WEBVTT 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:14.039 Creeping across the pasture land. Got dirt on 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:18.719 the boots and a working hand. From the milk house 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:24.000 home to the auction call. These are the folks 00:00:24.000 --> 00:01:02.100 standing strong and tall. Yeah, this is... Welcome 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:04.760 to the Bullvine Podcast, where today I have an 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:06.840 incredible story about a man many in the dairy 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:10.079 industry admire and respect, Alberto Medina. 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:13.659 Now, Alberto is not your average cattle fitter. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:16.780 Far from it. Imagine traveling to over a dozen 00:01:16.780 --> 00:01:19.500 countries each year, participating in more than 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:22.420 30 dairy shows worldwide, and somehow managing 00:01:22.420 --> 00:01:25.099 to sleep fewer than 100 nights in your own bed 00:01:25.099 --> 00:01:28.799 annually. Sounds exhausting, right? Well, for 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:31.650 Alberto, it's just part of the journey. a journey 00:01:31.650 --> 00:01:33.810 that began in the fields of his family's farm, 00:01:34.010 --> 00:01:38.030 Argomota Holsteins. From a very young age, Alberto 00:01:38.030 --> 00:01:40.609 was steeped in the love of showing, clipping 00:01:40.609 --> 00:01:43.329 cattle since his teenage years, initially on 00:01:43.329 --> 00:01:46.549 his family's farm and later for friends. Early 00:01:46.549 --> 00:01:49.090 in his career, he spent a decade with the Cemex 00:01:49.090 --> 00:01:52.129 Spain team, combining fitting and customer support. 00:01:52.709 --> 00:01:55.969 About 13 years ago, Alberto decided to take a 00:01:55.969 --> 00:01:58.569 leap and became a full -time fitter. That's when 00:01:58.569 --> 00:02:01.129 his life truly took flight. He now traverses 00:02:01.129 --> 00:02:04.590 Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Australia, 00:02:04.989 --> 00:02:08.150 you name it. But what truly sets Alberto apart 00:02:08.150 --> 00:02:11.590 is his warm, magnetic personality. Imagine landing 00:02:11.590 --> 00:02:14.449 alone in a distant country, jet -lagged and exhausted, 00:02:14.849 --> 00:02:17.509 only to be welcomed by his infectious enthusiasm 00:02:17.509 --> 00:02:21.129 and genuine humility. The logistics of such constant 00:02:21.129 --> 00:02:23.750 travel are staggering, juggling different electrical 00:02:23.750 --> 00:02:26.629 systems, varied feeding programs, fluctuating 00:02:26.629 --> 00:02:29.030 climates, and ever -shifting cultural nuances. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.379 Sometimes Alberto has to fly home for just one 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:35.060 day to change luggage and sharpen blades, then 00:02:35.060 --> 00:02:38.099 catch another flight the very next morning. Add 00:02:38.099 --> 00:02:40.719 language barriers to the mix. Alberto speaks 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.840 Spanish, Italian, and English fluently, and when 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:45.939 needed, turns to technology for communication 00:02:45.939 --> 00:02:49.120 assistance. Among the many remarkable cattle 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.039 Alberto has worked with, one star shines brightest, 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:55.780 Linde Ariel Jordan. When Alberto first encountered 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:58.400 her as a two -year -old, she was small, narrow, 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.020 with straight legs and soft pastures. But through 00:03:02.020 --> 00:03:04.900 his expertise and patience, she transformed into 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:08.020 one of the best show cows in the world. At 14 00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:10.000 years old, she's still competing and getting 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.740 better every year. Alberto's keen eye for potential 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:16.780 is legendary. He spotted future champions like 00:03:16.780 --> 00:03:19.740 Tobias Sid Silvi and Muri McCutcheon -Urigan 00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:22.520 early on, predictions that were sometimes met 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.080 with skepticism from breeders who had a hard 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:29.080 time believing him at the time. Not all cattle 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:32.259 are angels. King Boy Birdie is notorious for 00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:34.520 being one of the hardest cows Alberto has ever 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:37.400 walked into a ring with, yet he approaches such 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:40.379 spirited personalities with patience and respect. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.280 One of Alberto's most meaningful victories came 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:46.879 from a cow he bought with friends back in 2006. 