Grand Champion steer sold for $400,000 at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 22, 2014) Saturday, March 22, 2014 at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo kicked off with the Junior Market Steer Auction. Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion were determined on Friday evening with Flint Newman receiving top honors and Kaden Hatla earning reserve honors.

Newman, representing Martin County 4-H of Stanton Texas, sat back and watched a bidding war for his Grand Champion Charolais, with the group of consisting of Evelyn and Roger Bethune; Vanessa, Chris, Kyle, and Rhianna Bruegger; Sally and Rigo Flores; and Mary Alice and Ed Lester bidding $400,000.

The winning bid was more than the winning bid in 2013 of $360,000, but was well below the world record price of $600,001 set in 2002. The 18-year old will receive a guaranteed payment of $75,000 with a potential payment of $85,000.

In the Reserve Grand Champion auction, the Champagne Cowgirls bid $201,000 for Hatla’s Limousin.

The group of 18 women matched the winning bid from 2013, but came in under the $365,000 price from 2001. The 17-year-old Nazareth FFA student from Dimmitt, Texas will receive a guaranteed payment of $40,000 with a maximum possible payout of $45,000.

The activities continued on Saturday afternoon and early evening with the championships of each event in the rodeo.

The top four places in the champion round advance to the Shootout finals will the winners becoming Rodeo Houston champions.

After the rodeo competition, the musical performance of the evening began with The Band Perry taking to the circular stage on the dirt inside Reliant Stadium.