Kaden and Quentin Derrer are seniors at Hamilton Heights. Both are very involved in their FFA chapter and serve on the livestock judging team. Both Kaden and Quentin have continued to make their path in the industry.

“My name is Kaden Derrer. I am a senior at Hamilton Heights and have been highly active as an FFA member in our chapter and on our school’s livestock judging team. I am a 10-year 4-H member and have shown sheep, goats, swine and adding cattle in my last year. I also work as an intern at RSG (Reproduction Specialty Group) in Lebanon, Indiana, where I am learning more about AI and embryology.”

“My name is Quentin Derrer. I am a senior at Hamilton Heights and  currently serve as Vice President of our FFA chapter. I am also a member of our livestock and meat judging teams. I am a 10th year 4-H member, having shown sheep, goats, swine, and have added cattle into my last year. I also work as an intern for Janssen Veterinary Clinic in Sheridan, IN where I am able to be hands-on with a variety of medical issues with small animals, and horses. I also do embryology in horses and dogs.”

Kaden and Quentin live on a livestock farm in Arcadia, Indiana, where they raise sheep, wether goats, and recently added cattle. 

“This past year, we started our own business, Double Shot Genetics, where we breed and raise our own sheep, wether goats, and we just added cattle into our operation.”

Kaden and Quentin got involved in livestock and 4-H at a very young age, and that passion has continued ever since. 

“Our mom grew up on a small hog operation and was very involved in 4-H, showing horses, swine and sheep. She got us involved in showing sheep in mini 4-H, and as we got older, we fell in love with it and our desire took off. In our first few years, we showed at county fair and some small local shows. More opportunities came, and we expanded our showing careers into larger jackpot shows, state fairs, and national shows. In 2020, we had our first time on ‘The Dirt’ at the Indiana State Fair with our Champion Southdown Ewe. “

Both Kaden and Quentin have accomplished some incredible things. They have both had the opportunity to show on “The Dirt” at the Indiana State Fair multiple years and have been highly successful at other large shows including, NAILE. 

The twins are both also highly competitive in the showmanship arena. Quentin was Aksarben 2024 Champion Senior Sheep Showman, and Kaden was Aksarben 2025 Reserve Champion Senior Sheep Showman. In 2025, Quentin won OK State Fair Goat Showmanship and was Reserve Sheep Showman and  Reserve Champion Supreme Showman. Kaden was also the Indiana State Fair Reserve Breeding Sheep Showman in 2025.

“These experiences have led us to believe in ourselves, work harder, and be even more eager to be at the top. All of these events have allowed us to make more connections and given us additional opportunities to work with more breeders in the industry, which will expand our business.”

As Kaden and Quentin’s show careers come to a close, they will continue to be involved in the livestock industry, with a shared goal of helping improve the livestock industry.

“We will continue to grow Double Shot Genetics, breeding and raising high-quality livestock and helping youth with their livestock endeavors. We are both looking forward to attending Lincoln Land Community College, where we will continue livestock judging and start our journey into our college careers. Kaden will be pursuing embryology, and Quentin will be pursuing veterinary medicine. We both have high goals to improve the livestock industry. “

2025 NAILE was an incredible experience for both Kaden and Quentin. Kaden won Grand Champion Commercial ewe, and Quentin won Grand Champion Southdown ewe. 

“2025 NAILE will be unforgettable! This was a very profound time for us and our family to have not just one, but two Grand Champions at NAILE in two very competitive shows – Commercial Ewe and Southdown Ewe. We have put an extreme amount of time and effort into our livestock and achieved large goals twice in the same weekend.”

“Preparing for not just NAILE, but all shows, starts from breaking them in early spring and then continues to daily maintenance. We see early mornings and late nights of tracking, working hair, wrapping legs, bracing, showmanship, and nutrition to keep our livestock show-ready.”

“When my twin brother won Grand Champion Southdown Ewe, I felt incredibly proud, not just of him, but of what we accomplished together. We’ve always worked as a team, putting in the hours side by side, so seeing that dedication pay off on such a big stage was really rewarding. It felt like a win for both of us.”

Kaden

“When my brother won Grand Champion Commercial Ewe, it was one of those moments that just stops you. I was proud, not just because he’s my twin, but because I’ve seen every late night, every setback, and every ounce of work he’s poured into his projects. Watching him step into that spotlight reminded me why we push each other the way we do. His win wasn’t just a banner moment for him, it felt like a win for both of us, and for the standard we’re trying to set together in the show ring.”

Quentin 

“My biggest piece of advice is to s”Stay humble and rememberand to remember that success doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Keeping your feet on the ground no matter how high you rise, treating people with respect, and recognizing that you always have more to learn. When you stay grounded, people trust you more, opportunities come easier, and your achievements feel even more meaningful because you earned them without losing who you are.”

Kaden

“My biggest piece of advice is to keep your head down and to focus on your goals, not the noise around you. People will talk, distractions will come, and not everything deserves your energy. When you stay locked in on what you’re working toward, you move farther and faster without getting pulled off track. Put your effort into your grind, your growth, and the things that actually matter, because letting your actions speak will always carry more weight than anything else.”

