Since the age of nine, Sydney and Charley Johnson have been heavily involved in showing, but that’s not the only thing that keeps these sisters constantly on the go. To give you a little more insight into their busy lives, let’s get to know the basketball, dance and show ring duo a little better!
Stats on Sydney
Age – 13
Grade – entering 8th grade in the fall and attends Mulhall-Orlando High School
Activities – Basketball, band, livestock judging, learning to play guitar and singing. Sydney is also a District Director for the Oklahoma Junior Hereford Association and a Director at Large for the Oklahoma Junior Angus Association.
Stats on Charley
Age – 11
Grade – entering 6th grade in the fall and attends Mulhall-Orlando Elementary
Activities – Band, member of Encore Dance Company
How are activities balanced?
“We have very supportive parents, Brenda and Mark, that get everything done when we can’t be there. Sometimes it’s hard between school, showing and sports. In the end, I’m really glad we get to do it all,” says Sydney. Charley agrees and echoes that their whole family pitches in to make it work. She also is an anchor on her dance team and takes her role as a teammate seriously. “My dance team counts on me to be there and so does my family with the cattle, so I make it work! One day I showed my heifers in the morning and then mom drove me to a dance competition. My heifer won the Angus show and my dance team got 1st place that day. That was a good day!” says Charley.
How do you divide and conquer chore time?
With two sisters in the show barn, a set process is nearly impossible. Sydney says she likes to take charge of the washing and rinsing, but that Charley isn’t so fond of taking orders. So, they divide and conquer and just help each other out with each individual task. The girls both note that there’s no way they can do it all themselves and are lucky to have a mom and dad who help out.
What is your favorite part of showing?
The girls attend a very small school, Mulhall-Orlando and have fewer than 20 students in each of their grades. They really enjoy the opportunity to meet new people at shows. Sydney even mentioned that seeing her dad socialize with others and tell jokes with his friends is always fun.
What skills has showing taught you that you can use later in life?
Sydney says that showing helps her get used to hearing other people’s opinions. “I can take lessons in life and realize people can have opinions that aren’t the same as yours, but you still respect them”
Charley has enjoyed learning how to present herself through experiences in the show ring. “We are learning how important it is to keep your composure under stress”.
Who are your mentors?
Both girls look up to their dad, Sydney Schnoor, Laine Martin and Ada Pfeiffer. They enjoy working with Chase Reed and Terry Lockhart and agree that there have been so many people they have been able to work with; they don’t believe they could name them all.
What are your goals?
Sydney is gunning to win the heifer show at the National Junior Angus Show, Tulsa State Fair and also has the title of Champion Overall Showman on her brain. Charley would just like to keep working on her showmanship and getting better at every outing.
What’s your experience been with Sure Champ?
“When we started showing calves, Sure Champ was the first feed supplement that I learned about,” Sydney says. “Dad showed me how to mix it in their feed and I loved the smell of it. Every show heifer we’ve had has been fed Sure Champ pellets, it gives them a good appetite.”
Charley agrees and added that she also enjoys eating popcorn, spinning the wheel and socializing with Britney Creamer and Cody Sankey.
