A Girl and Her Steer Are Soon Parted

[eyer]

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/11/55/77/2547655/3/628x471.jpg
Photo: TOM REEL, San Antonio Express-News / San Antonio Express-News

That's Rabbit on the left (named for his floppy ears) and 10-year old 4Her Caeley Jane Cody on the right...

...a year ago Caely's dad bought Rabbit as a calf, thinking he'd make a good show animal for Caely.

Friday, at the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, 1,300 pound Rabbit was named Grand Champion Steer...

...Saturday, Rabbit sold at auction for a record $112,000 (breaking the old mark of $110,250 established in 2005) - that's around $86/lb.

Alas, there is no breeder market for steers...

...so Rabbit will be what's for dinner in a month or so from now.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...he-steer-breaks-record-at-auction-3361179.php

 

[Ham Murabi]

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/11/55/77/2547655/3/628x471.jpg
Photo: TOM REEL, San Antonio Express-News / San Antonio Express-News

That's Rabbit on the left (named for his floppy ears) and 10-year old 4Her Caeley Jane Cody on the right...

...a year ago Caely's dad bought Rabbit as a calf, thinking he'd make a good show animal for Caely.

Friday, at the San Antonio (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, 1,300 pound Rabbit was named Grand Champion Steer...

...Saturday, Rabbit sold at auction for a record $112,000 (breaking the old mark of $110,250 established in 2005) - that's around $86/lb.

Alas, there is no breeder market for steers...

...so Rabbit will be what's for dinner in a month or so from now.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...he-steer-breaks-record-at-auction-3361179.php

4H is quite a racket and it teaches responsibility. You take good care of your steer when times are good down at the grange, and someone is going to pay 10 times normal top dollar.
In my town, the kids who make money for meat on the hoof at 4H projects take it one step farther and head up to Arizona State to see how that meat looks hanging on a hook in a large freezer.
I always thought it was a bit blood thirsty on the part of the kids to feed and wash and sweet talk some animal for 10 months, then take it to auction and hope for a big payoff.
That's a hell of a lot different from taking 20 calves out of 200 to market.

 

[Kruge]

I am not an expert on this type of business but why would somebody pay 86$ a pound to just go slaughter a steer?

 

[koalabear]

The money goes for the kids college education.

 

[Morcheeba]

Is there anyway we can stop this from happening?

 

[dirtwrench]

Sadly I have some firsthand knowledge on this subject.

1. That steer bought by her dad was purchased for a hell of a lot more dollars than a regular steer. He was bred, born, and sold to be a show animal- only return being the price at the sale. His genetic make up probably sucks as an animal you actually would raise/feed for sale as a meat steer.

2. Many of the high dollar sale prices do not reflect the ACTUAL price paid to the seller- think kickbacks, "promotional fees" etc.

3. 4H has become a "whose Daddy has more money" game in most areas today instead of a "teach our kids about responsibility" game. The animals winning big shows, or even local county fairs, are way too often ones purchased for this purpose only and not as a representative of the family's stock. My kids showed cattle bred & raised at our farm. They helped take care of the animals they picked out to show at the county fair. I have heard kids show up on show up on sale day and ask "which one is mine?"

4. Often the animal chosen as the winner looks like shit when hanging on the hook at the locker/packing house. That is why they have a separate "carcass show" so people can see the diference.

I am not a sore loser. My kids had champion breeding stock cow/calf pairs and heifers. I just wanted to let all know it is not the same game it was 30-40 yers ago. I tried to get them to stay away from the steer show because I knew we didn't have the money to compete. Also, Rabbit was at an open show, not a 4H show. Professional cattle show. Kinda like the diference between the Daytona 500 and a local Saturday night dirt race.

 

[warrior queen]

Is there anyway we can stop this from happening?

Why?
I don't see anything wrong with selling a steer for slaughter. But then, I may be the wrong person to speak as I kill almost all my own meat anyway.

 

[eyer]

Here's an auction vid of the Grand Champion Steer at Ft. Worth's Stock Show and Rodeo earlier this month:

http://doaklambert.com/blog/grand-champion-steer-at-ft-worth-brings-a-record-230000

Spider Monkey from Beeville, Texas:

1,328 lbs of hamburger nets $230,00 = $173/lb

 

[warrior queen]

Ahhh... just read dirtwrench's post.
I see the difference.
Still, I don't see it as being an enormous problem, but that's just me.

