Both of us were in school at Colorado State University - Clayton there to finish his undergrad and be on the livestock judging team and Mesa there to obtain her masters degree and assist said judging team! The first practice was at the Colorado State Fair: Clayton's POV: gets in the judging van and see's Mesa for the first time. Looks at his friend and team member, Ryleigh Travers, and says, "who is that blonde girl". Ryleigh mentions that it is one of his assistant coaches and says something along the lines of "haha not in your dreams" Mesa's POV: She was tasked with driving the junior team home from the workout while Kyndal and Ryan stayed back with the senior team. Low and behold this guy with a mop of hair on his head and the most Canadian accent she had ever heard plops down in the passenger seat and talks her ear off the entire 3 hour drive home..... he starts talking about Walsh Cattle and she remembers telling him she knows everyone and she has no idea who that was (lol). Mentions that she judged against his brother, Daniel, and again, she tells him she has no idea who that was.

Mesa had tickets to the Cody Johnson and Ian Munsik concert and when Clayton found out she was going he was bound and determined to go as well. He showed up... ticketless but with a plan. He stood outside the concert venue asking strangers for an extra ticket and low and behold he snagged some! The very next day Clayton decided to tell Mesa how he felt.... immediately the poor guy got redirected to this little place called the friend zone.

The CSU judging team's first contest. At this point Mesa was describing Clayton to her dad as "annoying, un-coachable and extremely arrogant". So when she later in the year tells her dad that she was going on a few dates with someone on the team, Clayton was his very last guess. Mesa should note that Dr. Coach Dad also did not approve (which is so valid, sorry dad but it all worked out in the end).

Clayton also used to do this thing where he would use Mesa's friends to try to hang out with her. This is a prime example of Clayton texting Brooklynn to (not very smoothly) suggest that we should all hang out - we as in Brooklynn please make sure Mesa comes too....

Mesa and her friend, Brooklynn, were discussing their love languages during dinner on a judging trip one evening. Mesa's top two love languages were acts of service and gift giving. Apparently Clayton was listening in because the very next week he came over randomly and decided to fix her windshield wipers and do a quick check on her car...... what a nice friend

This is Clayton helping Mesa with all the problems her grad school thesis project threw at her.... Clayton was always there to save the day, and THAT is why Mesa finally gave him the time of day :) Well, that and he finally got a haircut!!

Clayton's last collegiate judging contest! He did become more coachable (kinda but it was still like pulling teeth) and Mesa realized the arrogance was just a front and he really was just a nice guy that was head over heels for a gal he was trying to impress.

Our first Denver displaying a Bull in the yards - and in a few years Denver becomes even more special!

Clayton graduates - finally!!

Clayton moves back home (Wisconsin) to take over the cattle company and Mesa stays in Colorado. The beginning of long distance - thankful for the Frontier Wild Pass for making hopping on a flight back and forth really easy!

Our first Walsh Cattle sale we got to host together!

Mesa brought Clayton to see the ocean for the very first time! Also surprised Mesa'a mom for her birthday this trip.. Bryan buried Clayton in the sand and gave him a few personal touches...

Clayton's brother and SIL gifted us tickets to a Packers game... little did they know they were starting a new Walsh Family Thanksgiving tradition! This was both Clayton and Mesa's first time to Lambeau Field. And yes, Mesa became a packers fan...

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Wisconsin! Still doing long distance....

Thankful for the Frontier Wild Pass again because we flew to Vegas for free for a quick trip to the NFR!

Kutz Family Christmas - Clayton realizing that matching pjs may very well be in his future for the long haul....

Celebrating valentine's day weekend with a long distance visit and ski trip!

Our first trip to the Ohio Beef Expo to be apart of the genetic futures semen sale. This is now one of our favorite weekends of the year!!

Clayton smiling and calling the hogs in the hog pen - willingly lol! We decided it was a fair trade, Mesa becomes a Packers fan and Clayton becomes a Razorback fan. Clayton even rushed the field in the razorback football game against the #4 Tennessee.

Clayton judging a cattle jackpot in Arkansas and Mesa telling him he needs to say "y'all" on the mic a few times so he sounds like he's from around there! Or she might be arguing that he messed up a pair...

Celebrating Clayton's brother, Daniel, marrying the girl of his dreams, Alyssa! (also the sister-in-law of Mesa and Clayton's dreams)

Another Wisconsin State Fair in the books!

Celebrated Mesa's brother, Wyett's 21st birthday with a trip to Mexico. This was Wyett and Clayton's first trip out of the country.... they were a fan of the snorkeling.

