Casey and Mikaela first met in 2019 through mutual friend Gracie Garza while showing at the Santa Gertrudis Junior Nationals. What started as casual hangouts that week—at the show, the banquet dance, and the pool with friends—quickly turned into a real connection. They got to know each other, swapped Snapchats, and stayed in touch long after the trailers pulled out. In early 2020, they ran into each other again at the Fort Worth and San Antonio Stock Shows, spending hours together in the barn and ringside. Plans to meet up again in Houston that March were cut short when COVID shut everything down, but even then, they never stopped talking. That May, Casey texted Mikaela while heading to the Mid-Coast show, running late and asking her to save him a few pen spots for his cows. She happily agreed. When he arrived, Mikaela’s dad teased her that Casey must like her. Even though she did like him, she quickly brushed it off—“He’s just a friend.” Or so she thought. They spent most of that weekend together, and while her feelings grew, she was certain they were still just friends. A few weeks later at Nationals, Mikaela unknowingly set her pens directly in front of Casey’s trailer, blocking his view of his cows. According to Casey’s mom, he declared, “That annoying girl put her cows right in my way.” She jokingly told him he’d end up with that annoying girl one day. Of course, Casey insisted they were just friends. That week was filled with cornhole games, swimming, meals with friends, and long days at the show ring. Once again, they went home “just friends”—completely unaware they both felt the same way. They stayed close throughout the summer, spending time together with friends. When Mikaela moved to Huntsville for college in August 2020, she knew Casey lived nearby. With most college activities shut down due to COVID, she reached out and asked if he wanted to hang out. To her surprise, he said yes—and asked if Sunday worked since he’d be in Huntsville feeding cows anyway. That weekend, Mikaela told her parents she needed to head back to school early because she had a “friend date” with Casey. They laughed and told her there was no such thing. On August 23, 2020, Mikaela met Casey in Willis, where he followed her back to campus, helped carry her things into her dorm, and then took her to walk around Academy (because everything else was closed) and to Whataburger for lunch. They wandered campus, had dinner with Casey’s parents—who immediately knew this was more than just a “friend”—and then went to feed cows. That night, Casey asked Mikaela to be his girlfriend, and she said yes. The rest truly is history. Six years later, their life has been filled with love, laughter, learning, curveballs, cows, Astros games, many calves, and one very adorable Goldendoodle. They still joke that Mikaela will forever be “the annoying girl who blocked his view,” and that August 23, 2020 was definitely just a “friend” date. They can’t wait to see where life takes them next and what God has in store for their future together.