We caught up with the breeder of the Grand Champion 4-H Market Lamb at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair. We invite you to read our candid interview with Amthauer Club Lambs below and please continue to check back often for our next edition of “Breeder Spotlight.”
What’s the pedigree of your champion?
The Donald x Bullseye x Blowout x Last Call
What makes your operation run smoothly?
Caffeine. No, in all seriousness it’s a family affair around here. Every day it requires myself, my wife Robyn, and our girls Stella and Sutton to get day-to-day operations knocked out. Both Robyn and I work full-time, so it just requires some earlier mornings to get chores done and later nights to fit the rest in. Thankfully, our schedules allow us to cover lambing season in shifts, Robyn covers days as she works from a home office, and I cover nights. We also have some great seasonal help that keep the train on the tracks with summer interns and part-time fall/winter help from college students. Luckily, we all love to do this as a family (most the time), so it makes the long days and nights worth-while.
How many head do you run?
Currently we have about 100 blackface ewes, and 125 recip ewes.
Do you have another job besides raising sheep? If so, what’s your occupation?
I work at a bank as an Ag and Commercial lender. My wife Robyn owns and operates a design agency, Stella Sutton Design.
In your opinion, who has been the most influential ram across the industry?
‘Trigger’ that Brian Johnson owned. I loved the consistency that he created, in terms of sheep that could feed and win. He and his offspring, produced some of the deepest sets of lambs that I’ve seen in the industry to-date.
What’s your favorite livestock show?
Probably the Iowa State Fair. Even though neither my wife or I grew up in Iowa exhibiting at the state fair, we both have a deep appreciation for the tradition and quality of livestock that are synonymous with it.
Do you prefer online sales or live sales?
I would have to say live sales. We have had a lot of success selling champions at live sales and appreciate the ability to accurately showcase our livestock in an in-person setting vs. a one-dimensional photo on the internet. With that being said, both are a necessary asset to marketing our livestock and reaching a broader scope of customers.
