friday night of our own. And then on Saturday I'd expect around 125 to 30 head sold on Saturday from our genetic customers.
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Mark Hild
I know I didn't make it last year, but I did make it a couple days before and had a pretty good time, by the way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mark got me into trouble.
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Kyn Sister Urban
You've been known to do that a few times. You're not the only victim. So, you know, don't feel too bad.
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Mark Hild
I just wanted to make sure all the drinks were good for everyone. Bush light was great. Are there any other signature drinks this year? Like I think last year didn't Monica and Nancy have a signature drink?
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Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah, they did. We're narrowing that down right now. So normally we have the Tanner, which is something, you know, super girly. And then Saturday morning we'll have him Bloody Mary's like we did last year. And then Friday night, there'll be an open bar as well. We're kind of narrowing down the specialty menu again, but I think in this year, we'll. We'll probably have some whiskey version of the alliance in kind of recognition of our new Herald buck half interest purchase. So we're kind of narrowing that down. But, yeah, we'll have some specialties back in.
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Mark Hild
I mean, if I can make a suggestion. Back in the college days, you used.
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Charlie Hild
To do a pretty good flabongo.
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Mark Hild
For those of you that don't know, it's like an Iowa State thing. I never heard about it until we went to Iowa State. But you take. What do you describe? Like a pink flamingo lawn ornament, right?
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Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah. Normally that wasn't very, you know, sanitary. It was somebody that just got it out of a cupboard. So you kind of washed the mold out and then cut the tail or I think the tail or the neck off of the flamingo and. Yeah, that's. That's a memory.
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Charlie Hild
That's a great memory.
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Mark Hild
If I come, maybe we could do one of those for old time's sake. We did a lot of those at Iowa State.
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Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah, if you'll be there, I'll find one.
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Addie Cortez
So.
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Charlie Hild
Perfect.
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Mark Hild
So, yeah, I. Like I said, last year was awesome. Even though I wasn't there for the sale, I was there before and kind of saw all your setup and everything, which kind of leads me to my next question. So let's talk about your sale facilities, like from when we went to college together to what your facilities are now. They've not necessarily improved is not the right word, but, like, they've come a long ways. It's not like they were poor before, but, I mean, you've obviously built new buildings and whatnot, and they've been well thought out. And you use that sale facility not only for the sale, but what else.
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Charlie Hild
Do you use it for?
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Mark Hild
And kind of explain, you know, kind of the process of how you came to the building that you're in now.
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Kyn Sister Urban
Sure. So, yeah, a lot of things have changed, you know, through the duration of time, you know, to kind of go back. We retrofitted a lot of, you know, old hog barns, you know, in the. In the early years and kind of just kept organically growing. And so you Know, for the people that just come to our house the first time now, you know, they're like, yeah, must, must be nice of all this stuff. But it definitely didn't start, you know, like that. We started in old outbuildings and then just slowly converted those over. Like, for example, our buck barn is where we used to do all of our lambing back in the early days. But yeah, we've been very fortunate to, to have the opportunity to continue to build. But like our sale facility specifically when we were designing that, we're kind of honestly trying to knock two birds with one stone with that. So for one, you know, we would hold two sales a year in the sale facility. It's a 124 by 80 and you know, to hold an event of that magnitude just did not feel like we had anything on the farm that we could hold an event like that in and so decided to build that. So we hold two sales a year, the brand and then the breads, brats and brews, which would be our fall sale. And then to kind of tandem off that our AI business has grown immensely as well. And so historically, you know, we would AI in our lambing barn area where we built a little surgery off of that, which at the beginning it worked fine, you know, when we're doing a few hundred head a year. And now, you know, between almost 20 reproductive days a year, we're doing close to a few thousand. And so one of the biggest things there was biosecurity became a concern of flowing everything through our lambing barn. And at the beginning, you know, we didn't probably design it right with drains and washing and everything like that. And so we, we designed that sail facility in mind to kind of tandem as a AI facility throughout the summer. And so we figured out kind of what a lot of the bottlenecks were. And one of those was unloading and staging areas and then having a bigger climate controlled area for sheep and then really concentrating on air quality and that surgery facility where you don't have any outside dirty air coming in. And just a lot of those things that we learned. And so, you know, one of the challenges is when you're building a new facility that isn't specifically designed for one thing, you know, individually you sacrifice some efficiencies in space. And so are there some things that we change if it was, you know, just an AI facility or a sail facility? Absolutely. But it's worked extremely well. There's a full kitchen in there, we have indoor bathrooms, and then of course a bar, which you Mentioned, you know, you've been tangled up there before too, so it's kind of a hilled staple to have a bar, I feel like in almost every basement and barn, so. But it's worked extremely good. Like I said, it's a multipurpose area. We also hold a weaver clinic in the spring is something just try to utilize that space a little bit more. And we've had a lot of people ask about renting it out. I don't think that's something we're interested in. After Tanner had his wedding there this summer, it was awesome. But it just takes an immense amount of prep to get the whole property up to snuff to Mark Hild standards. And I think we're just going to stick with kind of the few sales a year and then kind of that clinic in the spring.
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Mark Hild
Yeah, I think one thing you mentioned that I hear a lot from the people that listen on our podcast, like, I don't want to hear from the people that just have the brand new barns. I can't build a new barn that's not in, you know, like the sheep things aside hustle or whatnot. Like, I think one thing that you touched on, like, yeah, it must be nice to have it like you still kind of remember where you came from and retrofitting those old hog barns. Like, I think that's one thing that you do a really good job of kind of remembering where you came from. And yeah, it's nice to have the new facilities and it's awesome. But you guys may do with a lot of buildings that weren't necessarily sheep buildings. And I remember going and looking at sheep and we go over to this little barn and run them in from the outside lot or whatnot. Like, so I think that's one thing. Like if you guys do go to the brand, make sure to visit with Charlie because they have experience with that and it doesn't mean you have to have a brand new building to do it. Right. It sure helps, you know, and like you've kind of just grown it as you've needed to, you know, like.
