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Texas led steer “Snoop Dogg” sells for US$440,000

Beef Central, 07/02/2023

Sadie Wampler’s steer Snoop Dogg was sold for US$440,000 at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Photo: Higginbotham Facebook

A 15-YEAR-old girl from the Texas panhandle has been given a big boost for her future education prospects – selling her steer “Snoop Dogg” for a record US$440,000 or AU$635,000

Sadie Wampler beat 1,500 competitors in the grand champion steer of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo with her 600kg Black European cross selling to an insurance and finance company called Higginbotham. The purchase beat last year’s Fort Worth record of US$310,000.

The winning pig at this year’s event sold for US$120,000.

The junior market steer auctions are an initiative at most livestock shows across America and they see syndicates of buyers compete for the winning animals in the competition –that money then goes into a scholarship fund to help students studying agriculture-related degrees. According to Fort Worth Report, Sadie plans to study animal science at the well-known Texas A & M University.

The auctions in Texas are on another level to the rest of the country, with the winning animal at last year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo making $US1 million. (More on that story here)

Fort Worth’s competition is said to be different to most shows in the country, with all the proceeds from the winning steer going to the exhibitor. Last year’s Houtson winner only took home US$85,000 from the US$1m her animal was purchased for.

Speaking to Beef Central in Houston last year, cattle superintendent Jason Cleere said idea of its company was to help many students.

“The idea is that it all goes back to support the youth, I was actually lucky enough to receive a Houston Livestock Show scholarship when I started at university,” he said.

“There are shows with steer auctions all over the country, but none of them have the level support and funding that we do in Texas. The stock shows here have worked hard to develop buyer groups and get those dollars in to support these kids in their future endeavours.”

Dr Cleere said the shows put a lot of effort into encouraging students from non-agricultural backgrounds to enter the industry.

“A lot of schools in cities like Dallas and Houston have their own farms, and they will often have teachers with experience in showing cattle who can guide them,” he said.

“It’s just the kids from the country who are successful at these shows, quite often kids from the city will be just as successful.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Teresa Teno, 15/02/2023

    Who’s the breeder of this steer? What city, state?

  2. Norman Clyde Johnson, 10/02/2023

    Only in America

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