Response to the question? Fresh rinsed.

The question was texted to me is that a Walks On Water sired calf? This answer is no. This calf was following a Walks on Water sired calf the WOW calf didn't even get wet. Haha
If this didn't make any sense to you check out the post below it.

Come see the calves fresh rinsed.

We have nothing to hide. We will show you the calves coming right out of the water. The ones with the most hair go in the deepest. I think this one is hairy.
Look at the bright side you won't be surprised the first day you wash your calf from us.

Walks on Water at Gray Show Cattle

WOW calves showing up at all the big name places. Not many places have had as much success as at Gray Show Cattle.



Zach: 815-545-1498
Kurt: 217-273-1399


All pictures & videos are up, and cattle are ready to view at http://www.grayshowcattleinc.com/; sure hope everyone can make it out.  Bids due by dark Sept 18th.

Predator heifer at Chad Johnson's

Chad sent me this picture of this Predator heifer selling in his sale September 11th sale. His sale is in the Eastern Iowa group. Talking to him at the Iowa State fair he was really excited about this heifer. I know I sure think she looks good. Go Predator!
Contact Chad at cbjohnson4@yousq.net  Website is http://www.johnsonshowcattle.com/ Phone: 563-357-3805

Thanks to the early visitors.

The traffic is starting to pickup. We had 3 different groups from Oklahoma thru the calves and they felt at home with how dry it is here, brown grass and cows eating hay. lol
 Excited anytime we get visitors from counties in the Southeast Iowa Showdown area and we had two groups from Washington county.

Check out Devon Olsons new videos.

Be sure to check out Devon's videos at www.youtube.com/olsonshowcattle .  Devon does a great job and is awesome to work with. I was looking at his videos and seen a Maximus x Lamborgini and I knew she had to be from Derrick Rapp, IL. The cow that this heifer was out of was one that we sold here as a show heifer and Rapp ended up with her.
 It so fun to watch our genetics show up in a lot of different places.

Bojo in the Run for backdrop.

This is 540 Bojo x Maine Break one of the two heifers that I talked about on MLC tv. Very excited about the heifer prospects in this pasture sale.

Crazy hair for summer.

Check this out! This picture is the top of hip on this UCB ( full sib to Predator) calf that me and Dacota clipped only half of his top. There was hair flying everwhere. The cool part is that he's a baldy to.

Foundation Simmental heifer.

She's a Hard Drive ( Maine) X PB Meyer 734/ LB. I will take a better picture of this one again the sun was under a cloud and going down. I like her a lot and think she has real upside potential.

Run for the Backdrop 817 steer.

This steer calf is out of a full brother to Predator we call UCB an out of a Angusx Heat Seeker cow. You can't tell in a picture but this one is so sound and soft built. He has really good hair and should be an easy feeding steer.

Run for the Backdrop update.

5034 Bojo X Meyer 734/Angus. This is a super sound nice built heifer that's going to make a great cow after her show career.
We are getting more of the calves clipped everyday and should be ready for visitors by next weedend. It's dry here but the sale cattle look good.

Terrible news.

With a heavy heart I found out today we lost another great cattleman, husband, father and grandfather. In a tractor accident Donavon Sievers died this afternoon.
All I can say was he was as good of person I have ever met. My sympathy goes out to his family.

Showdown Video of Holtkamp Cattle.

Check out this video that Skyler has put together of the Showdown. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO8W8czltkw you can click to you tube and watch also.
Looking forward to Skyler  posting our calf videos in the coming weeks.

Gone a few days judging in Ohio.

A little slow on posts while I was Judging at the Darke county fair in Greenville, Ohio. This is one of the top agricultural counties in the state of Ohio and had a really good set of kids and cattle. The hospitality was tremendous and I had a really fun time judging this event.
I took this picture of the midway as it went on for ever in all directions. I had some time between the heifer show and the showmanship division so I walked around a little. Thought I might get lost so I turned around and went back to the barn and watched some of the pig show.

Holtkamp Cattle sponsored Mainetainers ISF

Chris on Matt Lautner Cattle TV did a great job of promoting our sale so I thought I would post it on our blog.

Cool fitting pictures!