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Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah, exactly. It's. It's. It's been a very slow process. I mean, I. We brought back a first set of used the lamb out, I think when I was in fifth grade. And. And it's just slowly, you know, grown from there. And yeah, I understand that building new barns is not possible and it wasn't possible for. For a long time. Right. But with that we've, we've learned a lot along the ways and one Thing that we really focused on is air quality. I think good air and good care is kind of our motto and, and we work with a lot of ventilation experts in the area. We're blessed to be in a hog dense area. So that's something we're really focused on. But yeah, we, we haven't forgot our roots. We've. Everyone in our family has done it the hard way. Even, even when Monica came on board with the family, we didn't have any barns there. And so she is even be very thankful for that as well. She reminds me of climbing over gates and filling water tubs with hoses and no automatic waters and stuff like that, which you try to bury those memories a little bit because it wasn't fun. But it definitely makes you appreciate what you have today.
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Mark Hild
Absolutely. Kind of going off of like other roles and whatnot. Can you kind of explain like everyone that's part of the like Main Hill Brothers crew and like what they also do because everyone else has different roles that they play besides just being. It's not like it's seven people that are full time Hild Brothers staff or anything like that. Can you kind of explain like what each of your family does and their roles and what else you do outside of the sheep deal?
- [14:09]
Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah, so we would, we would all kind of piece in to a, to a full time gig here. But myself, I work for United Animal Health as an account manager. I've been with them for, for almost 10 years. So I do still have a full time job, help with chores in the morning and afternoon and a lot of times, you know, I'm not around at all during the day. Monica, you know, she would own her own business with four back photography which she's really expanded that the last few years of doing a variety of photos for people, you know, both in Iowa and outside of Iowa. And she's expanded more into taking pictures of people here in the last few years. And so that's something that I'm really proud of her of her own business, doing her own thing, something that she's really passionate about. And then Monica additionally does you know, all of our books which at the beginning, you know, wasn't, you know, as big of a deal, but now it's essentially a full time job. And so you know, on top of that she, she chases the kids around and you know, really is kind of the behind the scenes unsung hero of our operation. Tanner, you know, my brother, he splits time between Hill Brothers and Corner Acres. And so you can for darn sure expect that if, if Mark has something to do, it trumps everything else on the agenda today, which, you know, he is the most senior person of the operation. But Tanner's been an immense amount of help after he moved back home and has allowed us to grow and manage things a lot better the way that we would want. My parents, Mark and Nancy would still, you know, farm corn and soybeans and then they would also custom feed about 3,000 head of pigs. And then, you know, we do a little bit of hay in the summer. But they actually just got back from vacation this week, which was a terrible week to come back from a tropical area. But you know, my dad still stayed extremely active in the operation on a day to day aspect of just helping chore. And he's incredible at moving snow and helping clean the barn. He's really handy with a skid loader, although most of the time he'll, he'll snap off a post or bend a gate. But we figure that he's the most efficient person to run it. So he still gets to keep his job there. And then, you know, our mom, Nancy, she still keeps all the books for the farming operation, still comes out. If we have, you know, lambs that are struggling, bottle lambs, things like that, and then helps with the kids if we're in a super hectic time, you know, it's really nice to have them close on the property and still get to see them every day. And they'd be involved in the operation. And then Bryson, Bryson would run some use with us. He also has a full time job with Sino, so he's obviously not around during the day, but helps us, you know, an immense amount as well. And then we would have our intern spring would be Garrett Jesa from Illinois. Garrett's been great just on helping the daily aspects that aren't so glamorous. Right. So keeping the facility tidy, help lamb use, you know, put out hay, feed, all the things that, you know, aren't necessarily a lot of fun. Garrett's been great of helping us out there. And yeah, we, we're fortunate to live pretty close to aim. So we get a lot of, of college help that comes down, you know, whether it be Billy McCoy, Riley Walker, Cadman, Blake Peterson, Brady Bickle, a lot of those guys will come up and just kind of spot help for a few hours of the day. And on our big help of Michael Baden, Ricky, I forgot about him, he comes out a lot too. Just help him when we need. So we got a lot of people that help spot in and then you Know, honestly, we're. We're to the point where we need to get somebody on full time. We haven't crossed that hurdle yet, but we've just reached that point that we. We need to look at bringing somebody on full time, Our goal this spring when Garrett's done. So, yeah, everybody plays a different role, and it can get kind of hectic sometimes, but there's a lot of people that have a hand in things, and it's very much a family operation, so.
- [18:21]
Mark Hild
Yeah. And I know every time I stop by, there's always kind of the crew.
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Charlie Hild
Of the good old boys that are.
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Mark Hild
Around there, you know, the coke boys.
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Kyn Sister Urban
Oh, yeah, yeah. The frequent flyer bachelors. Yes.
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Mark Hild
Yeah, the frequent flyer bachelors. They're always. They always know what. What's going on and all that stuff. And Parker and all those guys. It's just a really good. It's always a really good stop, and there's always a ton of people around there. And there's. But like you said, there's a lot going on, and everyone else has other stuff going, too, so I think there's probably a, you know, like, a impression, I would say, in the industry that, oh, well, that's just what Charlie and Tanner do. And so I. I wanted to make sure to touch on it because you guys do wear a lot of different hats, and everyone in the family has a lot going on, too, so it definitely takes a lot of people to make it all work. Speaking of work, I guess, why do.
- [19:04]
Charlie Hild
You go through all the work to.
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Mark Hild
Host an event like the brand?
