Heart of a Champion

Success can be measured in many different ways.

Queen City senior showman Daniel Hardin has reaped benefits from his success in showing livestock.

He has won several awards including ribbons, banners, plaques and belt buckles.

Daniel was the divisional champion at Sabine in 2019 as part of a Jackpot Show, has won five belt buckles overall and his total earnings in two years is $14,250.

He also achieved something that has ever happened in Cass County before – he won back-to-back Grand Champion titles.

Showing livestock provides kids a sense of community, teaches important values and expands their horizons.

Youth livestock programs are committed to developing life skills, which portray increasing animal knowledge, family involvement and fair competition.

Texas is unmatched in youth livestock project ownership and participation.

Students engaging in this project gain invaluable life skills such as work ethic, responsibility and accountability.

It can be grueling work but in the end the kids see the results of their hard work pay off.

Many children begin showing livestock as part of their 4-H or FFA projects.

For Daniel his passion for showing livestock came early in life.

“I was very intrigued to show animals. I wanted to show animals since I was in sixth grade,” Daniel said. “I attended shows with my family when my sister showed rabbits but I wanted to show pigs and steers when my opportunity came.”

During his freshman year he showed rabbits but during his sophomore year Daniel moved one step closer to his desire to show pigs and steers when he showed a pig.

With the pig he won Reserve Grand Champion, received a senior Showmanship Award and had the highest selling pig in Cass County at $3,000.

The next step was a steer but his parents, Adam and Sheri Wilburn, made a deal with him and he was up to the challenge.

“He told us he wanted to show a steer starting his junior year of high school and we told him if he tears down the old barn close to our property and cleans it up we would let him show a steer and build him a show barn for it,” Adam said. “After a couple of weeks he came in and said he was finished with the task and we thought ‘we didn’t expect him to actually do it and now we have to find him a steer to raise.’”

From the moment he was united with his steer Bernie he was determined to succeed in his desire.

“In my junior year of high school we bought Bernie and within 14 or so months he weighed 1,235 pounds,” Daniel remarked.

Bernie brought Daniel his first Grand Champion accolade and although COVID-19 shortened the showing year Daniel still raked in plenty of awards including four of his five belt buckles.

Raising Bernie with help from his dad Adam, who has plenty of livestock raising and showing experience and four belt buckles under his belt, was just the tip of the iceberg.

“He did all the work himself on his next steer,” Adam said. “He took Otis from mama to halter all by himself.”

Moving into his senior year Otis weighed the exact same amount as Bernie and brought Daniel his second Grand Champion accolade in two attempts.

Both Bernie and Otis were named first in class. He also showed a steer named Cowboy who weighed 1,170 pounds and finished in the top 10 in Cass County which isn’t easy to do.

We purchased Bernie and Cowboy from Sterling Livestock in Inola, Oklahoma and bought Otis from Joey Howard in Daingerfield,” Adam said. “Both are great breeders and helped us out a lot in a big way. They are exceptional individuals.”

He even did well in Jackpot showcases. “Jackpot shows (non-sell shows) had kids coming

“Jackpot shows (non-sell shows) had kids coming from big cities and he did very well up against them,” Adam said. “He hit it halfway through the season because of COVID and still finished in the top 10.”

Daniel raised both steers in 14 months or so and spent countless hours taking care of them.

He also holds down a job, goes to school and has earned college credit which will help him in his quest to be a lineman after he completes the course at Texas State Technical College in Marshall.

“He puts in just as much time as an athlete does year-round,” Adam remarked. “He works with Colt Williams doing fencing, attends school, earned 23 college hour credits and still found time to raise up show animals.”

He also displays plenty of toughness and resilience.

“Training an animal that literally crush you to follow your commands is very tough work but you have to show them who is boss or they will continue to batter you when you attempt to lead them,” Daniel Said. “I got hurt at work one day, received 16 stitches and was showing the very next day and back to work on the following Monday.”

If that isn’t the epitome of tough I don’t know what is.

Of course you have to be when you are working with animals that almost weigh a ton.

Daniel’s steers were Charolaise breeds which are known to be temperamental.

Going to shows was also a family affair in which he had plenty of support from his parents and siblings.

“We would have days where we hit two to three shows in one day and drive several miles round-trip and get home early that next morning,” Daniel said.

Exhibitors, like Daniel, spend an entire year or so preparing piglets, calves, kids, and lambs for the show ring.

Getting up before school for chores like feeding, washing, and walking their animals is just a daily part of life.

Developing a close relationship with show animals is key and makes it that much harder to say goodbye at the end of the season.

When asked how he felt about the process and successful outcomes of showing animals Daniel had this to say.

“When it’s all over I look back and appreciate what I learned over that time and see the results from all of the hard work I put in. Showing isn’t easy. You have to be responsible in taking a wild animal and making it your best friend.”

Spoken like a true champion.