 

[Morcheeba]

Why?
I don't see anything wrong with selling a steer for slaughter. But then, I may be the wrong person to speak as I kill almost all my own meat anyway.

Well, because it's sad. And I meant any way as two words, not one.

I was that upset.

Smoking joints with sweaty hot guys at county fairs and then walking past the 4H Barns was pure hell due to the intense smell of POOP. By 15 I learned to take different routes to get back to the main route leading to the fun rides like my fave, the Himalaya, biatch.

 

[Morcheeba]

Sadly I have some firsthand knowledge on this subject.

1. That steer bought by her dad was purchased for a hell of a lot more dollars than a regular steer. He was bred, born, and sold to be a show animal- only return being the price at the sale. His genetic make up probably sucks as an animal you actually would raise/feed for sale as a meat steer.

2. Many of the high dollar sale prices do not reflect the ACTUAL price paid to the seller- think kickbacks, "promotional fees" etc.

3. 4H has become a "whose Daddy has more money" game in most areas today instead of a "teach our kids about responsibility" game. The animals winning big shows, or even local county fairs, are way too often ones purchased for this purpose only and not as a representative of the family's stock. My kids showed cattle bred & raised at our farm. They helped take care of the animals they picked out to show at the county fair. I have heard kids show up on show up on sale day and ask "which one is mine?"

4. Often the animal chosen as the winner looks like shit when hanging on the hook at the locker/packing house. That is why they have a separate "carcass show" so people can see the diference.

I am not a sore loser. My kids had champion breeding stock cow/calf pairs and heifers. I just wanted to let all know it is not the same game it was 30-40 yers ago. I tried to get them to stay away from the steer show because I knew we didn't have the money to compete. Also, Rabbit was at an open show, not a 4H show. Professional cattle show. Kinda like the diference between the Daytona 500 and a local Saturday night dirt race.

Nice, informative post. I truly mean this.

 

[dirtwrench]

Nice, informative post. I truly mean this.

Thank you.

I did not mean to sound hateful to the little girl or her dad. I just wanted all to have some insight into the reality of it.

 

[patient1]

I am not an expert on this type of business but why would somebody pay 86$ a pound to just go slaughter a steer?

It's a publicity stunt. It gets news coverage. The more outrageous the amount, the more people talk about it, so it gets word of mouth advertising way beyond what that amount spent on an add would. If it's a meat packer that buys it, people in towns across the state get the impression that a particular company buys the best.

Another way to get a high amount is to get rivals bidding against each other. The kids ( Okay, too often the parents ) are supposed to line up people to bid on their animal at auction. Maybe they are people their parents do business with, but the Ford dealership doesn't like to lose to the Chevy dealership any more than John Deer likes to lose to Case, or one bank to it's competitor.

 

[koalabear]

Plus the cost is tax deductible.

 

[Kruge]

It's a publicity stunt. It gets news coverage. The more outrageous the amount, the more people talk about it, so it gets word of mouth advertising way beyond what that amount spent on an add would. If it's a meat packer that buys it, people in towns across the state get the impression that a particular company buys the best.

Another way to get a high amount is to get rivals bidding against each other. The kids ( Okay, too often the parents ) are supposed to line up people to bid on their animal at auction. Maybe they are people their parents do business with, but the Ford dealership doesn't like to lose to the Chevy dealership any more than John Deer likes to lose to Case, or one bank to it's competitor.

Thank you for that explaination

 

[Wife of Bath]

Sadly I have some firsthand knowledge on this subject.

1. That steer bought by her dad was purchased for a hell of a lot more dollars than a regular steer. He was bred, born, and sold to be a show animal- only return being the price at the sale. His genetic make up probably sucks as an animal you actually would raise/feed for sale as a meat steer.

2. Many of the high dollar sale prices do not reflect the ACTUAL price paid to the seller- think kickbacks, "promotional fees" etc.

3. 4H has become a "whose Daddy has more money" game in most areas today instead of a "teach our kids about responsibility" game. The animals winning big shows, or even local county fairs, are way too often ones purchased for this purpose only and not as a representative of the family's stock. My kids showed cattle bred & raised at our farm. They helped take care of the animals they picked out to show at the county fair. I have heard kids show up on show up on sale day and ask "which one is mine?"