- [19:08]
Kyn Sister Urban
That's a great question and something that I really asked myself a lot the. The weeks leading up to these sales. But, you know, I tried to think about that a little bit of, you know, why. Why we do do it. I think it goes back to, you know, we. We really like to have a good time and. And have fun. And, you know, anybody that's met our dad, Mark, as we mentioned a few different times, it's. It's definitely, you know, in our blood. So putting on events, hosting events, things like that, you know, we really enjoy doing that. You know, another reason would be is, you know, we really, truly believe in our sheep, in our genetics. And I think seeing them in the flesh and being able to evaluate them in person gives them the most justice. And so, you know, with our embryo set, that's a set that we're extremely proud of. And so, I think coming and seeing them in person, we still utilize online sales, you know, heavily, but having the opportunity to come see them evaluate Them, touch them, feel them. You know, maybe even see some of the donors and sires that they're out of in person. You know, not only for us, but our genetic customers, I think has a lot of value. And then as we touched on earlier, just with. With our genetic customers, you know, the semen market is extremely competitive, and there's a lot of really good options out there, and there's a lot of great bucks in the industry that come from a lot of different firms. And so, you know, for us, it's just. It's another perk, an added marketing opportunity, especially for some of the smaller breeders that, you know, maybe don't have a huge following. But, you know, those guys are bringing their best to our sale and get a lot of eyes on them. And, you know, I know it's offered a lot of residual sales for them in the past. Like, hey, I've never heard of this. I got to talk to him. Great person. Like, they don't have very many used, but went there after the sale, you know, even bought some privately, some things like that. There's been numerous stories about that. But the. The one thing that's been a challenge for me, Steve, is the. Is the consignors, you know, limiting that number. And there's a. There's a high demand to get into the sale, and there's only so much space. Right. And it's a juggling act of, you know, providing that opportunity for as many people as we can and then holding the integrity of the sale and not selling too many sheep on one weekend. And, you know, this year, I think we have a shot over 70 consigners coming for the Saturday sale. And, you know, it really bothers me because there's. There's a fair amount of people that did not, you know, get in. And there's some people that got in last year, and it's a very difficult hurdle for me to clear on how to most fairly do that, because, you know, one thing we did this year is we invited back the top consigner from last year that had high sellers. I thought that was fair. They brought good stock, they brought good money. You know, we want them to come back. And then how you go possible. And so you helped us out a lot on that morning of putting up the link. And I know you said there was an immense amount of traffic that morning on the website, and, you know, it closed up within a few minutes. And then we started a waiting list. And, you know, the only person that needs to worry about that is me. But I just want people to know that that's something I took lightly. And we're trying to figure out, you know, how do we, how do we still grow it, but not grow it to a level too much where it's saturated, you know, the market to where there's still a high demand for the sheep that are there. So that's been a. With the one thing that I didn't foresee being a struggle when we started it is how to manage that. You know, I think we're, we're offering about 15 to 20 more spots than we did last year. So we are growing it, but we still need to keep a cap on the numbers.
- [22:43]
Mark Hild
Sure. Yeah, I know when you had your entry form on your website, I was your update girl for that morning. And I kind of blocked off. Like I told Jason, like, all right, like, I'm not gonna be in the barn from like 7:30 till 10. I'll switch this over. When it fills up, I'll switch it to their wait list. And I think I walked back into the barn at 8:15. He's like, I thought you had to do that hill deal. I'm like, it's already full. Like they're already onto the wait list. And he's like, damn, that was fast. Like it literally, it was the easiest two hour shift I've ever done in my life. Less than, I mean, just minutes.
- [23:13]
Charlie Hild
So.
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Mark Hild
And we, it was, yeah, it was crazy.
- [23:15]
Charlie Hild
So.
- [23:16]
Mark Hild
But I think that's a great testament to like what you guys have going on and your genetics and your facilities and your family and everything like that. Well, before we go, Charlie, do you want to go over the schedule real quick for anyone who's wanting to attend?
- [23:27]
Kyn Sister Urban
Yeah. So from a schedule standpoint. So on Friday we're going to offer. Our genetic customers can kind of show up all day. We just ask that they be in Place by 5:00 that night. And we're going to do something a little bit different this year on the viewing. So last year we kind of kept the barn open all day. And by the time the sale rolls around, those, those poor babies probably felt like I would, after I would run a mile. I mean they were just tuckered out, to say the least. And so with these sheep being a shot younger and still on their mothers, what we're going to do is we're going to offer two different preview times earlier in the day. So from 10 to 11 we're going to have those sheep penned up and offer the opportunity to go through them then. So I thought that you know, if you want to come at 10, you could look through those sheep. You'd have more than enough time to go look through some sheep, you know, other places throughout Iowa and still make it back, you know, in really good time. And then we're going to offer another viewing from 1 to 2 and so we'll pin those back up and offer viewing during that point in time. So I thought that would be a good opportunity if you want to come at one look at the sheep. You could go get checked into your hotel, kind of get settled in there and then come back out. And then at 5 o'clock we're going to have dinner and the open bar will be open. Then what you smoking is going to be catering. If Nancy's not around, we may open the bar up just a little bit earlier. We'll see. And then at 5:30 we're going to bring the sheep over to the sale facility and then have viewing until 7:00, until the sale starts then. So that's kind of the schedule for Friday, Saturday for our genetic customer sale. At 8 o'clock we're going to have coffee and donuts catered by Hy Vee and that's sponsored by Dura firm insure champ. At 8:30 the sale preview starts. So the consignors will be by their pens, they'll be sheep, the lean to and the main barn. At 10am the sale starts. Barbecue rescue food truck will be on property that day for lunch. And then something cool. RSG is sponsored. Every sheep sold in the sale is going to go home the court of prime, which is a microbial product that helps sheep kind of keep on feed and reduce stress. And so every sheep will go home with the quarter prime. Again, that's sponsored by rsg, but that's kind of the skinny for the schedule. But again we look forward to having everybody and feel free to holler at anybody from our team with any questions. We look forward to seeing you.
- [25:55]
Mark Hild
Yeah. And you can visit their website for a full breakdown of everything. Charlie's done a good job of keeping that all updated and getting everything sent in. So there's one main spot you can go on their website to kind of keep track of everything that's going on with that. Make sure you guys visit championdrive.com to see the latest updated consigner list. There's some advertising for the brand on there and you can click right on that to go to the hild website with all the details for the event. They've got their own page on their website with everything you need to know for it and make plans to be in Webster City, Iowa for Charlie's Signature House Drink and the Sheep Shell the last weekend in February and March. So for more information you can visit championdrive.com thanks for being on Charlie.
- [26:37]
Kyn Sister Urban
Hey, thanks so much for having me, Steve. I really appreciate it.
- [26:45]
Charlie Hild
Getting into our weekly sales this week, Hobbses have a big week of sales coming up. Today, February 25th, their males sell and on February 26th their ulam sell. This set is sired by Compass Unicorn, 2.0, trace amigos, Jordan Goose, Aul and Jagger. And we'll talk a little bit more about Hobbs is here in our third episode when we catch up with Madden Wise, who recently showed the Champion at San Antonio, which was bred by Hobbs. But we'll touch base on that at the end of this episode.
- [27:16]
Monica Hild
D Brothers they sold their Weathers last night in their youth cell. Tonight the 25th, they're sired by Tracy Migos, Blindside and Truce. They're in Farmington, Minnesota, so be sure to check them out when you're in.