Quentin 

Introduce yourselves! 

My name is Kaden Derrer. I am a senior at Hamilton Heights and been highly active as an FFA member in our chapter and on our livestock judging team. I am a 10th year 4-H member, having shown sheep, goats, swine and adding cattle into my last year. I also work as an intern at RSG (Reproduction Specialty Group) in Lebanon, IN where I am learning more about AI and embryology.

My name is Quentin Derrer. I am a senior at Hamilton Heights and am currently Vice President of our FFA chapter and on our livestock and meats judging teams. I am a 10th year 4-H member, having shown sheep, goats, swine and adding cattle into my last year. I also work as an intern for Janssen Veterinary Clinic in Sheridan, IN where I am able to be hands on with a variety of medical issues with small animals and horses and also embryology in horses and dogs.

We live on a small livestock farm in Arcadia, Indiana. This past year we started our own business, Double Shot Genetics, where we breed and raise our own sheep, wether goats and we just added cattle into our operation.

How did you both get into the show industry, And what has that experience looked like?

We both were fortunate to get involved with livestock at a young age. Our mom grew up on a small hog operation and was very involved in 4-H showing horses, swine and sheep. She got us involved showing sheep in mini 4-H and as we got older, we fell in love with it and our desire took off. Our first few years we showed at county fair and some small local shows. More opportunities came and expanded our showing career into larger jackpot shows, state fairs and national shows. In 2020, we had our first time on “The Dirt” at the Indiana State Fair with our Champion Southdown Ewe. 

You both have been very involved and have had some incredible experiences in your show career. How has those experiences impacted and shape your lives?

We have been on ‘The Dirt” at the Indiana State Fair multiple years and have been highly successful at other large shows such as NAILE. We are highly competitive in the showmanship arena as well. Quentin was Aksarben 2024 Champion Senior sheep showman and Kaden was Aksarben2025 Reserve Champion senior sheep showman. In 2025, Quentin won OK State Fair goat showmanship and was reserve sheep showman and then was Reserve Champion Supreme showman. Kaden was Indiana State Fair Reserve Breeding Sheep showman in 2025. These experiences have led us to believe in ourselves, work harder, and be even more eager to be at the top. All of these events have allowed us to make more connections and given us additional opportunities to work with more breeders in the industry which will expand our business.

As your show careers come to an end how do hope to make a difference in this industry? 

And what do you see in your futures? 

As our show careers come to an end, we will continue to be in the livestock industry. We will continue to grow Double Shot Genetics, breeding and raising high quality livestock and helping youth with their livestock endeavors. We both are looking forward to attending Lincoln Land Community College where we will continue livestock judging and start our journey into our college careers. Kaden will be pursuing embryology and Quentin will be pursuing veterinary medicine. We both have high goals to improve the livestock industry. 

What did this NAILE experience mean to you both and your family? 

2025 NAILE will be unforgettable! This was a very profound time for us and our family to have not just 1 but 2 Grand Champions at NAILE in two very competitive shows – Commercial Ewe and Southdown Ewe. We have put in an extreme amount of time and effort into our livestock and achieved large goals twice in the same weekend. Preparing for not just NAILE, but all shows, starts from breaking them in early spring and then to daily maintenance. We see early mornings and late nights of tracking, working hair, wrapping legs, bracing, showmanship, and nutrition to keep our livestock show ready.

In that moment when Kaden won Quentin what were you thinking and When Quentin won  Kaden what were you thinking? 

Kaden: When my twin brother won Grand Champion Southdown Ewe, I felt incredibly proud, not just of him, but of what we accomplished together. We’ve always worked as a team, putting in the hours side by side, so seeing that dedication pay off on such a big stage was really rewarding. It felt like a win for both of us.

Quentin: When my brother won Grand Champion Commercial Ewe, it was one of those moments that just stops you. I was proud, not just because he’s my twin, but because I’ve seen every late night, every setback, and every ounce of work he’s poured into his projects. Watching him step into that spotlight reminded me why we push each other the way we do. His win wasn’t just a banner moment for him, it felt like a win for both of us, and for the standard we’re trying to set together in the show ring.

And last Question Kaden what’s your biggest piece of advice and Quentin what’s your biggest piece of advice?

Kaden: My biggest piece of advice is to stay humble and to remember that success doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Keeping your feet on the ground no matter how high you rise, treating people with respect, and recognizing that you always have more to learn. When you stay grounded, people trust you more, opportunities come easier, and your achievements feel even more meaningful because you earned them without losing who you are.

Quentin: My biggest piece of advice is to keep your head down and to focus on your goals, not the noise around you. People will talk, distractions will come, and not everything deserves your energy. When you stay locked in on what you’re working toward, you move farther and faster without getting pulled off track. Put your effort into your grind, your growth, and the things that actually matter, because letting your actions speak will always carry more weight than anything else.

Bonus question) What’s the one thing you guys get asked the most about being twins? 

The question we get asked the most about being identical twins is, “How do people tell you apart?” Everyone assumes we get mixed up all the time, but the people who truly know us can see the differences instantly, our voices, our personalities, the way we carry ourselves. We might look alike, but we’ve always been ourselves.