Who impacted you as a clipper/fitter?

I made a mention of some of the people that really influenced and taught me how to clip and fit cattle in another post.  Thought it might be good go hear who were the people that influenced you.  These people need to get the credit for their time, their patience, and their trust, that allowed all of us to go from clueless to the abilities we have today.  Hopefully this doesn't just turn into a "Name Game" on who we know, but more a tribute to the people in our lives.  I can't wait to hear some of the names from our more mature members.  (clapping)

Here is my list on kind of chronological order, and I am sure may of you have never heard of a lot of these people, but they made me.  Thank you to each and every one of them!

Wally Krantz
Dan Twombly
Ken Haas
Kevin Nicholsl
Michael Lobato
Jim Donaldson
Cory Tomsen
Steve Snell
Colleen Majors
Nolan Flesner

Great idea for a post. Bob Bruns and Eric Gabel have taught me so much. Very thankful to both of these gentlemen!

Great Post!!

In order, with brief descriptions.

Randy Hullinger.  Son of Gary Hullinger, both deceased.  Gary judged every major show in the country.  I helped them clip for their sale in Ohio a few years, and Randy's style of clipping was like none I had or have ever seen.  It was blow and blow blow blow, until the hair was working the way he wanted it.  This was back in the days of the sheepheads.  Then once he had the hair working, he would turn the calves out in a pen by themselves, and follow them around and just look at them.  We would catch them, pull them back in the chute, and then it was ONE PASS with the clippers.  It took him about 30 minutes from Montana shag to clipped and done.  Never seen anything like it.

Duane Hilbert.  He had vision, and changed the way everyone did things.  He didn't look around at the way that others were doing it.  He didn't care.  He did it the way he thought it should be done.  I always thought it was cool to see him do something that I had never seen one weekend, and a year later it was the new standard.

Scott Hessman.  I was a really shy and quiet kid that never said much, just watched a lot.  Once I asked Scott a question about why he was doing something or another and he proceeded to give me somewhat of a philosophical answer that I have never forgotten.  Fit them the way they need to be fit.  Don't build a leg just to show everyone you know how. 

I just wanted to bump this thread up to encourage more post on it. Like I said, this is kind of a tribute to the people in our lives, and a thank you.  My thank you on here turned out to be a real thank you to one of my mentors. I didn't even know this person read steerplanet, but he was very touched to see his name pop up as someone that influenced me.  He never knew how much the little things he did over 20 years ago influenced who I am today.

I hope more of you post, because you never know, they just might read it.

Well ZNT... I know you have never seen me clip but I have certainly seen you in action and feel privileged having observed you with a set of clippers. I don't think I ever told you, but you're pretty darn good. I just didn't want to give you a big head feeling.  <cowboy>

Steve Martin....ol Missouri's best!

i doubt if anyone on here would have ever heard of him (maybe some of the canadians) but Andrew Marsh was a mentor to me, not only in terms of show cattle, but in life as well. He was way ahead of his time with a set of clippers, feeding, and managing. When i didn't see eye to eye with my parents (still don't) he was always there, either with words of encouragement, or a really solid kick in the ass ( i needed the later a lot more than the former  (lol))

the other was David Laswby, who is still on the front line of fitting and presenting show cattle. In my opipion he is one of the best belly men in the business anywhere

Arlo Jenson, Terry Rohrdanz many years ago when I was much younger. RW

Lyle Miller no doubt. One of the first to comb and blow hair forward and smooth also one of the first to clip with smaller clippers.

I guess I will start off by saying I am no way a professional at either. I can rough one out and I feel I am pretty good at fitting but for technical stuff I still have a pro help. When we got into cattle we had showed horses quite a bit so we had a small idea but we learned very quickly we were in over our heads. I guess I grew up in a county were there were several show calf guys and I found the help I needed. I want to thank those guys now. Todd and Jeff Dewitt, Kendall Bremer, and Rodney Reck these guys taught me everything from the ground up. Later in life Kendall and Jeff still help and give advice when I need it. I will be greatful for everything they have taught me and still do. I learned how to work hair and feed. They have had a huge impact on what I know.