- [27:28]
Charlie Hild
Route berry Farms has two sales this week. They're located in Sac City, Iowa and these are selling on SC Weather sell tonight February 25th and Ulams on Thursday the 27th. Sires include Trace Amigos, Company Man, Cocky, Rocky, Blindside and Italian Stallion Warren Chest.
- [27:46]
Monica Hild
Sheep company Their sales tonight on SC stop by and see Jake and Taylor and Mulhall, Oklahoma. They're sired by Trace Amigos and Ceasefire and they have Use and Weathers for sale.
- [27:58]
Charlie Hild
Pullman Livestock has their sale on the 26th. On SC they've got Ulams Weathers and a couple Ram Weather options. Sires include Company Man, Broke Ass Kid, Trace Amigos, off the Grid and Guerrilla.
- [28:11]
Monica Hild
Warfare Beatty Club Lambs who remember Jamie is a band very in case anybody forgot, but they sell theirs on February. On February 26th on St, they're selling their top 10 December weathers. They're sired by Trace Amigos, Ceasefire Goose and Smoking Cowbo Boy.
- [28:29]
Charlie Hild
Yeah, and if you haven't listened to Jamie's episode from a couple podcasts ago, be sure to go back and check it out. I thought that was one of my favorite ones that we've done. Definitely a really good one to kind of brush up on if you haven't haven't caught up on all of the episodes. The next sales we have up is Shell House Livestock. They've got weather selling on February 26 and Ulams on February 27. These are sired by Blindside what if Tecumseh Unicorn And Dead man. I have no idea if I said Tecumseh right, I apologize if I didn't. I'm not up on my Indian words.
- [29:00]
Monica Hild
I'm going to say it's Tecumseh. We have a town in Oklahoma. I'm not very good at pronouncing, but I think that's how you say it.
- [29:08]
Charlie Hild
We'll go with your. Your pronunciation. I guarantee I'm wrong.
- [29:11]
Monica Hild
So CJ Club lambs from Wisconsin. Their sale is February 27th on SC. They're sired by Trace Amigos and Ceasefire. Stop by and see Caleb to check that set out.
- [29:24]
Charlie Hild
Then McLennan Club Lambs have their sale dates posted on ChampionDrive.com and their barns open March 1st. Logan's gonna do some private treaty sales and then some online sales later. All of his sales are listed on his sales site and you can contact Logan to set up a time to swing through when you're in Colorado.
- [29:42]
Monica Hild
And our last sale that we have is Fisher Club Lambs. It's one of their coat of many color sales. It's today, February 25th. They only have five lots, but they're high quality. You lamb and weathers and spoiler alert. We do hear from one of his showmen in this episode. But these, these lambs are sired by Slap Jar Jar HT in Idaho. And as Dwayne always says, eat more onions.
- [30:06]
Charlie Hild
Yeah. So the you mentioned we're gonna listen to one of his showmen in this episode. Addy Cortez is a young lady that I actually met at Reno last year when I judged out there. That girl brought a ton of sheep to me and she's always really respectful and did a really nice job and.
- [30:21]
Mark Hild
I really, I had no idea who.
- [30:22]
Charlie Hild
She was beforehand, but she did a really nice job and I visited with her a little bit afterwards. Then I ran into her at Arizona and caught up with her then. And just a really good young lady. That's kind of a good example of what this industry kind of can turn young adults into. Do you want to speak a little bit more before we get into her episode?
- [30:42]
Monica Hild
Yeah. So I really did enjoy reaching out to her and catching up with her. She was super respectful, super thankful to be on and for the opportunity and she has like a little bit different story. She mentioned in the podcast that it's just her and her mom. She doesn't really have a whole team of a crew behind her. And so that's kind of different than probably than what our listeners are used to because, you know, there's not very many Kids out there like that. But I know that she does have a group of breeders that rally behind her, and fishers are really, really good people. And I'm. I told her, I mentioned in there how thankful I was for her just because, like, she had fishers in her corner. They're super great people. So let's get right into Addie Cortez. Well, I'm here with our next banner hanger, Addie Cortez. Addie, do you mind telling us a little bit about where you're from and what got you started into showing?
- [31:34]
Addie Cortez
Hi, I'm Addie. I'm so thankful to be on this today. I'm from Idaho. I am the youngest of four girls. My sisters are 22, 25, and 28. My mom's name is Christy. We all showed in 4H and FFA. I grew up around sheep my whole life. We never showed anything else. We all played club sports and showed sheep at the same time. I ended up loving showing so much more. I gave up softball and volleyball for it, and then later on, I ended up going online school to travel all over the country.
- [32:09]
Monica Hild
Interesting. So I did not know that you were one of four. So what's it like being the youngest sister?
- [32:14]
Addie Cortez
Yes. Being the youngest sister by eight years also was definitely a big thing. If you ask my mom, you would. She would definitely tell you that I miss my childhood. I went from being a toddler to a teenager because I literally grew up with so such older sisters. My oldest sister was 14 when I was born, and the youngest one was 8 when I was born. So I've pretty much been kind of like the only child for a while since 2020, actually. That's when my last sister moved out. I really don't even remember my oldest sister living at home much because she graduated high school when I was, like, six. So that was definitely interesting. But, yeah, I definitely the baby. If you ask my sisters, I'm definitely the most spoiled because mom's in a different financial state. We have more time now, and there's not all four of us anymore in the house. It's just me. So. Yeah.
- [33:09]
Monica Hild
So I bet you probably are your mom's favorite then, right?
- [33:12]
Addie Cortez
Yeah, I would say so. I would say my oldest sister is the most successful so far, but I would say I'm my mom's favorite. That's for sure.
- [33:21]
Monica Hild
Well, that's funny that you say that your oldest sister is the most successful, because I think you've had a very successful run this. This show season with your. You name Princess Poppy. I Know her alone, that you've gathered more banners than some get their whole career. And I remember seeing a picture that you guys had posted on Facebook with her and like all your banners and stuff that you'd won from her. And I thought that was pretty impressive. So what has it meant to you to be able to compete at every level, local, state and national with her?