4. Often the animal chosen as the winner looks like shit when hanging on the hook at the locker/packing house. That is why they have a separate "carcass show" so people can see the diference.

I am not a sore loser. My kids had champion breeding stock cow/calf pairs and heifers. I just wanted to let all know it is not the same game it was 30-40 yers ago. I tried to get them to stay away from the steer show because I knew we didn't have the money to compete. Also, Rabbit was at an open show, not a 4H show. Professional cattle show. Kinda like the diference between the Daytona 500 and a local Saturday night dirt race.

This is really interesting actually. Thanks for sharing your insight.

 

[dirtwrench]

Patient1 it is also set up deals long before the sale takes place. You buy my kid's steer/bull/heifer and I will refund to you anything over $X, minus the sale commission of course.

 

[Kruge]

Patient1 it is also set up deals long before the sale takes place. You buy my kid's steer/bull/heifer and I will refund to you anything over $X, minus the sale commission of course.

Hmmm...interesting. Thanks Dirtwrench

 

[thør]

So, is there going to be a Rabbit BBQ or what?

 

[patient1]

Patient1 it is also set up deals long before the sale takes place. You buy my kid's steer/bull/heifer and I will refund to you anything over $X, minus the sale commission of course.

I wouldn't be surprised....but I have no knowledge to support or refute your claim.

I generally support your points #1 and #3

This is a show. It's a beauty contest. Like a dog show that's all grooming and has nothing to do with a setter's abillity to find birds or the speed at which a Huskey can pull a sled.

Carcass shows and feed performance trials are the measures of a steer.

 

[colddiesel]

Sadly I have some firsthand knowledge on this subject.

1. That steer bought by her dad was purchased for a hell of a lot more dollars than a regular steer. He was bred, born, and sold to be a show animal- only return being the price at the sale. His genetic make up probably sucks as an animal you actually would raise/feed for sale as a meat steer.

2. Many of the high dollar sale prices do not reflect the ACTUAL price paid to the seller- think kickbacks, "promotional fees" etc.

3. 4H has become a "whose Daddy has more money" game in most areas today instead of a "teach our kids about responsibility" game. The animals winning big shows, or even local county fairs, are way too often ones purchased for this purpose only and not as a representative of the family's stock. My kids showed cattle bred & raised at our farm. They helped take care of the animals they picked out to show at the county fair. I have heard kids show up on show up on sale day and ask "which one is mine?"

4. Often the animal chosen as the winner looks like shit when hanging on the hook at the locker/packing house. That is why they have a separate "carcass show" so people can see the diference.

I am not a sore loser. My kids had champion breeding stock cow/calf pairs and heifers. I just wanted to let all know it is not the same game it was 30-40 yers ago. I tried to get them to stay away from the steer show because I knew we didn't have the money to compete. Also, Rabbit was at an open show, not a 4H show. Professional cattle show. Kinda like the diference between the Daytona 500 and a local Saturday night dirt race.

Biggest show in Australia is the Easter show in Sydney and the most prestigious prize is the hoof 'n' hook competition.

A few years ago the leader on the hoof was disqualified on the hook because it was below minimum carcass standard - far too much backfat. And a few years before that a Dairy Shorthorn X Angus won the whole comp though it wasn't in the top ten on the hoof - but the carcass was brilliant.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

KANSAS Kobi...

 

[JohnnySavage]

The agricultural fair where I grew up is THE event of the year. They have these 4-H kids selling their animals, which I always thought pretty sad (raising an animal and then selling it, I mean).

I get over my sadness though, and usually buy a lamb, a goat, a pig and split a cow every year. The pig and the cow I donate back to the 4-H and they then sell it to a local restaurant where it shows up on the menu. I get the goat and the lamb butchered and put it in my freezer.

I'd make a terrible farmer, but I'm an excellent eater.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

It still is here...



You get to see so many stars of the past right before they die.

 

[tactful]

Is there anyway we can stop this from happening?

A bid of $113,000. would have stopped it, of course, you'd need a corral, a barn and lots hay, not to mention a u-haul, to cart the animal.