Harper Hess, is from Bushnell, Illinois. Where her family has a farming operation and her grandpa owns a custom livestock gate business. Harper started her show journey at twelve when she got her first two goats. She has continued to grow everyday and she owes it all to this industry.

“I am Harper Hess, I am sixteen years old, and I live in Bushnell, Illinois. I grew up on my family’s farming operation, raising corn and soybeans. I also own and operate Hess Livestock, where I raise high-quality show goats and breeding stock.”  

Harper Hess’s journey into the show livestock industry didn’t begin with a lifelong plan—it began with a nudge. At just ten years old, she was encouraged by her dad, an FFA alumnus, to step into an industry she didn’t even realize existed. “Even though my grandpa has owned a custom livestock gate business since 1980 and my dad showed dairy and beef cattle growing up I had no clue the industry existed.” 

Harper got her first two goats in spring of 2021 after she turned twelve a wether and a doe. That year she started showing to make her dad happy, but quickly fell in love with everything about the goats. 

“I had little interest when the idea was first presented, but his excitement convinced me to give it a year.  That year came with its challenges. I started out with my first two goats—a weather and a doe—from my uncle’s good friend, Dale Hummel. I didn’t know much at the time, so it was a big learning curve, but I was encouraged every step of the way by people in my community. I had some success at the county level that year, and that’s what really sparked my passion for both the industry and the species. Within that year is when I realized I wanted to continue my show career.”

After that first summer of showing, Harper’s dad suggested that to truly experience the process, she should raise her own goats. “I purchased my first bred doe, and when she gave birth to the goat that would become my Bronze Doe at the Western Illinois Throwdown, everything clicked.”

For the longest time, Harper was a  private school kid who just happened to show goats on the side. But by 8th grade, she had realized her heart was in the barn. After her first year of showing Harper fell in love with every aspect of the industry. “My schedule just couldn’t keep up with my goals. I made the tough call to leave my friends and my comfort zone for public school so I could finally go ‘all-in’ on my show career. That first year was a total whirlwind, but it taught me that if you want to be at the top, you can’t hold anything back—you have to outwork everyone else every single day.”

 “From that moment, I poured my time, focus, and energy into showing and raising goats, and my passion for the sport was fully ignited.”

After Harper’s first year showing and her decision to continue in the goats, her dad decided she should raise goats. Harper kidded out her first doe and fell in love with it. She decided to continue raising show goats and has now created Hess Livestock. “We purchased our first bred doe from the late industry legend, Mark Fraser, and Cooper Bounds. After having a killer doe kids and getting to watch her progress from birth, I decided it was something that was worthwhile, and that I should heavily pursue. We have been blessed with an incredible doe base, and each year we learn more and more. We have also been blessed with many wins on every level, local, state, and even national. I plan to continue this business after my show career and look forward to what the future holds!”

Harper is a perfectionist, she invests all her time and energy into showing and tries to perfect everything to a perfect standard. With that work and effort comes an expectation of success.  “When I invest all my time, energy, and heart into something, I tend to expect everything to go perfectly. I’ve had to learn that failure and the unexpected are a natural part of growth. As Ellen DeGeneres says, “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.” 

Some of Harper’s biggest lessons have come from her mistakes. She has found that trusting God has helped her face those challenges.  “I trust that God has a plan through those challenges. Over time, embracing setbacks has taught me resilience, patience, and the ability to approach setbacks as opportunities to learn.”

For Harper through all the challenges and hard work. The challenge that has stuck out to her the most wasn’t just a moment but it was her third year showing.  “After placing near last in every class at an early jackpot show, I realized that mediocrity was NOT an option if I wanted to succeed.” 

For Harper giving it her all meant striking the term ‘good enough’ from her vocabulary. 

“I traded a ‘doing my best’ mindset for a ‘whatever it takes’ mission, seeking out mentors who pushed me harder than I could ever push myself. Embracing brutal honesty can be a struggle at first, but transforming that criticism from a negative into your greatest positive is key. Be thankful for the people who are hard on you; they refuse to let ‘good enough’ exist. Being hard on yourself isn’t negative—it’s about maintaining a standard so high that when you hit the ring, you’ve left zero to chance.”

 That summer, Harper committed to learning,and improving every day, from her mentor’s teaching her.  By the end of the season she went from last at jackpots to earning Reserve Overall at the Ohio state fair. “That experience shaped my mindset and showed me what’s possible when you refuse to settle.”

As Harper approaches the end of her show career, her favorite part of showing was when she wasn’t in the ring, but when she got to take time outside of the ring teaching younger showmen. “This past year, I spent a lot of time working with my sister and helping her develop her showmanship skills. While we didn’t always see eye to eye, the experience taught me how much I enjoy being on the other side of the ring. Watching her earn multiple state and national titles was incredibly rewarding, and it showed me the impact guidance and support can have. I hope to continue helping younger exhibitors get a strong start and achieve their goals.”

Showing livestock has shaped  Harper into the person she is today. It has shaped her perspective in ways that go far beyond the show ring. From teaching her hard work, and confidence- to learning to always stay humble.  “While the wins are rewarding, the experience has shown me they are not the ultimate goal. What matters most are the relationships you build, the character you develop, and keeping your priorities in the right place.”

“I’ve learned to honor God first—not myself—understand that the lessons learned and the person you become along the way are far more important than any banner or title.”

Harper plans to continue showing through her senior year and into college, depending on where she plans to attend college. Harper plans on graduating with an associate degree and transferring to University of Illinois she plans to grow her show herd and mentor young showmen everywhere. She says she may also possibly pursue a career in her family’s business, Riverode Sales, creating custom livestock equipment.   “Ultimately, I hope to make a lasting impact on the livestock industry and help develop the next generation.”

 

“Never let anyone make you doubt yourself.” 

“People will always question you, compare you, or criticize—but their opinions don’t define your potential. Trust your instincts, own your progress, and keep pushing forward. Have confidence in yourself and do not let anyone limit your potential. Believe in yourself, and nothing can stop you.’