, the 1,459-pound European crossbred steer exhibited by a 13-year-old from Hood County, sold for a record-smashing $550,000 Saturday at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo鈥檚 annual Junior Sale of Champions.
, a 40-year-old commercial electric contractor based in Azle, outlasted major bidders including Hillwood, represented by Ross Perot Jr. Gary Menzies, Trico鈥檚 founder, said his previous high spending at the stock show auction was $58,000.
鈥淵esterday morning, I woke up and said I鈥檓 going to go ahead and do it,鈥� Menzies said in an interview.
The stock show鈥檚 previous record for the grand champion steer was , spent by the Fort Worth insurance brokerage Higginbotham, which was also in on Saturday鈥檚 bidding for White Castle. Last year, the .
The money left White Castle鈥檚 exhibitor, Caiman Cody of Tolar, virtually speechless.
鈥淛ust unreal,鈥� he told reporters. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even explain it.鈥�
The Codys raise and show cattle for a living and are used to competing for high stakes. Caiman鈥檚 dad, Bret, is a fourth-generation cattleman.
鈥淵ou always have it in the back of your mind, but it really is hard to reach,鈥� Kasey Cody, Caiman鈥檚 mom, said of the payday for White Castle. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so blessed to have the opportunity to come here. We鈥檙e so overwhelmed and grateful for all the blessings we have.鈥�
The Codys plan to use the prize money to grow their operation of about 100 head of cattle. Caiman said he wants to help other youth interested in agriculture careers.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to go to college one day, and I want to educate more kids about agriculture,鈥� he told reporters.
The family鈥檚 love of cheeses and burgers helps direct the names they give their steers.
The Codys will look for a different kind of splurge on their way home: an ice cream shop.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how we celebrate,鈥� Bret Cody said.
Trico has 75 employees and specializes in commercial installations from the ground up, Menzies said.
He is a longtime member of the , the largest of the nonprofit groups that steers, barrows, lambs and goats exhibited by youth at the stock show.
Even though Menzies hadn鈥檛 bid into the stratosphere before Saturday鈥檚 auction, he said his rationale remained the same.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great cause,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to support the kids. You鈥檝e got to turn it back.鈥�
Cheeto, the reserve grand champion steer exhibited by Abilene 16-year-old Cash Goretska sold for a record-matching $300,000 to Hillwood in Saturday鈥檚 auction.
鈥淚t was a blur of numbers,鈥� Cash, whose family also raises cattle for a living, told reporters. 鈥淚 heard $200,000, and it started working up and up, and it sold. It was wild.鈥�
The Fort Worth auction is unusual among youth livestock sales in that 100% of the proceeds go to the youth who show the animals. The event lived up to its reputation for the Codys and Goretskas.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing compared to this auction,鈥� Cash鈥檚 dad, Tracy, told reporters. 鈥淯nbelievable.鈥�
Lott resident Carson Newell walks his grand champion wether goat during the Junior Sale of Champions Livestock Auction on Feb. 7 at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Other Saturday sales of this year鈥檚 grand champion and reserve grand champion animals largely reflected longstanding bidders for the stock show鈥檚 top animals:
- Grand champion barrow: $123,000 to , Fort Worth, a longtime bidder for the auction鈥檚 top pigs.
- Reserve grand champion barrow: $70,000 to Kimberlin Ranch.
- Grand champion lamb: and , which to buy the reserve grand champion lamb.
- Reserve grand champion lamb: $35,000 to Ladies on the Lamb.
- Grand champion goat: $50,000 to and .
- Reserve grand champion goat: $30,000 to .
Stock Show Syndicate officials said the auction raised $10.2 million by its close late in the afternoon.
The 45-year-old Syndicate opened the day $4 million short of $100 million in total spending by members in its history.
By the end, it surpassed that mark.
Scott Nishimura is senior editor for local government accountability at the Fort Worth Report. Reach him at scott.nishimura@fortworthreport.org.
Disclosure: Higginbotham is a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a .