I like to look at the fitted cattle. This is one from last years sale.
Their are so many great stories that come from the club calf business that get passed over. This hind leg was fit by a young man that is in high school. His Mom and Dad have no cattle back ground and he started out in the bucket bottle calf division. His passion and talent was noticed and with a little guidance he has blossomed in a few short years.
The third overall at the Iowa State Fair was a home raised calf out of a performance tested herd sire. In all the hype and thinking that the highest priced one is going to be the winner this accomplishment is cool. The true success stories happen all around us everyday in the club calf business. Good things do happen to those that put in the work and keep it real.

Smiling Bob market heifer prospect.

If your looking for a market heifer be sure to check back on this one when she gets clipped out.

Predator calf selling at Hunter Bros.

Chris Rosa sent me this picture of this Predator steer calf selling in Hunter-Bros September sale. Chris has been a great friend of the Holtkamp Cattle program starting out when he purchased an Angus heifer to show in his last year in 4H to some at the Rising Stars sale. Chris also has been taking our pictures for several years and is part owner in Walks On Water. I know he has been really excited with some of his WOW calves so I would for sure recommend Hunter-Bros as a stop on your Labor day travels. Contact Chris Rosa at 641.203.1686 or visit http://www.hunter-bros.com/

Getting rinsed for the first time.

Just getting started to work on the calves for Run for the Backdrop. The calves are really starting to change for the good as the weather has cooled off some.

4th overall heifer Illinois state.

Here's why we call it Run for the Backdrop! It's a great thrill to get your picture taken after doing great. It does take a great team to make it happen. Come join the fun.

The years might go bye but the memories never fade.

Everybody has their own emotional investment to their own state fair that makes it unforgettable and unmissable event. One fun thing for our family to do at the Iowa State fair is visit Skyler's brick at the entrance of the pig barn to relive his 04 Champion 4H market pig.

New way to get your pigs top level.

Ride them pigboy! He received style points but only lasted 7 seconds.

Midwest Marketer Ad.

Here's our ad in the Midwest Marketer. We are all about making smiles so make plans now to come and start smiling!

Congrats Kori on her Grand Champion Steer at Iowa's Governor steer show.

Nice job Kori and what a great experience for you getting to share your steer with Governor Terry Branstad (Iowa's all time favorite Governor) to the Grand Champion at the Governor's Charity steer show at the Iowa State Fair. What a great cause with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald's House charity. Also, what a great venue to showcase all your hard work in front of an overflowing crowd at the Iowa State Fair.

Congrats Taylor Fourth Overall at the Illinois State fair!!!

Just Named fourth Overall heifer at the Illinois State Fair jr show. Way to go Taylor. Holtkamp and Minnaert strike again. Jason also had fifth overall with Heaton's Maine Anjou.

To much time at the Iowa State Fair.

Nick, Blake and Dacota hanging out out the Iowa State fair. Dacota said this one would be a great one for showmanship if they didn't have to walk them. Looks to me like it's a good spot to practice their run for the backdrop.

Dry here in Southeast Iowa

Hopefully it will rain today here or we might have to change or sale name from pasture sale to dry lot sale.
It's ok we can't control the weather but we can sure talk about it.

Caleb Seys Does Well Again!

Congratulations Caleb on your reserve division foundation Simmental Heifer in the foundation simmental show at the 2011 Illinois State Fair.  Sold by Holtkamp and Minnaert.

Immortal from Fraker.

Devon Fraker sent me this picture of this Immortal steer he has in The Main Attraction private treaty sale September 18 at the farm around Brooklyn, Iowa. Devon and Dennis are doing a great job with their operation and have gotten alot more aggressive in the club calf business since Devon's return from college. These guys have a great location right off of I80 so make sure to put them on your list to stop and see.
Fraker Show cattle have been not only semen customers but buyers at both the Run for the Backdrop and Rising Stars sales. You can contact Devon at 641.990.5541 or visit his website at http://www.frakershowcattle.com/

Rising Stars report..

I received this picture and update from Todd Brink, MI.
That Day Dreamer out of the Lamborghini bred heifer that I purchased in your Rising Stars sale is sure coming on strong and she is turning into a super looking heifer. Also we had a reserve champ at the Kalamazoo county fair with a HCC 209 calf.

Immortal calves in Run for the Backdrop.

We're starting to get a little break from the hot weather. The calves are starting to come out of the summer blues and are changing in a good way. I took these pictures with my cell phone of these two Immortals hanging out in the pasture. Notice both have cool white markings on their heads.

