Aiming High in Big Sky

When the Salers Association announced that Jr. Nationals for 2023 was coming to Montana, Deana started begging to be able to attend. She has been missing showing since her 4-H career ended a couple of years ago. We left Joseph and Spencer to start the haying and we loaded up the trailer and headed to Lewistown for the last week in June. Scott and Deana exhibited 2 Optimizer market steers, 3 Optimizer yearling heifers, and then a 2-year-old Optimizer female and her bull calf. They had a busy and fun week. In addition to showing their cattle they participated in team sales, skill-a-thon contest, and team fitting. They had lots of fun, made many new friends, and learned a lot from everyone there. We are sure grateful for everyone who put in so much work to make this great event possible.

All of the cattle we exhibited were bred and raised here on our operation. They were sired by Parke, Skinner, and MacDonald herd sires that we own and use in our pastures. Scott received reserve division champion with his Optimizer heifer, PRK Lass 297K, sired by PRK Duracell 252D. Deana won Grand Champion Optimizer bull with PRK Lucky 154L (who sells as Lot #22), a son of MAC F1 Judson 96J. She was also Grand Champion Optimizer pair with him and his dam, PRK Jewel 154J. Jewel is a daughter of PRK Fenway 384F and was raised by Deana out of her 4-H cow. Deana received the Brenton Salyers Premier Exhibitor award for the 2023 Junior Nationals and Parke Ranch was honored to be awarded the Premier Breeder award.