SEIDENBERGER YOUTH SPOTLIGHT

In the small agricultural town of Garden City, TX, you will find Owen Seidenberger, better known as “Big O.” From his family farm to his many accomplishments, it is safe to say “Big O” is a young man with even bigger goals. However, to Owen, his greatest joys in life are the opportunities that have crafted him into who he is today.

“I pride myself as a God fearing, farm boy who loves to evaluate livestock and works hard to reach my goals,” said Seidenberger. “ These goals pushed me out of my comfort zones and allowed me to build confidence in public speaking and leadership at a very young age.”

Owen is the son of Eric and Christy Seidenberger and the brother to Reed and Lacy. For many years, the Seidenberger family has been involved within the livestock industry. Growing up heavily involved in the agriculture, Owen and his siblings found their love for showing swine at a young age.

“My dad raised and showed pigs while growing up. My mom did not even know the difference in swine breeds,” said Owen. “Next thing we knew, Reed started showing pigs in third grade and our barns have not been empty since. My dad had no desire to raise show pigs in spite of the rest of us begging him frequently. My mom took the challenge of being a “Show Mom” very seriously and hauled us to multiple show pig camps so we could learn how to care, feed, and train our animals as a family.”

For over 15 years, the Seidenberger family has been purchasing show pigs from predominately breeders of the Certified Texas Bred Registry program. Owen and his siblings have showed at numerous jackpots and all of the Texas major shows, including Texas’ Elite Showcase. In 2022, Owen earned the honor as being named a Premier Exhibitor of the Certified Texas Bred Registry.

“To be recognized as a CTBR Premier Exhibitor swine showman is a dream come true,” Seidenberger said. “It is the ultimate accolade for myself and my family.”

In addition to this award, Seidenberger placed in the top 10 and made the sale at four Texas majors last year. He said his ultimate goal is to show good swine to their potential; therefore, this was proof to himself that he was on the right track.

Throughout his four years in high school, Owen has been involved in many organizations. He has served as the football team captain, a 4-H state officer, FFA officer, and more. Additionally, he has been heavily involved in the National Honor Society and his church.

Owen found his passion for evaluating livestock at a young age. Ever since, he has competed at 4-H and FFA livestock judging contests across the state. When he was in the 6th grade, he said that their county hired a young swine enthusiast, Jacob McKillip, that brought a new perspective to his family’s show stock. Although McKillip is no longer the Seidenberger’s county agent, Owen says Jacob is considered family and has helped him continue to grow his passion for the swine industry.

With great success at the 2022 Texas’ Elite Showcase, Owen found pride in his achievements and wanted to keep the genetics to raise his own swine herd. After much discussion with Jacob, he and Owen decided to fulfill their dream of raising show pigs and M&S Livestock was formed. McKillip said Owen understood the time and effort it takes to win at the highest levels; therefore, he was ecstatic when Owen wanted his help to start a herd of their own.

“After spending many years around Owen, I came to realize he not only has an incredible eye and ability to evaluate livestock, but more importantly matched my level of passion and competitive drive,” McKillip said. “When I was his age, I would have killed for someone to take me under their wing and help me get started. So when he expressed interest in raising hogs it was a no brainer to bring him into the fold.”

The best advice Owen has been given is that life isn’t always about winning or success, but more so about the memories and lessons of the road you have traveled on.

For Owen, he says his biggest challenge has not been beginning his operation, but that he lost his best friend, Ryder Gass, in a car accident in January 2022.

“My whole world flipped upside down on that night of January 5th,” Owen said. “It was a struggle to proceed with anything in life with normality as before. All of my hobbies and interests all of the sudden seemed so dull.”

Owen’s favorite bible verse is Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Through standing firm in his faith, Owen made an effort to grow from his loss and prepare for the next chapter of life by surrounding himself with those who believe in him.

“Thankfully, I have people in my life willing to stand by me and push me such as Jacob,” Owen said. “His willingness to partner with me in M&S Livestock has helped me in my grieving. I love to watch videos, study genetics and talk about the breeding pieces for future litters.”

The pair looks forward to raising pigs that have potential to earn awards for the families that have and will purchase show pigs from M&S Livestock in the future. Seidenberger says the most rewarding part about being involved within the industry has been the friendships and connections he has made.

Following the loss of Ryder, Jason C. Spence continuously checked in on Owen. With Spence’s help, he and Owen honored Ryder at their county stock show.

“Spence will always hold a very special place in my heart not just because he helped me raise over $58,000 for the Ryder Gass Memorial Scholarship, but for his guiding words and kind texts the days and weeks after the loss of my friend,” Owen said. “Jason never met a stranger. He spread his love for the Lord and raised countless funds for the youth of Texas.”

Owen has had many individuals that he has looked up to within the industry. He said one of his role models has been Todd Beyers because he started his herd as a young man and has since changed the caliber of the Chester breed. In addition, Owen said he not only admires Beyers’ success within the industry, but even more so he and his family’s humble, kind and God-fearing character.

Growing up alike, Seidenberger also looks up to Marty and Zach Weishuhn. Similar in kind, the brothers come from a cotton farming family with an eye and passion for livestock. Owen enjoys their frequent conversations about genetics and improvement. In addition, Seidenberger looks up to his county agent, Cody Trimble.

In the future, Owen plans to continue his livestock judging career at the junior college level then transfer to a major university while pursuing a degree in Ag Business. Ultimately, he plans to continue his pursuit in raising livestock while being blessed enough to enjoy large game hunts around the world. With his values of honesty, dedication and hard work, “Big O” says he is looking forward for the years to come.

“I have gained resilience from raising and showing livestock,” Seidenberger said. “It takes work to be successful and you can’t give up. I know the lessons I have taken from the highs and lows throughout my four years of high school will be fundamental for later success.”