COFFEYVILLE, KANS. (August 13, 2019) – Cattle lineages and genetics roll off of Trace Falkenstien’s tongue as easy as the alphabet.
His passion for and love of cattle are evident, and on Tuesday, August 13, the Bartlett, Kan. youth won Supreme Heifer for the Junior Heifer Show at the Inter-State Fair in Coffeyville, Kan.
His heifer, a seventeen-month-old Limousin whose papered name is Fascination, is a Lim-Flex heifer, meaning that at least twenty-five percent, but not more than seventy-five percent of her bloodlines are Limousin, and the other twenty-five to seventy-five percent is Angus.
Trace recounted her genetics with the vocal dexterity of a cattleman well-versed in his trade. “She’s a Lim-Flex heifer,” Trace said, adding that her genetics include bloodlines from the Amaretto line and a Silveiras GQ bull.
Fancy, the nickname given his Supreme Heifer, has won him several other titles at other cattle shows in Kansas, but she’s not necessarily his favorite. “She never wants to lead, and she doesn’t act good.” But because of her winning ways, he’s stuck it out with her.
The fifteen-year-old, the son of Rich and Melissa Falkenstien, figures he has been in love with cattle “since I knew what one was,” he said, and he remembers the first cow he owned, a red one with horns that still lives on the Falkenstien farm. “She’s seven-eighths Angus and one-eighth Limousin,” he said, “and I thought she was cool, because she had horns.” That cow, who was born the same year that Trace was, is a commercial cow, and not show quality, but “she kicks out pretty good calves.”
He will be a freshman at Labette County High School, starting next week, and he plans on being involved in ag, construction and welding classes. School isn’t his thing, but if it included cattle, “I’d excel,” he joked. He’s got his education after high school mapped out: either an automotive degree at Pitt State and come home to raise show calves, or Kansas State University and a degree in animal nutrition.
Falkenstien began his show career with a Hereford bucket calf. He’s shown at the Inter-State Fair for the past four years.
Reserve Supreme Heifer went to Brenley Grigsby.
The junior heifer show was sponsored by Community State Bank.
The judge of the shows was Blaine French, head of livestock judging at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Junior Heifer Show Results, August 13, 2019
Supreme Heifer: Trace Falkenstien
Reserve Supreme Heifer: Brenley Grigsby
Champion Angus: Brenley Grisby
Reserve Champion Angus: Brody Grigsby
Champion Chi: Darla Fesmire
Reserve Champion Chi: Dexter Small
Champion Charolais: Darla Fesmire
Champion Gelbvieh: Kyle Chapman
Reserve Champion Gelbvieh: Keaton Gilman
Champion Hereford: Emma Pool
Reserve Champion Hereford: Emma Pool
Champion Limousin: Trace Falkenstien
Reserve Champion Limousin: Seth Johnson
Champion Maine Anjou: Abby Emberson
Reserve Champion Maine Anjou: Wyatt Goode
Champion Red Angus: Landry Layton
Reserve Champion Red Angus: Clint Harrington
Champion Shorthorn: Olivia Gillette
Reserve Champion Shorthorn: Oakley Carter
Champion Simmental: Paige Atkisson
Reserve Champion Simmental: Gavin Grigsby
Champion Commercial Heifer: Brenley Grigsby
Reserve Champion Commercial Heifer: Brody Grigsby
