Livestock Showing Legacy

Livestock Showing Legacy

This time of year, there are junior livestock shows happening all around our region. Last week was the 82nd Annual Spokane Junior Livestock Show in Spokane, Washington. Longtime Hereford and Angus breeder Bill Bennett attended his first jr show in Spokane as a nine-year old with a 690 pound commercial shorthorn steer in 1937. Since that time his kids, grandkids and now his great-grandkids have shown steers in the beef arena.

Bennett reflects on the eight decades that he has been involved.

Bennett: "It's a great show to come to. It is always the same old same — kids are leading steers and steers are leading kids. They've changed the type of steers at least four times since I was here. It's something that parents like to do for their kids and they get as much if not more than their kids."

One of Bennett's highlights of showing at the Spokane junior show was having the Grand Champion steer in 1945 and the Grand Champion and Reserve Champion pen of five. He says

Bennett: "I got $2 a pound for that champion steer. During the War they had pens of five so they could get more beef. There would have been a 1,000 head of steers that year."

A big thank you also goes out to those businesses and individuals that step up to support these junior livestock shows auctions by purchasing the animals.

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