One on One with Ky Stierwalt

Ky Stierwalt with his winning steer.

A Show Chow® Success Story Hard work, commitment and perseverance can definitely pay off. In 16-year-old Ky Stierwalt's case, it paid $115,000! Ky Stierwalt, the son of Show Chow Ambassador Kirk Stierwalt, sold his market steer for a record-breaking price at this year's American Royal in Kansas City, Mo. In Ky's opinion, however, the gigantic amount of money is not as big as the win itself. "I thought I has a chance to win grand champion, but I didn't know for sure. I had a really good feeling about Chip though," Stierwalt said. This was only Ky's second appearance at the American Royal, and Chip, the Maine Anjou-Angus crossbred, won grand champion. This is an accomplishment Ky's been working towards for a long time. Ky has raised animals for meny years now, but he started preparing Chip specifically for the American Royal about a year ago. Each day, Ky would spend about four to five hours taking care of him, which was not a simple task. Ky's routine involved plenty of clipping, washing, drying, and feeding Chip enough Show Chow for all of his 1,295 pounds. To stay motivated, Ky says it's important to stay focused on your ambitions. "When you're taking care of your animals, always think about the show and visualize yourself winning. That will keep you going, that is your main goal," Stierwalt said. Ky's success in the show ring led him to the football field of Arrowhead Stadium before a Kansas City Chiefs football game. In front of a huge crowd, Ky's win was announced as his picture flashed across the big screen. "I was a little nervous about standing up there, but it was really fun to be on the field in front of the crowd," Ky commented. Now that he has this giant win under his belt, Ky plans to use much of his prize money to raise more calves and prepare for more shows in the future. Although Ky admits that it was a little sad to sell Chip, he feels proud that he was such a godd steer and that the results turned out positive. When asked to describe his feelings about the overall experience, Ky said, "It was AWESOME. You always want something like this to happen, and it was just a great feeling."