- [33:51]
Addie Cortez
Oh, Princess Poppy, definitely. Probably the uniform of the show barn that's going to stay there for a while. I don't think anyone can top that so far. My mom and I totally understand that Princess Poppy was the unicorn sheep. First of all. I miss her so much. When Fisher sent me Poppy home with me, they told me that she was going to do big things. I had no idea how big it would be. Besides her first show, she won all four classes, all four divisions. And then we pulled some top fives. Half the time. She is my unicorn. I get emotional about her all the time. So, so sorry if I'm emotional right now. The fact that I was able to win and be successful with her at local, state and national level means the world to me. I know it's one of those once in a lifetime opportunities and experiences. And I could talk about this you all day long if you asked me to. It's definitely a big gesture that Fisher's let me show her. And I could not thank them more for giving me her, because I will for. I will remember that show season for the rest of my life.
- [34:54]
Monica Hild
Yes, absolutely. Well, that was a heck of a run that you guys had. And. And not only in the shows alone, but I know you won many showmanships with her. So tell me a little bit about what it took, you know, training her to get her to where you were to be able to. To be success successful. And I know that at Arizona Nationals you ended up being one of the top intermediate showmen. So what did it take to get there?
- [35:17]
Addie Cortez
So when I've gone asked so many times, Addie, you. You. You're the one that shows the white faces. How do you get them trained? We all know Dorsets are dumb, that she is the smartest sheep I've ever shown. She came home, she was 65 pounds. She. I Fishers gave me to her before she was even weaned. So we just took her off her mom right then and there and just smart for the first time. I took her out to a show the next weekend that she walked without. No.
- [35:46]
Monica Hild
With.
- [35:46]
Addie Cortez
With no halter on. She pranced like she knew what she was doing. And after that, she Was like, okay, when I walk in that ring, I know what I'm supposed to be doing. And I will say, like, she. She was very smart. There was no. There was no times where I was like, this sheep does not know what she's doing, and she was being dumb. The one time I will say is, she knows she was the princess. She had sass like no other. But once we walked in that ring, she knew what she was doing, and she knew she had a job to get done.
- [36:17]
Monica Hild
Yes. Well, speaking of Arizona, do you mind telling. Telling me about how special it was winning showmanship with Poppy.
- [36:24]
Addie Cortez
Yes. I'm so glad I got to finish off the season with winning showmanship at Arizona. Off with Poppy is definitely a way to finish our season. I didn't just win showmanship. I won the registered dorset division, and then I got third overall Registered you. The highlight was definitely showmanship, though. I've been told by so many judges that I'm a phenomenal showman, but I'm showing away. I guess you could say that the puzzle pieces just fit together that day. Being able to win showmanship at a national show with a dorset was definitely the best.
- [36:54]
Monica Hild
So, you know, we just mentioned your success that you had at Arizona with her. Is there any other national shows that you're hoping to compete at these upcoming years?
- [37:02]
Addie Cortez
I would love to go to American Royal, Louisville, and Denver at some point before I age out, but as you know, because I'm from Idaho and we're in the northwest, it's a big jaunt to get over there. So I will say that's our goal, But I would love to go to those big shows, but we just have not been able to do that yet because just the drive. It's me and my mom. Usually, we're the only ones that go to the shows. I will say I've never had a crew before. We never have sheep get hauled for us. I actually flew to a show last weekend for the first time, and I got a sheep hauled for me, and I was like, dang, this is what it's like to be a big timer and get. Get my animals hauled for me. But, no, I would love to go to those big shows someday, but, yeah.
- [37:48]
Charlie Hild
Yeah.
- [37:48]
Monica Hild
And so, for being from Idaho, what show do you enjoy the most out there? Because I know that you guys have lots of different jackpot pots and opportunities out on the coast that we don't have, you know, in Oklahoma or the Midwest. So kind of tell me a little bit about what. What show you enjoy the most in life.
- [38:02]
Addie Cortez
I Would say being in Idaho, there's a couple fun ones, but if you have not been to the show in Reno, I would put that on your bucket list. That show is amazing. It's all about the kids. The breeder sponsors are amazing, and you leave with something at least. The prizes are amazing. All of the above. It's definitely a fun experience because you're in a parking garage with all your sheep friends and being at the Nugget Casino. It's definitely a fun vibe and I. I definitely would recommend that to someone. There's a couple other shows from Idaho, but I definitely enjoy Reno, the show in Reno, the most.
- [38:40]
Monica Hild
Yeah. And the show is a big sponsor with us as well on Champion Drive. And I know that they do a lot for the kids and they give back. And not only the show sponsors, but, you know, the breeders that play play a part in that also are pretty big for that. So, yeah. Let's talk a little bit about Fisher Club Lambs. You know, you must be pretty close with them. So how have you gotten hooked up with them and what has it meant to you to not only get to show Princess Poppy, but many other champion lambs from them as well?
- [39:08]
Addie Cortez
Funny, funny story, actually. This story starts way back with my mom and Tracy Fisher. They went to junior high and high school school together. All of Tracy and Dwayne's kids showed with my older sisters, so all of us have always competed with one of their kids. My sister Izzy's now husband, Cody showed for Fisher Fishers. And for Izzy's senior year in 2020, his family really wanted her to show Fisher Lamb. I was just starting my third year of showing and I got to tag along. It's really worked out for me. And if you ask Izzy and Cody, I owe all my success to them. So shout out to Z and Cody. I guess it's really been so much fun showing for them. I truly consider them family. They have mentored me, supported me and giving me and given me the opportunity to show some outstanding stock. I love working with them. It's definitely a family operation and I feel like they all support me so much. I'm glad I get to buy and show their market lambs as well as get to show their top donor use. It's definitely been such a honor and I could thank them so, so much. It's the best. I love them all.
- [40:16]
Monica Hild
Yes, they are a great family. And I know that we've had Dwayne on the podcast. It's kind of a full circle moment. He buys a lot of sheep from my family.
- [40:25]
Charlie Hild
Yeah.
- [40:26]
Monica Hild
Which are some of the. Probably the dams to some of your sheep, I'm assuming. Probably back to that. So that's really, really cool. They're very great family. They're great to work with. They're super nice. So I'm thankful that, you know, you get the opportunity to work with somebody like that, because not everybody does, so.
- [40:42]
Addie Cortez
Yes, exactly. I could thank them a million times. Like I already said, I literally don't know what I would do. I wouldn't be where I am without them today. So thank you. Yeah.
- [40:53]
Monica Hild
So to wrap this up, I have a few fun questions. You know, I know that you say that you're the baby of the family, so what are your future plans?