I don't think that the Run for the backdrop sale will ever get here.

Brody was so excited before he got here to look at calves he took a little nap because Mom and Dad couldn't get here fast enough. Believe me it didn't take him long to get back to full speed.

Congrats Reid on your county fair Champion.

Way to go Reid Kemper with your Supreme Champion heifer at the Clark county fair, MO.  You did a great job of taking care of her and getting her ready to show. It takes a good eye and confidence to buy a champion. But buying her at the base price in our Run for the Backdrop sale makes her priceless.

Life's Lessons are not always easy.

On a personal note I have to tell the story of Elise Ronnebaum and her unfortunate last year of showing steers at her county fairs. Showing 4H at one and FFA at the other allows her to show at both Delaware and Clayton county fairs. Elise and her support staff came to Holtkamp Cattle with a simple goal of getting a class winner at either fair something she has never done before and I thought this was a realistic goal. After making their selection and bidding on several they were able to get two steers in their price range and she was set. Ten months of feeding and working on her steers everything was coming together nicely. Within one week of her first county fair in a very unlucky and a freak accident her 1275 pound steer slips and falls and comes up lame. Elise was heart broken and a very emotional decision was made not to take him to the fair. I made the comment that Life is not easy or fair ,but your better steer still gets to show in two weeks and your goal is still alive. Everything was coming together great then in a unfortunate twist of fate she was leading her well broke breeding heifer at check in and her calf got spooked and sent her tumbling. A trip to the emergency room the doctor said she was OK but would not clear her to show at the county fair. Heart broken all over again Elise had her friend Gina show her steer. In a very bitter sweet moment her steer was able to reach her goal and WON his class.

I don't know if I learned more or Elise did with this experience. But I know I got reminded not to take anything for granted. Cattle showing teaches such a great work ethic and real life lessons, good and bad to young people. This is why Holtkamp Cattle is proud to be in the club calf business.

The steer did get reserve Grand Champion but that was just a side note.

FIND US IN THE SHOWTIMES!!

The Showtimes magazine is out.  This is a very nice magazine that is enjoyable to look through.  Find our ad and the first person who texts me at 319-850-1563 will get a Holtkamp Cattle Co. hat.  Text me the page number that the ad is on.  Enjoy looking through the magazine.

43 DAYS AND COUNTING!

43 DAYS AND COUNTING TILL THE RUN FOR THE BACKDROP PASTURE SALE!

Rising Stars success!

This is a really nice BoJo heifer selling in Sievers Show Cattle, Dixon Iowa. Lonny and Donavan purchased this heifer in her Dam at Rising Stars IV. The Sievers have been at it a long time and have produced some really good cattle and are great people. Also if you get one from them no one out there can clip one better the Justin Speth.
Check them out at http://www.sieversshowcattle.com/ or call Lonny @ 563.843.2560

HARDWARE HEAVEN!!

Holtkamp Cattle Co. has produced the Grand Champion Market Animal at the SE Iowa Showdown 3 of the past 6 years.  This event is truly rewarding to the kids involved as you can see.  Thank you to everyone behind the scenes who make this event possible.

CONGRATULATIONS KORI AND DACOTA!!!!

Here is Kori McLaughlin and Dacota proudly displaying their showboxes that they won after being named Champion Market Animal and Supreme Breeding Female at this year's SE Iowa Showdown.  COULD THOSE SMILES GET ANY BIGGER!  After all that's what its all about! Thank you to both of you for all your hard work...it really shows.

SE Iowa showdown Grand Steer and Heifer.

Congrats to Kori McLaughlin and Dacota with there Grand Champions at the Southeast Iowa Showdown(both from Holtkamp Cattle). For all you guys not familiar with this event they bring in the grand champions from 5 very competitive county fairs to compete for stand up show boxes. It's a really cool event like no other.

Kori's double trouble at the Des Moines county fair.

Congrats to Kori McLaughlin on her Grand and Res grand Champion steers at her county fair. The top picture is her heavy weight and middle weight steers getting ready for the grand drive. The bottom picture is trying to keep Ferdinand cool on a hot summer show day.
Make sure to watch for Kori and Ferd at the Governors Charity Steer show at the Iowa State fair. Kori gets to share her show steer with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.