Dead Last to Top Five

Nothing beats the feeling of walking into the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fair. The nerves set in as “nice, cool seventy-two degrees” gives you the chills as you feel the air shift from the August heat outside. The pressure is on.

As I rounded off my seventh year of 4-H, my family and I exhibited three steers at the Indiana State Fair. Our expectations were high. My family genuinely believed we had three rockstars that would stand out in the show ring. Our hopes were soon crushed by disappointment.

The first steer I took into the coliseum placed fourth in class. The second steer stood fifth. We hung our heads low as we walked up to the coliseum for the third time. As we waited in the make-up ring, I found it impossible to smile. My father tells me, “It can’t get any worse than this” to cheer me up. It did get worse. My steer stood dead last in class. My family left the coliseum devasted and heartbroken. I was overwhelmed with emotions thinking, “How was it even possible for our family to stand at the bottom of a class?” I wanted to give up.

After we left the ring, my parents and I headed to the top of the coliseum. We reflected on what went wrong. We concluded that we had fallen into the same pattern. We had gotten comfortable buying the same type of steers every fall, feeding the same feeds, and using the same hair products. We knew we needed to make a change, but we were uncertain how to make these changes. My brothers and I had used the same tricks for thirteen years. We realized we needed guidance.

That fall, my family and I set out to find the “perfect” show steer and a team that would support us. My family found a steer located at Josh Streitmatter Cattle. Josh and Marissa not only guided my family in the show ring, but they became lifelong friends. They stood by my family through wins and losses giving insight on how to improve. Our two families became one team. One team with the same dream: make the top five at the Indiana State Fair.

This past August, my family exhibited both the 3rd and 4th Overall Steer at the Indiana State Fair. My family would not have been able to achieve this goal without Josh and Marissa.

As we navigate through life, we need people who support us unconditionally. People who will support us through our highs and lows. People who will guide us and bring out the best in us. These people are rare and hard to find. Appreciate them. They are on your team no matter what.

Find your team,

Stephanie Berenda

Indiana FFA State Northern Region Vice President