Mesa's first official weekend living in Wisconsin full time! Mesa's friends, Julie and Matt, came up the same weekend to take promotional photos for the sale and visit!

Mesa and Clayton's 2nd Walsh Cattle sale together! Mesa also thought this was a potential time she would get engaged.... the sky put on a show for it too!

Clayton surprised (as best he could lol) Mesa with tickets to Post Malone for her birthday!

Walsh family thanksgiving Packers game, year #2! Mesa froze her butt off last year because she dressed for a SEC football game... they do things a bit different up north and warmth should be the #1 priority in Lambou

Mesa convinced her siblings and Clayton to run the turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning.... they were all thrilled about it!

Kutz Family Photos! Mesa will note this would have been a great proposal opportunity...

Surprised Clayton with tickets to the PBR in Madison Square Garden, New York! At this point everyone was confused why he hadn't proposed... multiple people thought this was where he was going to pop the question.

Denver 2025 - one we will NEVER forget!!

Day one of NWSS - first full day of the bull display! Mesa was convinced she was getting engaged this day and this was her outfit of choice (that she planned for weeks). Mesa did not get a ring and she cried a little in the bathroom because she knew that if she didn't get engaged this day then it wasn't going to happen....

Just to note - Alyssa and Daniel had mentioned they were going to be at Denver this year. This wasn't alarming because they both had customers and friends that were showing and/or displaying stock at the show. They (and Reid Nicoles and Cody Green) also helped us get the heifers and bull ready to show. It was THE MOST fun weekend having them with us all weekend! Little did Mesa know... they were scheming...

Mesa, Clayton, and Tyler Gifford showed Walsh Cattle's first pen of cattle in the yards! Mesa quite literally fulfilling her childhood dream of showing cattle and she was even more pumped they were herfs!

Keeping the spirits high post not getting engaged because we still love bull display week in the yards! The UofA judging team finished up at the Carload contest and came by for some refreshments! Also note - Mesa's dad was there with the judging team but nothing seemed odd about this because he does this every year!

Then it snowed during the display for the NWSS Hereford Sale! That was the beginning of a COLD couple of days, so we were excited to be out of the snow and on the hill the next day!

Saturday was the Maine bull show on The Hill and we were up early to get BOB ready! This was also the last year that stock would show on The Hill - so very sentimental!

Back On Business (BOB) was reserve champion maine bull on the hill! Now we had the rest of the day to relax with friends! So Mesa thought....

Mesa and Clayton were hanging out with Clayton's mom, Lisa, at the Cowboy Bar when they both get a text from Alyssa and Daniel saying "we found a heifer we really like and she's about to sell in the yards, can you guys come down and tell us what you think of her". Mesa knew it was freezing outside and was really procrastinating going down to the yards to look.... so Daniel comes up to the hill and finds us by BOB and says "she's a really nice BLACK (color is important for this story) bred heifer, just come down and look at her". So Clayton and Mesa make their way down to the yards...

Clayton and Mesa are searching for Alyssa and Daniel and said 'black' heifer... next thing Mesa knows, Clayton is on one knee!!!!

Note - heifers in these pens are RED!!! So pre-proposal Mesa was arguing with Clayton that we were in the WRONG pen! Clayton then arguing "no, come in here this is her right here"....

Then, mid-proposal, Mesa looks up to see their family coming out of hiding!! Mesa was SHOCKED! Dr. Coach Dad was crying like a little baby so of course this just makes the tears in Mesa's eyes reallyyyy start rolling.

Mesa taking her sweet time because the shock....

The answer was yes, of course!!

Hugs for little sister because Clayton didn't pull this off all by himself. Mesa's siblings and mom flew in the night before to make the surprise!

Clayton smiling ear to ear because surprises don't come easy around Mesa and he just pulled off the surprise of a lifetime!! Well that and because Mesa said YES!

Hugs to Alyssa!! FUTURE SISTERS! Alyssa and Danial had been planning with Brylee all week!

Hugs to mom!!

Another funny - when Clayton and Mesa headed down to "look at this heifer" they took the circulating golf cart because it's kinda a hike! Well Daniel said he'd meet us down there but didn't want to miss the surprise.... so he sprinted behind the golf cart without Mesa seeing! So if you saw a guy sprinting through the grounds at Denver last year, no you didn't....

Hugs to mom!! Mesa has her location and she somehow managed to stop sharing it without Mesa noticing!!

The most perfect surprise!!!

An unforgettable Denver!