Dustin Glover, Colt Brooks, Clint McCaully

JY said:

Lyle Miller no doubt. One of the first to comb and blow hair forward and smooth also one of the first to clip with smaller clippers.

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I think Lyle Miller started this whole thing.

ZNT said:

I made a mention of some of the people that really influenced and taught me how to clip and fit cattle in another post.  Thought it might be good go hear who were the people that influenced you.  These people need to get the credit for their time, their patience, and their trust, that allowed all of us to go from clueless to the abilities we have today.  Hopefully this doesn't just turn into a "Name Game" on who we know, but more a tribute to the people in our lives.  I can't wait to hear some of the names from our more mature members.  (clapping)

Here is my list on kind of chronological order, and I am sure may of you have never heard of a lot of these people, but they made me.  Thank you to each and every one of them!

Wally Krantz
Dan Twombly
Ken Haas
Kevin Nicholsl
Michael Lobato
Jim Donaldson
Cory Tomsen
Steve Snell
Colleen Majors
Nolan Flesner

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                      what ever happend to payon scott  and his boys

When your County Fair included Griswold, Keene & Retallick, you learned by watching and doing.  Then Id go to the District and State Fair and show against Bayer, Poad, Suddeth & Weigal to name a few.  Bobby May was fitting a lot of steers.  But if I had to pick a moment in time, as I was entering high school, John Griswold and Mark Kruel came over to the home place and blocked a Simmental steer for the Southwest Junior Livestock Show in WI for me.  They took their time and explained what and why they were doing what they did.  I went on and had some winning heifers, did well in Showmanship and made it to the Nationals in Livestock Judging.  I never became one of the big boys, but I did fit the State Simmental Sale for two years. What I learned back then made me the man I am today.

Tallcool1 said:

Scott Hessman.  I was a really shy and quiet kid that never said much, just watched a lot.  Once I asked Scott a question about why he was doing something or another and he proceeded to give me somewhat of a philosophical answer that I have never forgotten.  Fit them the way they need to be fit.  Don't build a leg just to show everyone you know how. 

Click to expand...

That is a name that I haven't heard in sometime, growing up in Nebraska I remember seeing Scott at the shows in the area when I was younger.  He was a legend, in the 80's there weren't a lot of big name fitters...there was no internet so rumors and stories were shared the old fashioned way by word of mouth   It was a time when there didn't seem to be a club calf producer and great fitter on every corner but without a doubt I remember he was consider the great one in our area.  There was no Sullivan Supply, no catalogs full of hair products but I remember Scott made a product called ProStyle 2000 he sold it out of his showbox and recall friends carrying it around in Black Velvet bottles.  It was a time before everyone had a banner printed for every calf they owned but I recall he was with a family in Iowa that had a steer named ViceGrips and they brought a hand painted sign to AkSarBen that had a set of ViceGrips stuck to the sign. 

I wish I had paid more attention or had more of a passion for this stuff when I was younger because I was told by MANY people that my aunt Linda was quite the hand.  I still hear stories today about how grampas cattle were never the same after she quit running the show cattle.  My mom was a pretty big influence on me, not just in the fitting and clipping deal, but she wasn't too bad for no more than we had around to mess with.  Seemed like in the summer time she did just about every kids steer in the county for the 4-H fair.  When I got older I was introduced to a friend of mine's cousin, that's when I decided to really try and pay attention because I thought I had to impress her, I had a pretty big crush on her.  I'm glad it wasn't my clipping and fitting skills that won her over because I was and still ain't the best at it.  Now that we are married it seems like I am far more passionate than she about the cows and the fitting and clipping, she can still out fit me anyday.  
Probably the most influencial people as far as who I actualy paid attention to and learned the most from where guys like:
Perry Vance, Ian Stuart, and Randy Barnes.  I still think Ian is one of the best there is and he tollerates me pretty well, most of the time, bugging him when I have questions on what to do on certain ones.  I just hope this doesn't go to his head if he reads this.