We caught up with the breeder of the Grand Champion Market Lamb at the 2025 Arkansas Youth Expo. We invite you to read our candid interview with McKinney Show Stock below and please continue to check back often for our next edition of “Breeder Spotlight.”
What’s the pedigree of your champion?
Blindside x “Fergie” (Bombshell x Fat Jesus) This flush also included the Reserve at Minnesota and our buck lamb “Hit Stick” owned in partnership with Adam Family Club Lambs. Fergie flushed 17 to “Unfiltered” for early December and 9 to “Man Eater” for February.
What are your long-term goals as a breeder?
We want to raise elite show lambs that can compete on the biggest stages. Then have the ewe base and buck battery that makes our genetics desirable to other operations.
Was there a moment when you almost gave up? What made you push through?
We took over the flock in 2020 so we haven’t been in it long enough yet to give up. That doesn’t mean we haven’t had any rough times. Last year we got a bad case of blue tongue causing around 30 abortions which really hurt our numbers last year but we fought through it and still had a great year so far.
What’s something you’ve changed your mind about over the years?
Quality over quantity. We probably still have too many ewes running around but the quality has gone up tremendously. Having a consistent lamb crop is very important to us.
If you could rebuild your herd/flock from scratch, what would you do differently?
If we had to rebuild, we would want to focus on having a more consistent ewe base. Starting off we kind of had a hodgepodge of genetics that would either be good or bad depending what buck we utilized in those earlier years. We’re getting to a point now in our flock where we’re getting confident in our young females because of the genetics we’ve selected to make a more consistent lamb crop.
What trait do you wish you had focused on sooner in your program?
Base width and true muscle shape. For a while we loved the wild looking ones that didn’t have enough to them. We still love them looking flashy from the side but now we’re trying to add that muscle we’ve been missing.
Is there a breeding decision you’re especially proud of — or one you regret?
The purchase of “Fergie” from Nathan Club Lambs gave us the elite donor we’ve been looking for to build around. She’s had 2 great flushes and we couldn’t be more happy with how she’s done so far.
What’s your favorite state fair — and why?
Nothing compares to the great Iowa State Fair
Is there anything you wish you had known when you started breeding?
Money management and how many inputs it takes to actually be successful in this business. Our dad Ryan has helped us a great deal getting started and it has been nice to see progress and profit to allow us to operate successfully.
What’s next — any big goals or projects in the works?
We are planning to build a new barn in the near future to be able to have plenty of room for ewe management during breeding season and more family housing space during lambing.