00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:49.919 She went on to become Grand Champion at European 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:54.199 Dairy Show in Italy in both 2008 and 2009, and 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.340 later Junior Champion at Swiss Expo. in 2020 00:03:57.340 --> 00:04:00.460 it perfectly captures his collaborative spirit 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:04.919 despite worldwide acclaim alberto remains refreshingly 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:07.800 grounded he candidly admits that one elusive 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:10.759 crown remains conquering the world dairy expo 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:12.659 he's been in the middle of the ring at the end 00:04:12.659 --> 00:04:14.780 of the day at almost every show he's been to 00:04:14.780 --> 00:04:19.040 around the world but expo still awaits his success 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.040 is no accident alberto embraces the philosophy 00:04:22.040 --> 00:04:24.319 that great achievements require collaborative 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.009 effort as he puts it You can't be in two places 00:04:28.009 --> 00:04:30.750 at the same time, so you always depend on a good 00:04:30.750 --> 00:04:34.529 team. Success is about teamwork. His preparation 00:04:34.529 --> 00:04:37.870 philosophy is equally thoughtful. Every animal 00:04:37.870 --> 00:04:40.230 is different, but the best results come from 00:04:40.230 --> 00:04:42.790 those who have their animals ready all year round, 00:04:42.930 --> 00:04:46.329 not just scrambling at the last minute. There 00:04:46.329 --> 00:04:49.089 are moments of levity too. Like the time a goat 00:04:49.089 --> 00:04:52.350 ran into a ring full of cows. Alberto calls it 00:04:52.350 --> 00:04:55.579 priceless. Or when a prized cow escaped during 00:04:55.579 --> 00:04:58.180 a milking stop on a trip from Spain to Italy 00:04:58.180 --> 00:05:01.120 and was dangerously close to jumping onto the 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.319 highway. But perhaps the strangest situation 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.560 Alberto has encountered. People trying to ban 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:09.939 him from doing his job at shows because they 00:05:09.939 --> 00:05:13.160 think he's too good at it. Yes, this actually 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.100 happened. When asked about maintaining his reputation 00:05:16.100 --> 00:05:18.420 as one of the nicest people in the industry, 00:05:18.699 --> 00:05:22.360 Alberto's response is refreshingly honest. I 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:24.899 don't think so. There are people that love me, 00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:28.639 but also many on the other way. That candor is 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:32.139 part of his charm. Alberto's insights about cattle 00:05:32.139 --> 00:05:34.740 confirmation challenge conventional thinking. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:38.319 He believes wideness is the true type of cow. 00:05:38.699 --> 00:05:42.379 Modern cows need wide chest, wide open rib, wide 00:05:42.379 --> 00:05:45.600 rumps much more than being long and tall. His 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:47.620 advice to young people interested in the dairy 00:05:47.620 --> 00:05:50.279 cattle exhibition world is simple but profound. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.740 Travel and see other ways of showing, because 00:05:53.740 --> 00:05:55.879 every country is different, and there are so 00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:58.720 many ways to do the same thing. Alberto's story 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.300 transcends the world of cattle fitting. It's 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:04.079 about passion, resilience, adaptability, and 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:06.800 above all, the power of genuine human connection. 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.000 In an industry that can sometimes reward sharp 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:13.040 elbows over generous hearts, he's proven that 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:15.660 excellence and kindness aren't mutually exclusive. 00:06:16.649 --> 00:06:18.829 Whether you're a breeder dreaming of championships, 00:06:19.110 --> 00:06:21.529 a fitter honing your craft, or simply someone 00:06:21.529 --> 00:06:24.029 who appreciates a story about dedication and 00:06:24.029 --> 00:06:27.449 character, Alberto Medina's journey offers profound 00:06:27.449 --> 00:06:31.290 inspiration. His greatest achievement isn't any 00:06:31.290 --> 00:06:34.370 single championship or distance record. It's 00:06:34.370 --> 00:06:36.470 demonstrating that the most effective way to 00:06:36.470 --> 00:06:39.329 succeed globally is through authentic relationships, 00:06:39.629 --> 00:06:43.209 one genuine connection at a time. Thanks for 00:06:43.209 --> 00:06:46.009 listening to the Bullvine Podcast. Stay inspired. 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.060 Keep pushing boundaries and remember, sometimes 00:06:49.060 --> 00:06:51.620 the best way to conquer the world is to make 00:06:51.620 --> 00:06:54.579 friends with it, one conversation at a time. 00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:56.019 We'll see you next episode.