- [41:02]
Addie Cortez
If you ask any of my sisters, everyone that knows me knows that when I go to a show, my mom's always with me. That's my ride or die. And so if you asked anyone, they would be like, addie, you're not going to college. You're like. Like you're not going to go anywhere far from home. But I would really love to go to the Midwest somewhere, get more experience out there with the livestock industry than I can hear locally. I'd like to stay in the livestock industry by maybe coaching and fitting. I don't see very many girlfriters where I'm from, at least. And my goal would be to be able to coach and fit and do well enough to earn a living at some point, but definitely go to college in the Midwest. That's my goal.
- [41:39]
Monica Hild
Well, I think that's good. I'm rooting for osu.
- [41:41]
Addie Cortez
Yes. There you go.
- [41:43]
Monica Hild
So do you have any advice for younger showmen just getting started showing?
- [41:47]
Addie Cortez
Yes. I just want to say I'm very grateful that I have been able to help younger kids and see them succeed because it's genuinely fills my heart. It's important me to help younger showman because while I have looked up to older showmen, I have never had someone to take me under their wing and try to guide me. I've had adult mentors, of course, but not having someone who is just a year or two older than me to show me the ropes could can help so much. And I want to give that to younger kids. The last couple of years, I've actually had the opportunity to help some local kids. One that one grand champion marketing at their fair this year and another one that won showmanship. And I will say that that experience in that being the coach side of things definitely fills my heart as well. So I just can't wait for my opportunities that I have in the future. With that, I would definitely tell a younger showman to find a good mentor who's willing to help you and set you up for success. This work that you do when no one is watching will help you be the most successful. Even if you're tired, go to the barn and do the work. Don't give up even if you don't have the money. The setup at home, the fancy crew, keep going. Everything that I accomplished this past season, it was my mom and I. If you work hard enough, it will all come together. And remember, somebody else is working on your day off.
- [43:00]
Monica Hild
Yes, absolutely. And that was a lot of great advice that you had right there, too. So my last question I have for you is, what is your favorite thing to do aside from the barn?
- [43:10]
Addie Cortez
Is there really anything to do beside the barn? I'm just kidding. I love spending time with my family. I have a nephew that's almost one. I tell my mom that he better be ready to be showing. So by the time I go off to college, she's not bored at home. Not going to shows. I love playing volleyball and watching volleyball. I love going to local high school games with my friends. I will say with the whole being online school, I'm not being social every day, going in person and seeing my friends from school. But when I go to shows, I love hanging out with all my friends that are from all over the country.
- [43:45]
Monica Hild
Yes. Well, thank you so much for joining me, Addie, and not only for the showman that you've become, but also for the mentor that you're hoping to become. Because I know that there needs to be more people like that. And I kind of live by the quote that like, I always want to be somebody that I needed growing up. So I kind of feel like you kind of have the same mentality in that and I'm looking forward to see what comes for your future.
- [44:07]
Addie Cortez
Thank you so much for having me on this. I very much appreciate it.
- [44:15]
Monica Hild
Also on Champion Drive novel designs main event sign order deadline is March 1st, so be sure to get those up. Whether you need pin wraps or dry erase boards or banners or whatever you guys need, we'll we would love to design it for you and get it delivered to you at main event, so be sure to check that out and take advantage of that.
- [44:34]
Charlie Hild
As we talked about earlier, the brand which is Hill Brothers Weekend, their sale is this weekend. Friday, February, February 28th is when their previews start. As Charlie mentioned, they're going to do preview times this year to kind of go a little bit easier on the babies. Previews are at 10, 2 and 5:30 on Friday. Dinner starts at 5 and the live sale starts at 7. Friday night is when the Hill Brothers sell their sheep. And then Saturday, March 1st is their customer sale, which they're expecting a ton of consignments for 7 o'clock. Breakfast starts 8:30 viewing and the Bloody Mary bar. And then 10 o'clock is the sale that's in Webster City, Iowa this weekend. Be sure to visit Hill Brothers website on Champion Drive for all the details, full consigner list and everything else. And we wish them best of luck with their sale.
- [45:18]
Monica Hild
Also on Champion Drive, be sure to check out our updated viewing list on Champion Drive for our breeders for their sheep they have for sale. I know Stephen knows a little bit more about that and she can kind of tell us a little bit more about that.
- [45:30]
Charlie Hild
Yeah. So when you go on Champion Drive, in the breeders directory, you can sort by Alphabet, you can sort by state, or you can also sort by type. So if you're a breeder, make sure you fill out the form on Champion Drive or drop us an email when you send in a web update and you can let us know if you have full borns, Decembers, January's, February's marches, Aprils, semen for sale, bread, use bucks, etc, you just fill out a form and then we update your listing. And if you're a viewer and you're looking where you know, I want to get, you know, I want to get out and try and find some sheep that are, you know, December borns or I'm looking for a buck, like what should, what does everyone have? It's kind of an easy way to kind of filter things down. So you can do that on championdrive.com it's under the breeders Directory. Or you can drop us an email if you have a listing with us to have that updated. And that kind of goes into our so you suck for this week. This week so you suck is about planning it out this spring more than ever. I feel like I've had so many conversations with people of, oh, I didn't realize your sale was last night or I didn't realize that was going on or I had no idea. I wish I would have been able to make it there in time. And I think we need to keep in perspective that everyone is busy and everyone has 9 million places to go and so you need to be able to get the word out. It's not a, it's not going to work to Just put your sale up on a Monday and on Tuesday, have the sale. It can work, and there's nothing wrong with that. But we do all this planning all year round. So I know I'm breeding July 18th to make December 10th babies, and I know that I'm going to sell them approximately February 10th. So why am I not advertising sometime in January? Like, hey, the barns are opening. We're going to, you know, start showing them. Then we're going to be at these sales. And so rather, we all have so much going on, it's easy to get busy. And marketing's the last thing to come to people's mind because you've got everything to get done in the barn.
- [47:15]
Mark Hild
You've got everything else you have to.
