David Schulteis first in several cattle competitions at farm show
Moniteau Jr./Sr. High School senior David Schulteis was among many competitors from Butler County who took home first-place honors from the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Schultheis, whose family runs the Creek Bottom Shorthorn cattle farm in Slippery Rock, won first place in the spring heifer calves, junior heifer calves, spring heifer calves (born from March 16 to 31, 2021), spring heifer calves (born from Feb. 15 to 29), junior heifer calf reserve champion, junior yearling bulls (born between January and February 2020), junior champion bull and reserve grand champion bull contests.
He also won second place in the group of two females in the 106th farm show that ran from Jan. 8 to 14 in Harrisburg.
A member of 4-H and Future Farmers of America, Schultheis said the show marked his 10th year showing livestock in the junior division. He is president of the FFA chapter at his high school.
Winning the reserve grand champion bull competition with a shorthorn bull owned and bred by the family farm was the landmark moment of the show.
“Our bred and owned bull was the reserve champion shorthorn bull of the show. That was definitely the highlight of my week and my family’s week for sure,” Schultheis said. “We took four head of cattle — purebed shorthorn beef cattle we raised on our family farm. We won just about every class we were in.”
He said the cattle came from champion pedigree, but it takes a lot of time and effort to win at the farm show.
“It takes a lot of time, effort and money. You have to be dedicated. I spend countless hours every day in the barn. That adds up to a lot of hours every week in the barn,” Schultheis said. “The cattle come from pedigree that won before. We try to breed the best for our herd. We work with what we got and we make it the best we can.”
He said he has won class contests in the past, but this year’s show was the first in which he competed in division, grand champion and reserve competitions. Hard work and quality genetics are the keys to victory in those competitions and to help the family farm, he said.
Schulteis said he loves the challenge of farming and has career plans in the agriculture industry.
“It’s a tough way of life. It’s hard. Everything when it comes down to it seems like it might be simple, but every day is different. We need farmers. I love what I do and I definitely wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.
After he graduates in the spring, he will attend Penn State University, where he will major in animal science. He said he would like to find a career in cattle reproduction or animal nutrition.
Also in the beef cattle competitions, 4-H member Garrett Miller of Saxonburg won several first-place awards. Those contests included summer heifer calves, late spring heifer calves, champion spring heifer calf, reserve champion spring heifer calf and reserve grand champion heifer.
The Pedalers of Butler County won first place in the premium spinning group in the “Sheep to Shawl” challenge. Teams sheared sheep and spun and weaved the fur into a shawl.
Many other county residents won or placed in various events at the farm show.
