Putting in the time reaps rewards

MADISON, Wis. — Nearly 400 youth from across the U.S. and Canada donned their white pants and shirts and headed out to participate in the World Dairy Expo Youth Showmanship Contest Sept. 26, which would culminate in nearly nine hours of a team of three judges searching for the next winners of the Annette Ostrom Memorial Supreme Showman Awards.

The final exuberant high-fives of the day went to a pair of young men from Wisconsin. Justin Brandel of Lake Mills was selected as supreme champion showman, while Logan Harbaugh of Marion was reserve supreme champion showman.

Neither of the two is a stranger to showmanship success on the colored shavings. Before this year, Brandel twice placed second in the intermediate division, earning a ticket to the final round. Last year, Harbaugh enjoyed the same results as this year: winning the senior division on the way to being named the reserve supreme showman.

Brandel, winner of the intermediate division this year has grown up on his family’s Jefferson County dairy farm. With his sights set on the future of the dairy industry, Brandel and his siblings are working to develop their own herd of high-type registered cows, milking a small group on their own.

“If I could be surrounded by cows 24/7, I totally would be,” Brandel said. “Showing has always been in my blood; I have the biggest passion in the world and want to continue to do this day after day. It’s my favorite thing.”

Brandel said he is not even certain when he first showed a calf.

“I’ve been showing as long as I can remember, going back to pee wee showmanship,” Brandel said. “I was probably 10 years old the first time I showed here at Expo.”

Brandel’s first foray on the colored shavings came in the showmanship contest, he said.

“I always did what my older brother and sisters did,” Brandel said. “I learned a lot by watching them when I was little.”

Brandel’s best mentors were found right in his own county.

“(The late) Katie Coyne was a really good mentor of ours,” Brandel said. “I did a lot of showmanship clinics with her when I was little. I wasn’t very good, but I could tell she believed in me. That goes a long way for a kid who was as shy as I was.”

Brandel teared up, remembering his early mentor.

“There’s so much advice she gave me, so many new skills and talents she taught me,” Brandel said. “I was pretty young when I went to her clinics, but I just carry all that knowledge with me today. I think she would be proud of me today.”

Repetition is the key to showing success, Brandel said.

“The number one thing is to just do the same things over and over again, and you’ll see progress,” he said. “It takes time, but that work you put in is valuable. If you keep working and practicing, you’ll get there.”

Brandel said he has learned by watching others in the ring and paying heed to their advice.

“There will always be people who are in your corner and willing to help you,” Brandel said. “If you ask questions and continue to branch out, you’ll find people who want to help you. Everybody in this industry is so passionate, and they’re willing to teach you their tricks.”

A current mentor Brandel has come to rely on is Molly Sloan.

“Molly has helped me keep learning, to really refine how I do things,” Brandel said. “She’s so amazing to watch in the ring; her demeanor is so calm and smooth. She’s helped me learn ways to get what I want out of my heifer, and I really try to think like her in the ring.”

Brandel said what he loves most about showing is knowing that he is never out there on his own.

“There are always people who will be in your corner, who will help you,” Brandel said. “You just need to keep branching out, to keep asking questions and you’ll find those people. Everyone in this industry is so passionate about it, and they almost always want to help kids who share that passion. Someone will come along who you feel comfortable with and can create that relationship.”

Capturing a second title as the reserve champion showman left Harbaugh overwhelmed.

“It’s a great honor,” Harbaugh said. “I’m so grateful for all the people who have helped me along the way and fed my passion for good cattle. I’ve been fortunate for the opportunities I’ve had, and I’m grateful for the advice and knowledge people have been willing to share with me.”

Like Brandel, Harbaugh cannot remember a time when he did not have a pair of show whites in his wardrobe, growing up working alongside his family on their small farm in Shawano County.

“My dad has been my greatest mentor, my whole life,” Harbaugh said. “I have great respect for his talents. He’s taught me just about everything I know, whether it’s showing, judging or preparing cattle at the shows and at home.”

As he has gotten older, Harbaugh has made a study of watching others as they present cattle in the ring.

“Finding someone you admire and think does a great job is a good way to improve,” Harbaugh said. “Watch them and evaluate what they do in the ring and find a way to make that yours.”

For Harbaugh, one of those people is Mandi Bue.

“Mandi does a flawless job in the show ring,” Harbaugh said. “Her demeanor is so subtle, she makes it look effortless. That’s what you want — to fade into the background, so it’s your animal that stands out.”

To achieve that symbiosis, Harbaugh advises other young showmen to invest time in learning about and understanding their animals.

“The more you work with her, the more you know everything about her,” Harbaugh said. “You learn how she sets up, how she behaves, her faults and strengths. You know what will set her off and what relaxes her, how she responds and likes to be handled.”

Harbaugh savors the time spent presenting his animals in the ring, but the real satisfaction is found in the art of the entire process.

“Being able to see the potential in an animal and working to bring that potential to fruition, that’s where the true enjoyment comes,” Harbaugh said. “The ringside excitement is great; I’m really passionate about the process of getting them there. That’s where the true reward lies, beyond the banners, ribbons and spotlights.”