- [47:17]
Charlie Hild
Take care of in your life with your job, your kids, your family, or whatever else you have going on. And then you're trying to get out on the road and see sheep and plan trips and when am I supposed to be where? Before their sheep sale. So our sewing stack for this week is plan it out. Kind of think logically. Like, if you know you're selling in two or three weeks, we need to have some marketing up ahead of time to get people so they have time to come check them out in person or so they have time to make arrangements or kind of set some money back or whatever. Because it feels like right now everyone's selling at the same time. So you've got to do something to stand out. We introduced a package called the Mix earlier this year, which is a combination of advertising that is on our own social media for Champion Drive. It also works for your social media, it works on your website, it works on Champion Drive. It also utilizes our email blast list. Anyways, it combines the whole mix of everything. You need to have to be seen whether I'm not a big social media person. So if you were going to get my attention, you better be on Champion Drive or have an email blast or something like that to get to me. I don't spend a ton of time on social media where other people do. So you need to have. You need to be on there. You need to have your website updated. And I know sister and I talked the other day at lunch. There's a conversation that took place of if someone puts up, if you're gonna say, hey, go check them out. Where do I need to go check them out? You need to be able to direct people either to your sale, link to your website, to your social media or someplace. Because there's nothing more frustrating than, well, where the hell are they at? And I think that happens quite a bit and I think it's just an oversight. I don't think anyone's intentionally trying to do it. So just kind of plan it out, put a little bit of thought into it. That's what we do. We do marketing and that's kind of what we're here to help with. So the mix has been really good. There's more information on that on Champion Drive and it's something I'd recommend if you're looking to get more exposure for your sale and more brand recognition. What is our last episode for today?
- [49:04]
Monica Hild
Yeah. So, you know, you already mentioned that we were going to talk a little bit more about Madden Wise, who showed a Hobbs Land that just wanted one San Antonio, and then he also showed the Grand Champion Lamb at San Angelo with a Nev. So Madden was one that we've had on the list to get on the podcast for a while and I thought, you know, he just won two major stock shows. What a better time than to get then now to get him on? So those that know Madden know how genuine he is. And I know that me and Steve have talked many times that he can be. He can stand and, and be grand out of the show and he can also stand and be, you know, 8th, 9th and 10th, and he's still very respectful and I think that's something I commend him. So I thought he was a really good guest to get on. Let's get right into Madden. Well, today I'm sitting down with Madden Wise and he's definitely no stranger to the show ring and much less the backdrop. Madden, do you mind telling me a little bit about where you're from and how long you've been showing?
- [50:06]
Steva Robinson
Yes, ma'am. Thank you. I'm from Brownwood, Texas, and I've been shown since I was about 10 years old. I pursued it as a hobby rather than a lifestyle. It wasn't until I was about 14 or so I started working towards banners as opposed to sell holes.
- [50:20]
Monica Hild
Yes. And you know, it's funny that you start that right off the bat because, you know, you're from Texas and you've just won two major livestock shows. You've won San Angelo and San Antonio, and I'm sure you have a few other ones that you're hoping to check off this year. So do you mind explaining a little bit about how at Texas, at the major shows, once you win one, you can't show there again and what's it been like to check off several of those this year?
- [50:45]
Steva Robinson
Well, actually, it started just with a lot of reserves, which I can't complain. That's. I like the aspect that once you win them, you can't go back. This gives a lot more opportunities to some of the younger kids and get some of the older kids out of the way, you know, the people that are doing it. It's my senior year, I got this one on feed. You know, I think it's really good for opportunities for younger kids. And I don't know the feeling to have been able to accomplish what I've accomplished this year is unfathomable, as my aunts and my dad built the wise legacy with the help of my grandfather, who wasn't around to guide me. And yet my family, Tate and I have been able to uphold that legacy. And to have done it without a literal thoracic surgeon in our barn makes it all the more surreal. And it's a feeling of pure pride and honor, which is almost impossible to put into words. And I still remember my first few years of showing when I used to sit ringside watching other kids win, thinking I'd never even get a belt buckle at the county fair jackpot level. And now I'm sitting here on the Champion Drive podcast talking about the shows I've won at Texas national level. And someone once told me, dreams don't work unless you do. And that quote changed my entire mindset. I went from wishing for belt buckle to having a banner at almost every Texas national show between sheep and goats, excluding Fort Worth.
- [52:03]
Monica Hild
Yeah. And so, you know, you just mentioned about the family and your support crew that you've had. But let's talk a little bit about your family and the support crew and how they've played a role in your livestock projects.
- [52:16]
Steva Robinson
Well, actually, my family's been the reason this is all possible. You know, they're the cornerstone of my drive, and they're very supportive from scheduling to finance, as we're very, very busy. And I was fortunate enough to have a crew built in as my younger siblings are so supportive, whether it be coming home with a big banner or hard earned lesson. And Tate works for us, but beyond that, he's like an older brother who allows us to succeed in the way we do. If me or the kids are at the barn, you could bet money it tastes there as well. I mean, he doesn't just make us win. He. He makes it possible by feeding when we're at school and treating the animals if they're his own. And from health to cleanliness, take make sure everything's in tip top shape. Tape makes sure we don't have to worry about the presentation in the slightest. You know, other than showmanship, of course, that's our daily support team, like family and whatnot. But that doesn't include the people that help us buy the animals or go around during show time or at home because the list goes on. Jake Richardson, Ty Allen, Cooper Newcomb, Kyler Lee, Alex Prickett, my friends Elon Hortler, Jarrett Thorpe, Sandra Klinger, one of my best friends, Zane Walker, other family members who are at home. The list goes on. I mean, it, it doesn't take one person. You see one person out there getting the handshake, but it takes, it takes a whole team.
- [53:45]
Monica Hild
You have some of the best people behind you supporting you. So, you know, you mentioned that you have, you have multiple different sets of sheep and goats on feed and you know, you show them at say, local, state and national level. So explain your typical routine. I know that tay helps you a lot, but how do you manage having different sets of sheep and goats on feed for various endpoints?
- [54:07]
Steva Robinson
Yes, ma'am, it's, it's a lot. It really is. I mean, around show season and late summer, our routine is normally pretty complex and busy, as we started with approximately 50 head between sheep and goats this year, and it's hard to determine which kid's going to show what animals. So you have to work with each and every one of them as if they were your own. On a standard weekend. My mornings began from 6:37 if not 7:30, and depending on what we have on the agenda, we often take a break time around lunch, come back after an hour or two and pick right back up where we left off. And we conclude our day with our afternoon feeding around 6:30 or 7. With the amount of animals we have, there's always something that can be done, whether it be washing lathe, washing goats, cleaning pens or working animals.
