Parker County Today January 2016 | Page 96

our future: AG KIDS Seven BY CHRISTINA LOVELESS JANUARY 2016 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY I t began because of his dad. His father, Michael Sargent, showed pigs in high school. So when Tucker was just 6 years old, he got his first set of hogs to show at the Parker County Youth Livestock Show. “My dad introduced me to it, because he did it when he was in high school,” Tucker said. He started off showing Crosses and Hampshires and eventually started to show steers.  Tucker was around 9 years old when he started to show steers at the Parker County Youth Livestock Show. “My dad always wanted me to show steers, but wanted to make sure I was old enough to handle one,” Tucker said.   Eventually, at the age of 11, he started to show at the major shows, and for the last six years he has made the sale at the Junior Ft. Worth Livestock Show. “And I am a senior this year, and it’s my last year to show. Hopefully, I can make it seven years in a row,” he said.  This year Tucker is showing a shorthorn steer named Rockstar in the Ft. Worth show and a Brahman in the Houston show, and in the county show he plans on getting a European and two pigs. For about five years he showed hogs in the major shows. Eventually he started focusing more on steers. “I had some success with showing hogs,” he said. “I made the sale at Houston and Dallas.”  Tucker has won several awards, such as Grand Champion Hog at the Parker County show back in 2012. He has won several Breed Champions and several Reserve Breed Champions with hogs over the years at the show. He also made the sale and won Reserve with a British Steer at Parker County show. “And I made the sale every year there, too, with hogs and steers,” he added. At the San Antonio Show he made second place with a European Steer, and has won eight belt buckles at jackpot shows for winning Grand Champion, and has won eight Grand Champion awards at weekend shows and prospect shows. When Tucker was 13 years old at the Ft. Worth Stock Show, he was in the arena showing his steer. He had already placed and made the sale. “I was ninth in my class,” he said, “and they sell the top 10.” As they were leaving the arena, something spooked his steer. The steer took off and ran around the arena for a little bit.  Over the years Tucker has learned many things, such as responsibility and hard work. “Hard work pays off in the end,” he said. His advice for others is to put in a lot of hard work and learn responsibility and respect for others. After he is done with showing, he is going to miss being at the barn with his family, and waking up early on 94 a show day going up to the barn and getting everything ready to show with his family. “Working late at the barn with my dad,” Tucker said. His goals for the year 2016 are to win state championship in football and to make the sale in Ft. Worth. “It will be seven years in a row,” he said, “and doing well in Houston, and going to the Parker County Youth Livestock show and winning there with a hog and a steer, getting good grades in school. And getting into college with good grades. And to finish off my senior year on a good note, on a bang, I guess.”  Outside of showing, Sargent plays left guard offense for the Brock football team and also is their team captain. He also enjoys hunting and fishing. Update on his goals: Brock Eagles won the state championship