We caught up with the breeder of the Reserve Champion Breeding Ewe at the 2023 Wisconsin State Fair. We invite you to read our candid interview with Johnson Family Show Stock below and please continue to check back often for our next edition of “Breeder Spotlight.”
What’s the pedigree of your champion?
She’s a 2022 flush out of our lead donor Roxanne. Roxanne was Grand Ewe at Aksarben, Indiana State Fair, and Indiana Stock Shows in 2020. She is a sister to another lead donor, Spice, who recently raised the Division 3 Champion at Cheyenne last fall. A Roxanne daughter, Roseanne also raised our Reserve Commercial Ewe at the 2023 Wisconsin State Fair, and she was also Supreme Ewe at Nash Bash this summer.
What makes your operation run smoothly?
Diligent planning, strong record keeping, and hungry work ethic. We love this business and love that it constantly challenges us to get better every year. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention all the families that make our brand what it is in the showring.
How many head do you run?
200, about 190 blackface and 10 pretty special white ones.
Do you have another job besides raising sheep? If so, what’s your occupation?
Billy works as a sales and marketing account manager for an agronomy company, Christina and Jeff run the ship on the farm every day.
In your opinion, who has been the most influential ram across the industry?
It all goes back to Burn. His legacy on this industry runs deeper than any in history.
What’s your favorite livestock show?
Louisville.
Do you prefer online sales or live sales?
Little bit of both. We like to consign at many of the prestigious sales in the game as we’ve been fortunate enough to have been include as consigners. But we also thoroughly enjoy offering many online sales to help spread them out. We can be found selling on Willoughby Sales pretty much every Wednesday through the late winter and spring.