- [54:57]
Monica Hild
And you know, you've had a lot of great advice so far, but something Steven and I have both admired you about is the fact that you can be, you know, in the top five of your class or you could be grand or you could maybe not even make the top five. But either way, you've always been very respectful to every judge, to the other people that have won. So you're very, very humble. How have you been able to maintain how humble you are on the good and the bad days?
- [55:26]
Steva Robinson
Thank you very much, sister. I don't know. I've always focused on learning from experience rather than dwelling on setbacks like I often act the way I want my younger siblings to act when they get older because I know how hard they work and I do my best to be an example they deserve. Like if I threw a temper tantrum every time I got beat, they'll, they'd think it's acceptable for them to do the same and I'd rather them be better than be bitter, you know, and it's, and it's easy for outsiders to assume that we've had, had it easy our whole lives and well, I admit we've been very fortunate. There's just some things you don't see. For example, everyone's just now seen on Facebook that we were able to win the sheep and goat show. Little did most people know, last year I got 8th with my sheep and didn't even get pulled with my goat. And sure, I could have come back with a cheap excuse, but the only thing that'll make a difference is going home and working harder.
- [56:21]
Monica Hild
Yes, absolutely. That, that was some pretty good advice that you gave there. So we're very, very thankful for how you are, not only for your siblings, but also just for the younger generation that looks up to you. You know, you, you mentioned earlier about the little you that used to sit on the bleachers and watch the show when the older kids were winning. So if you could go back to 10 year old Madden Wise sitting in the sands, what is one thing that you would tell them?
- [56:47]
Steva Robinson
Well, truthfully, this might be a different answer than you probably expect. But if I could tell 10 year old Madden anything, I wouldn't say a word. I wouldn't offer reassurance or encouragement because that's not what shaped me into the person I am today. It was the, it wasn't the pats on the back, it was the doubt, the you can't or the you won't that fueled me. You know, I mean, you have two choices when people don't believe in you. You can either let them be right or you can use their doubt as motivation to prove them wrong. And I choose the second option. Oftentimes wouldn't, I really wouldn't change a thing.
- [57:24]
Monica Hild
Well, that's a very good answer and that's definitely not what I was expecting. To wrap this up, I have a few fun questions for you. You know, you've had a lot of highs in your show career, but you've also faced a lot of setbacks that many people probably don't know about. So what is the biggest lesson you've learned from showing?
- [57:44]
Steva Robinson
The biggest lesson I've learned from. From showing is that success isn't just about talent. It's about perseverance and. And how you handle the moments that don't go your way. I mean, some days, everything falls into place, and others, you walk out of the ring empty handed. But no matter the outcome, there's always going to be someone younger, watching, learning from the way you carry yourself. And I've realized that winning isn't the true measure of success. Growth is. And every. Every late night in the barn, every setback, every moment of doubt has shaped me far more than any banner ever could. And while hard work doesn't guarantee success, without it, success isn't an option.
- [58:25]
Monica Hild
Yes, absolutely. And you always wear your black shirt. I'm sure it's got to be your lucky shirt, and hopefully you have more than just one of them. But what is the reason behind a black shirt that you always wear?
- [58:38]
Steva Robinson
Right. Truthfully, the black shirt started as Tate's idea. I mean, he suggested I wear his at. At first, I was completely against it. I mean, I didn't like the idea of showing without a bright, colorful shirt, you know, and the first time I wore it was at Louisville in 2021, where I reserved 2 Division of Goats. And until that moment, I. I never even won my class with a goat. And so I chalked it up to coincidence, but still decided to wear it to Arizona Sheep Show. And that's where I got my first major banner reserving that Sheep show and that same black shirt. And after that, there was no going back. I mean, on the ride home from Arizona, I went on Poshmark and ordered every black Ralph Lauren button down I could find. Different materials, different logos, different stitching. But this year, I've stuck to one black shirt, the one with the brown pony and the white stitching. I've shown every sheep and goat in it this year because, I mean, I've never seen one like it. The white stitching is the part I like, and it. And it matches my show shoes, you know?
- [59:41]
Monica Hild
Yeah. Well, and it's been pretty lucky so far, so you better keep it up.
- [59:45]
Steva Robinson
Yes, ma'am.
- [59:47]
Monica Hild
So my last question I have for you is, what's next after this senior show season is over?
- [59:53]
Steva Robinson
After I graduate, I'll be attending Oklahoma State University, following in the footsteps of both my dad and grandfather. I plan to study law, not just to build a successful career for myself, but to ensure that my future kids have every opportunity to succeed in this incredibly competitive and expensive industry. Because I know firsthand how. How much it takes financially compete at the level we've been fortunate enough to compete at. And I, I want to. I want to be in a position where cost is never a limiting factor for my kids, you know, and while I'm in Stillwater, I hope to find a job working for younger exhibitors, helping them improve showmanship, work ethic, and maybe even mindset and pass down whatever I've learned so they can chase their own success with confidence. I mean, showing livestock has shaped me into the person I am today. And if I can help even one kid experienced that same growth and passion, it'll make all the hard work worth it.
- [60:53]
Monica Hild
I think you have some pretty, pretty high goals and standard standards in life, and I sure am thankful that you're going to be a poke. So we wish you the best of luck and good luck to finish out your senior year. And we're really, really proud of you and the example that you're setting for the younger exhibitors.
- [61:08]
Steva Robinson
Yes, ma'am. Thank you very.
- [61:14]
Charlie Hild
Well. Thanks for having Madden on Sister. I thought that was really good and kind of echo what you said. Madden's always been really respectful and I, I distinctly remember a couple years ago at Denver, him and I sat in the very top row of the arena at Denver during the grand drive. And I'm sure both of us had hopes for a better day that day. And we were just kind of sat there and talked sheep. And for a young kid that's in high school is a kind of a conversation I'll never forget. Just because he was very genuine and very respectful and wanted my insight on, like, what did you think of the sheep? Or what do you think? You know, here's who I'm showing to at the Texas Majors coming up and we kind of talked about what he had and it's just a really good conversation. So I was really thankful to have him on. Addie was great and Charlie was great as well. We will be back again before main event with the next episode and I think we're going to have a little bit of an oye theme for that, that one. But we won't give you too many of those details, but we'll catch you next time.
- [62:11]
Monica Hild
Ra.