Sarah Stream from Iowa was featured on ShowTowin.com's exhibitor spotlight during the first week of October, 2008. Hope you enjoy Sarah's thoughtful answers! We sure did!

Name: Sarah Stream

Home State: Iowa

Species and Breeds Shown:
I have only shown cattle and horses (at county fair as a young 4-H’er) for myself, although I have shown a pig and a lamb, for some reason for other people at various fairs. I mostly show only heifers, but have had a steer or two over the years as well. Breeds include Hereford, Polled Hereford, Angus, Shorthorn, Shorthorn Plus, Gelbvieh Balancer, Chianina, Charolais, Mainetainer, Simmental and Market Heifers.

Favorite Breed: Hereford
Why? The quality and disposition of the cattle and the nature of the people involved in the junior association are a few reasons why I chose to become involved with the breed. The decision to run for the National Junior Hereford Association Board of Directors has enabled me to meet a multitude of wonderful people in the cattle industry and has allowed me to make several friends who will last a lifetime.

Favorite Stock Show: Every stock show!
Why? I especially look forward to Denver each year because it is always a different experience. You never know what the shows and sales will be like, and you are victim to the weather because it always seems to be really nice or really miserable but everyone seems to have fun anyway because hey, it’s Denver! And it isn’t ever the same thing twice.

Favorite Judge: Bill Conley and Wes Hudson
Why? I have shown under a lot of judges, but these have always been a couple of my favorites. I have seen them both judge several times and I think that they are both very consistent and I happen to like the same kind of cattle that they do. I will admit that I have had a very special win under each of these judges, and what young showman doesn’t fondly remember a thing like that?

How old were you when you first started showing?
I was 9 when I showed Forrest Gump, an Angus steer at the 1997 Iowa Beef Expo in my patched Carhartt overall bibs and my double French braids.

What is your biggest accomplishment in the showring? I have been fortunate enough to lead 16 national champions in 6 different breeds in the past 5 years. However my favorite was probably at Junior National Hereford Expo ’07 when “Lucy” (GKB Miss Moler B628) took Reserve Champion Horned Owned Hereford heifer under Bill Conley in Denver.

Who is your hero? There are a lot of people that I look up to, but the one that I would call my hero is my Dad. He has taught me many life lessons. He leads the example of a “can-do” attitude toward the seemingly impossible, and always manages to stay positive and look for the lessons to be learned when things are tough.

If you could go to lunch with anyone at a stock show, who would it be and why?
If I have time to watch whatever show is going on that day, it would probably be whoever is judging. I always wish I could discuss a thing or two with them, and besides I love getting the opportunity to get to know people that are successful in the industry and have been in it longer than me.

Who is the person who has helped you the most with your show projects?
My family has pulled together to get a lot of cattle through the show ring, and my sister and I have always done the homework. I must give props to my Mom though, because once I went off to college, she had to learn how to feed and care for show calves in just a few short years. She spends countless hours during the winter months working in the show barn to keep the girls looking good, and we would have missed out on a lot of successes without all of her hard work.

On a typical school day, what time do you have to get up in the morning?
I was homeschooled until 8th grade, but still always had to be up and to the barn early to work with the show cattle. Now I am in college over an hour from home, and I still get up at 6:00 most mornings. I guess you could say I am programmed to start my day with the sun and be productive before the day begins.

What is your daily routine you use when working with your project?
7 a.m. is the usual breakfast time for the calves unless it is hot outside, in which case they come in just before the sun comes up. They get used to standing by the gate and waiting to be haltered so they can eat, take a cold shower and then get their hair fixed for the day. They stand in the stall with their heads up until noon, then they get to lay down and be lazy until about 5 when they get fed again and let out after the sun goes down.

Favorite tip about showing:
Every time I let my calves out for the night, I always walk each one into a profile stance and make them stand still with their head up for a few seconds before I take off the halter. This teaches them that when I turn around, they need to set up and I might just take off the halter. This seems to teach them enough that in the show ring they know what to do and I don’t have to waste time using the show stick very much.

What’s your typical show ring attire?
I try to have my jeans starched, boots polished, long sleeved button-down shirt tucked in, and a belt of some sort. Depending on what kind of show I’m at, sometimes this doesn’t work if I’m in a hurry or am showing a big string. The jeans and boots seem to accumulate all kinds of stuff, and shirts don’t always like to stay tucked in, but hey you can always try, right?

Do you do anything differently when you’re in showmanship versus when you’re just showing in the show?
I don’t show as “hard” in showmanship contests as I do in a regular show. I just let the calf act more natural and not pick on how they stand as much. In a showmanship contest, if the calf has a slight flaw, it doesn’t matter as much if the judge notices it. What matters is that the calf is set up and the showman seems to have things under control. In a regular show, I will do everything in my power to hide that flaw and don’t care if the judge notices I have to work at it a little, he hopefully assumes that’s just how I show.

If you have a choice, would you rather wash the animals or get them dry?
I love to wash. In fact, this time of year that is how I spend my weekends- washing babies to get them ready for our fall show calf sale.

Besides showing, what are your hobbies?
I really enjoy running if I ever get some free time.

About how many shows to you get to go to each year?
It’s different every year, but this year I probably went to 15 or 20 shows. When my family used to go to jackpot shows, we would go to 30 or more in a summer.

What’s the one show supply you just couldn’t live without on show day?
Besides a blower, tail adhesive is a must.

Do you have any “good luck charms” about showing?
Oh, they come and go… I will have a favorite pair of jeans or shirt for a season or a favorite show stick until I leave it somewhere or break it. I try to rely on a feeding program, show morning routine and style of showmanship for my luck.

Favorite magazine: I seldom skip memorizing an issue of the Show Circuit or Hereford World.

If you have two animals that win classes, who would be your #1 choice to help show your other animal in the champion drive (adult or junior)?
Brad Seiss, because he beat me in senior showmanship last summer at Hereford Junior Nationals.

You just won Grand Champion at the biggest show ever. You and your family get a free dinner at any restaurant of your choice. Where would you pick?
I don’t know where the biggest show ever is at, but I am always up for a good steak with the crew after a big win.