Ashley Sells, flashes a pretty smile as she gets ready to show her Brangus steer in the Steer Show on Saturday.

"Steaks On the Hoof"

Beef Show Names Keahey and Howle
Winners in Steer Show
And Thompson and Jaggers
Winners in Heifer Show

by: Bobby McDonald

What's big, black, and apt to run over you? It's a market steer and many of them weighed as much as 1300 pounds. They've been on an intense feeding regimen since last summer and do they eat the feed! Take a steer and try to make him do what you want him to, and you might even have a "rodeo" on your hands. That's what some of the exhibitors found, when they brought their steers to town. Some of those that led so good at home, had different ideas, when they got to the bright city lights of the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. Too many people, too much sound, and too much excitement, made for some of them to be difficult to handle, especially for someone that might weigh only 150 pounds or less!

Hopkins Co. 4-H member, Colton Frazier, looks mighty small up beside his 1055 pound steer, as
he enters the ring and attempts to put all four feet in place.

Michael Tucker, Cumby FFA Senior, sets his steer for the judging, in Saturday's
Market Steer Show.

Then, there were those steers of such temperament that "a freight train" could have come by them, and they would have remained docile. Judge Todd Herman, of Skytook, Oklahoma, saw each and every one of them and placed them according to just how many good steaks they would produce!

Left, Heath Howard talks to the judge about his black steer, while right, Caleb Frazier gets his steer all settled-in for
the judging.

Kayla Keahey's 1215 pound black steer took the top award and was named Grand Champion of the show, placing him to be lot #1 in the Saturday night's Sale of Champions. Keahey is a member of the Sulphur Bluff FFA Chapter.

Kayla Keahey sets her Grand Champion Steer up in the Sale ring, after taking top honors in
the Market Steer Show, Saturday.

 

Getting the runner-up position, or Reserve Grand Champion honors, was Macen Howle, with his Charolais Crossbred steer, that weighed-in at 1165 pounds.

Macen Howle, of Sulphur Springs FFA, positions his Reserve Grand Champion Steer,
during the competion, Saturday.

Showmanship winners in the Market Steer Show, included Kaydee Melton, of the North Hopkins FFA Chapter, who won the Senior Showmanship Award. In the Junior Showmanship Division, Kyle Keahey, of Sulphur Bluff FFA, won the honors.

 

Top, Kaydee Melton of North Hopkins FFA, and Kyle Keahey of Sulphur Bluff FFA, were
"double" winners. Kaydee won the Senior Showmanship Award in the Steer and Heifer shows,
and Kyle won the Junior Showmanship Award in both contests.

Following the Market Steer Show, a Beef Heifer Show was conducted in the Civic Center Arena. Sulphur Bluff FFA member, Ginger Thompson, showed her Shorthorn Heifer to Grand Champion honors, while another Sulphur Bluff FFA member, Jentry Jaggers, showed his Black Angus heifer to the Reserve Champion position. They each received a shiny belt buckle for their wins, but do not sell their heifers in the Sale of Champions. The heifers are taken home to be brood cows and produced more "beef on the hoof!"

Ginger Thompson, of the Sulphur Bluff FFA, was awarded a belt buckle for showing her
Shorthorn heifer to Grand Champion honors, by Brad Johnson, NETLA President.

Jentry Jaggers was presented a belt buckle for his Reserve Grand Champion Angus heifer,
by NETLA President, Brad Johnson.

In the Beef Heifer Show, two exhibitors that you had heard from before, Kadee Melton and Kyle Keahey, managed to again win the Showmanship Awards. Kyle, of Sulphur Bluff, won the Junior Division, while Kadee, of North Hopkins, was the Senior Age Division winner.

Congratulations to the
Steer and Beef Heifer
Winners!